The Kansas City Chiefs have done an alright job navigating the 2023 free agency period as it relates to compensatory draft picks for 2024.
According to Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, the Chiefs are projected to receive two fifth-round compensatory picks in the 2024 NFL draft as a result of their free agents gained and lost. Kansas City has lost six qualifying compensatory free agents: Orlando Brown Jr. ($16M), Andrew Wylie ($8M), JuJu Smith-Schuster ($8.5M), Juan Thornhill ($7M), Mecole Hardman ($4.5M) and Khalen Saunders ($4.1M). Meanwhile, the team has gained four qualifying compensatory free agents: Jawaan Taylor ($20M), Charles Omenihu ($8M), Drue Tranquill ($3M), and Mike Edwards ($3M).
Contracts for Brown Jr., Wylie, Hardman and Saunders cancel out the contracts for Taylor, Omenihu, Tranquil and Edwards in the compensatory pick formula, leaving Kansas City with two projected fifth-round picks for the departures of Smith-Schuster and Thornhill.
The Chiefs signed DT Byron Cowart, but his contract is not worth enough to cancel out any of the qualifying free agents lost. The inverse goes for the Denver Broncos’ deal with FB Michael Burton and the Dallas Cowboys’ deal with RB Ronald Jones. That could certainly change depending on their performance and playtime in the 2023 NFL season. That previously happened with Damien Wilson, for instance. He signed a non-compensable contract in 2021, but he played enough for the Panthers to earn Kansas City a comp pick.
Kansas City could be due for more compensatory picks in 2024 as they still have several free agents available who could sign with other teams after the draft. Guys like Carlos Dunlap, Justin Watson and Jerick McKinnon still remain free agents. If those players are signed to qualifying contracts before May 2, they’ll be eligible to earn the team another comp pick. Conversely, if the Chiefs sign any players to qualifying contracts before May 2, they could eliminate one of the two compensatory picks they’re currently projected to receive.
