Patriots unsurprisingly receive no compensatory draft picks this year

Related: Quick-hit thoughts on the Patriots trading Shaq Mason to the Buccaneers

The New England Patriots were among the most active teams in the NFL in last year’s free agency, which does not make today’s announcement come as any surprise. The Patriots were not awarded any extra selections through the league’s compensatory draft picks process.

Teams losing more, or better, free agents than they acquire are eligible to receive those compensatory picks the following year. With the Patriots going on a spending spree in 2021, however, there was no realistic chance of them qualifying for the 2022 compensation.

In total, 32 picks are given out each year with no team allowed to gain more than four. This year, a total of 16 teams qualified to receive extra draft capital through this process.

As for the Patriots, meanwhile, they are currently scheduled to own seven picks after the trade that sent guard Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

• Round 1 (21)
• Round 2 (54)
• Round 3
• Round 4
• Round 5 (via Tampa Bay)
• Round 6
• Round 6 (via Los Angeles)

Since last year, teams are also entitled to receive extra draft choices for losing minority assistant coaches or executives. Seven such special compensatory selections were awarded to six clubs this year.