ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals nab 3 compensatory draft picks in latest projection

Jan 31, 2022, 12:51 PM

General manager Steve Keim of the Arizona Cardinals looks on prior to the game against the San Fran...

General manager Steve Keim of the Arizona Cardinals looks on prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals are trending toward receiving three compensatory draft picks, according to OverTheCap.com’s latest projections.

OverTheCap.com’s Nick Korte projects Arizona to be awarded a sixth-rounder (No. 399) for Kenyan Drake’s two-year, $11 million signing with Las Vegas. Tight end Dan Arnold’s two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers worth $6 million and defensive end Angelo Blackson’s two-year contract with the Chicago Bears for $5.5 million nets the Cardinals two seventh-round picks (No. 575 and No. 589).

While the NFL won’t officially release the compensatory picks until March, OverTheCap.com uses a formula that projects awarded picks based on the net unrestricted free agent losses from a yearly dollars and cents standpoint for each of the 32 teams at the start of each season.

If departing players aren’t canceled out money-wise by new signings, then that team will be awarded additional picks anywhere from the third to seventh rounds depending on value. Teams cannot receive more than four compensatory picks.

In the Cardinals’ case, they lost five well-paid unrestricted free agents in the form of cornerback Patrick Peterson, linebacker Haason Reddick, Drake, Arnold and Blackson to free agency.

They gained two back, however, in wide receiver A.J. Green and kicker Matt Prater. Green’s one-year deal worth $6.5 million cancels out the team’s projected fifth-rounder for Peterson’s one-year, $8 million contract signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Prater’s yearly average of $3.3 million cancels out a sixth-round pick for Reddick’s one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers worth $6 million.

Aside from the projected compensatory selections, the Cardinals have a pick in the first, second, third, sixth and seventh rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft.

Arizona shipped off their fourth-rounder as part of a trade package with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2021 NFL Draft to move up and select cornerback Marco Wilson, who turned out to be a starter in the secondary this season.

The Cardinals also sent a fifth-round selection in a trade package to the Philadelphia Eagles in return for tight end Zach Ertz during the season.

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Trey Lance...

Arizona Sports

What is the going rate for top 5 picks? Looking at NFL Draft trades with Cardinals facing choices

The Cardinals are in the opportunistic position of owning the No. 4 pick when more teams need a quarterback entering the NFL Draft.

2 hours ago

Monti Ossenfort chats with Michael Bidwill pregame...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals Corner: Best- and worst-case scenarios for Cardinals’ NFL Draft

Cardinals Corner co-hosts Tyler Drake and Lauren Koval break down the best- and worst-case scenarios for Arizona this NFL Draft.

5 hours ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

John Gambadoro

The Gambo 5: Predicting whom the Arizona Cardinals pick 1st in 2024

Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze and two others are on Gambo's list of predicted Arizona Cardinals picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

10 hours ago

Monti Ossenfort speaks at the NFL Combine...

Tyler Drake

NFL mock draft tracker: What will the Cardinals do with the No. 4 pick?

A look at the players being mocked to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

12 hours ago

Steve Keim looks on...

Tyler Drake

Ex-Cardinals general manager Steve Keim ‘much happier now’ after rehab stint

Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim opened up about his mysterious leave of absence and parting of ways from the team on Tuesday.

1 day ago

Presented By...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: What is the best move the Cardinals can make in the 1st round of the NFL Draft?

On this episode of Cardinals Corner, Arizona Sports Cardinals reporter Tyler Drake and do-it-all contributor Lauren Koval dive into their best- and worst-case scenarios for the Cardinals in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

1 day ago

Arizona Cardinals nab 3 compensatory draft picks in latest projection