Somewhat lost amid the flurry of big-dollar agreements made during the NFL’s legal tampering period ahead of free agency was the announcement of 2026 NFL Draft compensatory picks. And with that, how the Buffalo Bills received no comp picks to use in next month’s draft. It’s of no surprise given a quick glance at Buffalo’s roster moves last season and how they (didn’t) play into the comp formula.
Last March, the Bills lost a qualifying free agent in wide receiver Mack Hollins (signed $4.8 million-per-year
deal with New England Patriots). He counted toward the comp-pick formula, which would have sent a pick near the end of Round 6 back to One Bills Drive.
That changed as soon as Buffalo signed free-agent wide receiver Joshua Palmer, who himself was bucketed as a Round 6 comp-offset player. Palmer’s $10 million per-year deal immediately wiped out the comp pick tucked away for losing Hollins.
Additionally, the Bills signed defensive end Michael Hoecht (Round 6 comp offset; $7 million per year), and also cornerback Tre’Davious White (Round 7 comp offset; $4 million per year).
The NFL awards compensatory picks each season to teams that lost more than was gained during the previous offseason free-agency period. Those picks always take place at the ends of Rounds 3-7. In total, 33 compensatory picks have been awarded for the 2026 NFL Draft. You can see more details about each pick via the chart embedded below:
