It was fun while it lasted. The New Orleans Saints have enjoyed the benefits of compensatory draft picks in recent years, but signing Chase Young makes it unlikely they’ll see any extra picks in 2025. Few teams have received as many comp picks as the Saints over the last four draft cycles, owing to their losses in free agency:
- 2021: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 105) and six (218)
- 2022: Comp picks in round three (Nos. 98 and 101)
- 2023: Comp pick in round seven (No. 257)
- 2024: Comp picks in round five (Nos. 168, 170, and 175)
Remember, comp pics are awarded based on free agents lost against those signed in the previous offseason. And before the Saints signed Young, they were breaking even according to the analysts at Over The Cap who predict comp picks every year. After signing Young, it’s unlikely the Saints will lose any qualifying free agents who would balance him out.
Here’s where the Saints stand:
- Players lost: Malcolm Roach (7th round), Lonnie Johnson Jr. (DNQ), Zack Baun (TBA), and Isaac Yiadom (TBA)
- Players gained: Chase Young (4th round) Willie Gay Jr. (7th round), Nathan Peterman (TBA), Zander Horvath (DNQ)
So unless Baun and Yiadom each signed qualifying offers (which seems unlikely, as their agencies would have bragged about it by now) then we should assume they won’t factor in. And the list of qualifying players is wearing down quickly.
Remember, no players who were released — like Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston, or Marcus Maye — qualify for comp picks. Neither do players whose contracts were shortened after signing, as was the case with Andrus Peat. Which means the Saints would need someone like Johnathan Abram, Ugo Amadi, Keith Kirkwood, or Max Garcia to sign a really nice free agent contract in order to tip the scales back in their favor.
And don’t bet on that. Odds are strong that the Saints will sign a couple more qualifying free agents than they’ll lose while working to address their problems this offseason. For now, they have plenty of draft picks stored up for 2025 (everything but a seventh rounder going to the Philadelphia Eagles, who else, as part of last year’s C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade).
It would be nice to pad that out with a couple of comp picks, but at this point it just doesn’t seem likely. Maybe Young plays out of his mind this season and signs a lucrative contract somewhere else in 2025, which could bring back a good comp pick in 2026.
