New Orleans Saints: 6 free agents that could turn into extra draft picks

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Eli Apple #25 of the New Orleans Saints is lead off the field by trainers during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. New Orleans defeats Tennessee 38-28. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

For the first time in a long time, this little known rule among New Orleans Saints fans could turn the free agency into extra Saints’ draft picks.

This phenomenon happens every year in the NFL, but little does this incident happen to the New Orleans Saints. Yes, we are talking about NFL Compensatory Draft Picks. Now, if you are any normal Saints’ fan you’re asking yourself what that even means.

Let me explain. Every year the NFL awards extra draft picks to teams who’s free agency goes awry. To qualify for a compensatory draft pick, you have to at least lose more unrestricted free agents than you sign in a given period, meaning Taysom Hill doesn’t qualify.

That is why you never hear of the Saints in this topic — because they always sign more than they lose. However, this year the team has 27 players that could leave. Now, most of them are bench players or insignificant, but there are players that would help qualify the Saints for these picks.

Here is the breakdown of where players would rank based on their salary loss of the estimated new contract they would sign.

3rd round: $13 million or higher
4th round: $8.5 to 13 million
5th round: $6.5 to 8.5 million
6th round: $4 to 6.5 million
7th round: $1.5 to 4 million

Also, be aware that if the New Orleans Saints lose a free agent, but then sign one, the draft pick of equal value is canceled out based on the contract of the signed unrestricted free agent. With that in mind, here are six free agents who could get the Saints extra draft picks.