The Patriots now have two more draft picks to put to use this spring, as the NFL announced its 2015 compensatory selections Monday evening.
New England was awarded pair of compensatory selections – a third-round pick (97th overall) and a seventh-round pick (253rd overall) – due to the team's net loss of free agents last offseason. The third-round pick is the highest of the compensatory selections, coming thanks largely to Aqib Talib signing with the Broncos last March.
Bill Belichick now has a total of nine draft picks at his disposal for the draft, although by rule the compensatory picks cannot be traded. The Patriots hold five of the top 101 picks in the draft process.
New England has the final pick in each of the first three rounds, in addition to the compensatory selection as well as the Bucs fourth-round selection (101st overall). The team also then has another selection in the fourth, a single sixth-round pick and a pair of seventh-round picks.
The NFL awarded a total of 32 compensatory picks to 14 different teams. While the Patriots got the highest of the picks, the Chiefs, Seahawks and Broncos all received four picks each.
Here are the Patriots nine selections in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft:
Round 1, 32nd overall
Round 2, 64th overall
Round 3, 96th overall
Round 3, 97th overall (compensatory pick assigned by NFL)
Round 4, 101st overall (from Tampa Bay, Logan Mankins trade)
Round 4, 131st overall
Round 6, 177th overall (from Tampa Bay, Jonathan Casillas trade)
Round 7, 219th overall (from Tennessee, Akeem Ayers trade)
Round 7, 253rd overall (compensatory pick assigned by NFL)
