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Dallas Cowboys add three picks for 2023 NFL Draft

Nikki Chavanelleby:Nikki Chavanelle03/13/23

NikkiChavanelle

Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft
Jeff Speer | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The NFL announced compensatory draft picks for the 2023 NFL Draft this week, boosting the Dallas Cowboys‘ draft pick total from six to nine next month.

The Cowboys added the No. 169 pick and No. 176 pick in the fifth round, as well as the No. 212 pick in the sixth round.

Prior to the compensatory picks, the Cowboys had just one selection in each round, except for the sixth round, which they traded for DT Johnathan Hankins this season.

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The Cowboys are tied for third in the NFL with three compensatory picks this year. The 49ers have the most with seven and the L.A. Rams have four. The Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs also have three additional picks.

The new picks for Dallas are compensation for lost 2022 free agents Randy Gregory, Cedrick Wilson and Connor Williams.

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Here are the Cowboys’ nine picks for this year’s draft:

  • Round 1, No. 26
  • Round 2, No. 58
  • Round 3, No. 90
  • Round 4, No. 128
  • Round 5, No. 160, No. 169, No. 176
  • Round 6, No. 212
  • Round 7, No. 243

How the NFL distributes compensatory draft picks

The number of compensatory picks each year is the same as the number of teams in the league (32), per the collective bargaining agreement. However, the NFL does not divide up compensatory picks equally among the teams. No team can receive more than four compensatory picks (in exchange for a player leaving) in a single year.

Per the league, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires is eligible. The compensatory picks go from Round 3 to Round 7 based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

The NFL also awards special selections at the end of the third round to teams that had a minority employee hired as a head coach or general manager by another club. The special compensatory selections are the result of an amendment to the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement. It’s an effort to promote equal employment opportunities within NFL teams.