Getty New York Jets fans celebrating at the 2023 NFL draft.
The New York Jets are set to receive a bevy of extra picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected compensatory selections for the next offseason on the official NFL website for every team.
Zierlein predicted that Gang Green will receive three comp picks in next year’s draft. The Jets are projected to receive those picks for three key free-agent losses this offseason.
Offensive lineman Nate Herbig signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Mike White signed a deal with the Miami Dolphins. Another hog molly, Dan Feeney, also signed a free-agent contract with the Dolphins.
.@LanceZierlein projects #Jets to land 3 comp picks in the 2024 #NFLDraft (3rd highest of any #NFL team)
🏈 6th rounder (Nate Herbig)
🏈 7th rounder (Mike White)
🏈 7th rounder (Dan Feeney)
Jets Set to Receive a Historic Haul of Draft Picks
No team is allowed to receive more than four comp picks in a single year for their free-agent losses, per Zierlein.
In layman’s terms, NFL teams qualify for compensatory selections based on if they lost “more or better qualifying free agents than gained in a particular year.”
According to Zierlein’s projections, the Jets are set to receive the third most comp picks of any team in the National Football League in 2024.
Gang Green lost two key defensive pieces in Sheldon Rankins (Houston Texans) and Nathan Shepherd (New Orleans Saints) during free agency. However those “should be canceled out in the [comp pick] formula” by the additions of wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman.
Zierlein also said that there’s a chance Feeney doesn’t play enough snaps in 2023 to qualify for a comp pick for the Jets.
“Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks between Rounds 3 and 7 based on a league formula that takes into account a player’s average salary per year (APY), snap count, and postseason awards,” Zierlein explained in an article posted on Thursday, May 4. “While there is an expected level of compensation for a player based on the amount he has signed for, his playing time (or lack thereof) in the upcoming season could alter the expectation.”
Jets Finally Set to Receive Comp Picks in 2024
It has been a long time since the Jets have been able to benefit from the comp pick formula.
Over a 24-year span from 1995 through 2019, Gang Green received the third-lowest total of comp picks in the NFL. The total number of picks during that stretch of time was 13, per Over The Cap.
However, it seems like general manager Joe Douglas has cracked the code.
Earlier this week the Jets got busy adding some new players to the roster in wide receiver Randall Cobb and defensive tackle Al Woods. However, those don’t affect the comp pick formula because of a loophole.
“Players need to have been signed as unrestricted free agents before the May 1 deadline and rank high enough among their peers to qualify for the compensatory-pick formula,” Zierlein revealed. “Players that were released by their previous team are not eligible for the formula.”
Historically speaking the Jets have been quite aggressive in free agency to add new pieces to the roster. However, this offseason they have opted for a smaller quantity of players that are hopefully higher quality as opposed to volume adding.