USFL Draft: How compensatory picks work
The inaugural 2022 USFL Draft truly is a draft unlike any other.
One of the unique aspects of the USFL Draft is the way the rounds are formatted, as different rounds are assigned to different positional groups. There's another fascinating wrinkle to that process, though — teams are free to "pass" on picks in any given round in exchange for a compensatory draft pick at the end of another round of their choosing.
In fact, teams can claim a compensatory pick in an earlier round BEFORE they have officially passed, as long as they plan on passing on a pick in a future round. On Tuesday, we saw exactly that, as the New Orleans Breakers and Birmingham Stallions both elected to take compensatory picks at the end of Round 4, the conclusion of the defensive end/edge rusher group.
And after Round 7, which completed the offensive tackle positional grouping, the Stallions and the Michigan Panthers both chose to take compensatory picks and pass in a future round, as well.
Prior to Tuesday's USFL Draft Day 1, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Darryl Johnston commented on the potential strategy behind teams passing: "It'll be interesting to see if teams pass on wide receivers or cornerbacks early to build out more strength down the middle, like centers and inside linebackers, because they are one-pick positions."
So far, though, teams have used their compensatory picks to bulk up in the trenches. Either way, if your favorite USFL team passes during the inaugural draft, now you know: There's a strategy behind that one-of-a-kind decision.
