The 2026 NFL Draft will award compensatory picks to teams that lost top free agents from last year’s class. That includes the Kansas City Chiefs, who saw Justin Reid sign a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Why did the Chiefs get a compensatory pick for Justin Reid?
The Chiefs received a fifth-round pick for letting Reid walk in free agency. That is now the number 176 overall pick in the draft.
What did the Chiefs do with the compensatory pick from Justin Reid?
We will update.
How was Justin Reid’s performance for the Saints in 2025?
Reid had a solid year for the Saints, even though his numbers were slightly lower than they were in his three years with
the Chiefs. He started 15 games and recorded 72 tackles, the lowest total since the 2021 season, which was his final year with the Houston Texans. Reid was still a key part of the Saints’ secondary, and considering there were a bunch of new pieces in the fold this season, he was able to establish himself as the trusted veteran of the group.
Should the Chiefs have re-signed Reid?
The Chiefs are undergoing a bit of a makeover in the secondary, and it would have been very hard to keep him at the price tag that he got from the Saints. Therefore, it was likely the right move to move on from Reid. It was clear that the Chiefs missed him this season, and the hope is that they can acquire someone who has better value than what Reid’s contract warranted.
What is a compensatory pick?
Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that suffer a net loss of qualifying free agents during the previous year’s free agency period. So 2026 NFL Draft compensatory picks are awarded due to free agents lost in 2025.
Then those players are ranked on the amount of salary, playing time, and a bunch of other criteria and slotted into the end of rounds three through seven.
