There are more than 32 picks in some NFL Draft rounds mainly because of compensatory picks. While each of the 32 teams is typically allotted one pick per round (making 32 picks per round), the NFL awards additional compensatory picks to teams that lost more or better compensatory free agents than they acquired in the previous year. These compensatory picks are given after the normal picks at the end of rounds 3 through 7, causing those rounds to have more than 32 total picks. Additionally, teams may trade picks, which can also affect the distribution but compensatory picks are the primary reason for rounds having more than the standard 32 picks. Key points:
- The NFL Draft has 7 rounds.
- Each round normally awards 1 pick per team, totaling 32 picks per round.
- Compensatory picks are awarded at the end of rounds 3 to 7.
- Compensatory picks are given based on the net loss of qualifying free agents and can increase a round's total picks beyond 32.
- Trades can also lead to some teams having multiple picks or no picks in a round, but they do not change the total number of picks as compensatory picks do.
This is why rounds after round 2 often have more than 32 picks, sometimes leading to upwards of 250-260 picks in total in a modern NFL Draft.
