Cowboys have 10 draft selections after gaining an NFL-high tying 4 comp picks
The Dallas Cowboys have gone from having six picks in the 2018 NFL Draft to 10 picks after being awarding a league-high four compensatory drafts, announced by the NFL Friday.
The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders were also granted four compensatory picks.
The Cowboys’ haul is a direct result of the seven players they lost in free agency last year, including guard Ron Leary (Denver), safety Barry Church (Jacksonville), cornerbacks Morris Claiborne (New York Jets) and Brandon Carr (Baltimore), defensive tackle Terrell McClain (Washington), safety J.J. Wilcox (Tampa Bay) and defensive end Jack Crawford (Atlanta).
The Cowboys signed defensive tackle Stephen Paea and cornerback Nolan Carroll in free agency a year ago.
Per the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.
Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors
That Carroll was released in midseason canceled him out.
Compensatory picks are positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.
To that end, the Cowboys were given a fourth-round pick (137th overall), two fifth-round picks (171 and 173) and a sixth-round pick (208).
They already had picks in rounds one (19th overall), two (50th), three (81st), four (116th), six (193rd) and seven (236th).
The additional picks could go along way in helping the Cowboys fill needs at receiver, the defensive line, linebacker, tight end and the secondary.
They could also help them fuel a package to trade up in the draft, if necessary.
The 2018 NFL Draft is set for April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Cowboys have 10 draft selections after gaining an NFL-high tying 4 comp picks."