The Patriots added three more picks to the six they already carried into the April 23-24 NFL Draft.
The league awarded New England compensatory picks at the end of the third round (100th overall), the fifth round (170th overall) and the seventh round (255th overall). The picks are awarded each March at the owners' meetings based on a formula accounting for cumulative free agent losses from the previous year. The Patriots lost defensive linemen Ted Washington and Bobby Hamilton and offensive linemen Damien Woody and Mike Compton last offseason while signing defensive lineman Keith Traylor.
New England currently has nine picks in the upcoming draft, one each in the first, second, third and fourth rounds, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh round. The compensatory picks cannot be traded.
New England traded its other third round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Duane Starks. The third round compensatory pick comes only five draft spots after the Patriots were scheduled to pick with their original third rounder, which fell 32nd in the round.
