Every year, a certain number of teams are awarded what the league calls “compensatory draft picks” by a formula of players lost and players gained in the offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were awarded a fourth-round compensatory pick (No. 140) for the loss of tackle Javon Hargrave. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Hargrave in free agency last season.
It seemed as though the Steelers would be awarded a sixth-round draft pick for offensive lineman B.J. Finney. Still, the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) limits the number of compensatory selections. The Seattle Seahawks initially scooped up Finney. He was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, and unfortunately, was too close to the allotment of picks for Pittsburgh to be awarded an additional comp pick.
Compensatory picks based on the formula above are:
Lost: Javon Hargrave, B.J. Finney, Sean Davis, Tyler Matakavich and Nick Vannett
Gained: Eric Ebron and Derek Watt
The Steelers could always re-sign Finney. He has far more experience than recently-signed lineman J.C. Hassenauer.
The Steelers stand at nine selections in the 2021 NFL draft.
All nine picks will be hot commodities, as Pittsburgh has many areas to address — along with limited breathing room cap-wise.
