Detroit Lions are not expected to get any compensatory draft picks in 2025.
Now that the criteria has been established, the Lions will be denied compensatory draft picks again in 2025.
In 2024 free agency, the Detroit Lions saw both major losses and gains. With the loss of Will Harris to the New Orleans Saints this week, there have been doubts about compensatory draft picks for 2025.
Essentially, compensatory draft picks are provided in response to losses in the previous year’s free agency. They can be offset by what a team gains in free agency, and the league has added a component for compensating selections if a minority hiring is lost to a coaching or general management role with another team. If defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn or assistant general manager Ray Agnew seek head coaching jobs elsewhere, the Lions will receive compensatory choices for losing them.
The Lions’ latest compensatory draft picks were in 2022, when they selected safety Kerby Joseph, tight end James Mitchell, and edge rusher James Houston. They were excluded from the compensatory pick formula in 2023 and this year.
Based on what we’ve seen, losing Harris was unlikely to have an influence on the Lions’ compensatory pick formula in 2025. However, since he signed on May 1, the ship has already sailed.
The Lions are not scheduled to earn any compensatory draft picks in 2025.
Over The Cap does a good job estimating compensatory draft picks, and NFL.com recently published an article outlining compensatory picks for 2025.
Here’s how the Lions fared using the Over The Cap chart.
Qualifying free agents lost: OG. Jonas Jackson, DB C. J Gardner-Johnson, WR Josh Reynolds
The qualifying free agents gained: EDGE Marcus Davenport, DT. DJ Reader, OG Kevin Zeitler, cornerback Amik Robertson
As previously stated, gaining four and losing three eligible free agents means the Lions will not receive any compensatory picks in the 2025 draft. That is the back-end expense of acquiring renowned players. Receiving three compensatory selections in 2022 was a direct result of performing little in the first year of free agency under the new rule in 2021.
While it would be nice to have an extra draft pick or two, not having any in three straight rounds (barring the loss of Glenn and/or Agnew before next April) is as much a reflection of the Lions’ progress as anything else.
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