Last week, the Seattle Seahawks saw four notable players depart in free agency to sign with other teams.
Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, edge rusher Boye Mafe is headed to the Cincinnati Bengals, safety Coby Bryant signed with the Chicago Bears and cornerback Riq Woolen is headed to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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But for the Seahawks, there’s a massive silver lining to those losses – one that surely factored into their decision-making.
According to Over The Cap, those four free agency departures are projected to net Seattle four compensatory picks for the 2027 NFL Draft. OTC projects the Seahawks to receive a fourth-round comp pick for Mafe and a trio of fifth-round comp picks for Walker, Bryant and Woolen.
What are compensatory picks, you may ask?
Comp picks are awarded to teams who lost more qualifying free agents than they gained during the previous offseason, with the total number of comp picks, generally speaking, being the net difference between the losses and additions. The picks are spread between rounds 3-7, based on a league formula that takes into account a player’s average annual salary, snap count and postseason awards.
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So, as it stands, the Seahawks are on track to have a whopping 12 picks in the 2027 draft. They still have all seven of their native picks, plus the four projected comp picks and a conditional seventh-round pick they received from trading backup offensive tackle Michael Jerrell to the Atlanta Falcons last August.
After a talented 11-player draft class in 2025, Seattle currently holds just four picks in next month’s 2026 draft. But with the 2027 draft class widely regarded to be stronger than the 2026 draft class, it certainly makes sense to prioritize 2027 draft capital.
On his podcast last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter detailed how that’s been a leaguewide trend this offseason.
“The most underrated part of free agency – the least talked about, most significant thing that I heard over the last couple of weeks – was how much teams are trying to hoard draft picks for 2027,” Schefter said. “… They are looking at all the great players in next year’s draft, and saying, I want in, because the value of those players, right now, is greatly anticipated.
“It is going to be a quarterback-deep, strong draft, which is going to add to the value of those picks. There are a number of other great players at other positions (too). And it feels like when teams are having trade discussions, they want picks not in 2026 in the draft that will be held in just over a month in Pittsburgh, they want draft picks in 2027.”
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