Chargers Get Surprise Boost From Projected Extra Compensatory Pick for 2026 Draft

The Los Angeles Chargers have had a busy offseason. They have had to replace both offensive and defensive coordinators. They have entered the off-season with question marks all over their roster. Staring down significant turnover along the offensive line and a massive list of internal free agents, the Chargers front office has their work cut out with only five draft picks in the 2026 draft.

The Chargers sent their seventh-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for defensive back Elijah Molden at the end of training camp in 2024. They also sent their 5th round pick in this draft to the Baltimore Ravens alongside veteran safety Alohi Gilman in exchange for edge rusher Odafe Oweh in a mid-season trade.

Compensatory picks

The compensatory pick formula is a system that awards extra draft compensation to NFL teams that experience a net loss in qualifying free agents in a given offseason. The formula takes into account salary, playing time and season awards or honors.

The system only considers free agents on expiring contracts and that sign before the first Monday following the draft. Free agents who sign in the later stages of free agency or sign after being released by their previous team do not count against the formula.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has a few tricks up his sleeve to maximize the compensatory pick formula. The Baltimore Ravens have used the compensatory pick formula for years to build roster depth and get more picks every year in the draft. Hortiz rose through the ranks in Baltimore and understands the formula better than most realize.

Joe Hortiz sneaks an extra pick for the Chargers

The Chargers signed several free agents this past offseason that nullified any potential compensatory picks they could have received. However, in a move that seemed like a random dart throw at the time, Joe Hortiz made a move after the draft that may have netted the Chargers an additional draft pick.

Chargers applied the unrestricted free-agent (UFA) tender to running back JK Dobbins, who remains eligible to sign with any team. Dobbins now will still count against the compensatory formula if he signs with another team before training camps open in July. But the Chargers will… pic.twitter.com/MvyFHgkLqI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2025

Hortiz and the Chargers tagged free-agent running back JK Dobbins after the draft with the rarely used unrestricted free agent tender. The tender means the player on the expiring contract has accrued four seasons in the NFL and that now the previous team applying the tag will have exclusive negotiating rights with the player if he does not sign with a new team by a specific off-season deadline. More importantly, using the UFA tender, the player now accounts towards the compensatory pick formula even after the draft.

JK Dobbins signed with the Broncos after the Chargers applied the UFA tender to him, therefore allowing Dobbins to be considered in the compensatory pick formula if he played enough of the Broncos snaps or won a season award or honor.

According to Over the Cap's compensatory pick chart, Dobbins did cross the snap count threshold to be considered in the formula. The Chargers initially lost three qualifying free agents in Josh Palmer, Poona Ford and Kristian Fulton. The Chargers signed three qualifying free agents Donte Jackson, Mekhi Becton, and Najee Harris.

The three lost and three signed free agents cancelled each other out, leaving the Chargers with no projected compensatory picks. JK Dobbins, playing enough snaps in Denver, changed the math to four lost and three signed, making Kristian Fulton's value available for compensation. The Chargers are now projected to receive a compensatory pick in the 6th round for losing cornerback Kristian Fulton to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Summary

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz values having draft picks and entering the draft with only 5 is less than ideal. The late April move to tag JK Dobbins is projected to pay dividends for the Chargers and net them an additional day three pick via the compensatory pick formula. The Chargers have significant roster holes to fill and any extra darts to throw at the board are valuable.

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