Dolphins in Line for Prime 2025 Comp Picks
The Miami Dolphins lost some big-name players on the first day of the NFL free agency negotiating period, namely the players who agreed to terms on the second- and third-biggest contracts around the league.
The losses of Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt, who trailed only QB Kirk Cousins in terms of overall potential deal value, will have a benefit at some point — beyond the amount of money the Dolphins saved by not spending on those two players.
The benefits will come in the form of compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft, and the size of the contracts agreed to by Wilkins and Hunt could bring the Dolphins two third-round picks.
That's according to Over The Cap compensatory pick specialist Nick Korte, and based on the NFL's complicated comp pick formula that takes into account the net gains or loss of "compensatory free agents," based on the contracts of unrestricted free agents switching teams, along with considerations for playing time and postseason accolades.
Wilkins agreed to a four-year deal reportedly worth $110 million with the Las Vegas Raiders for an annual average of $27.5 million; Hunt agreed to a five-year deal worth $100 million with the Carolina Panthers for an annual average of $20 million.
The Dolphins also were in line for a fifth-round pick after linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on a two-year, $20 million deal but that was offset by the Dolphins' reported contract with former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Books.
The Dolphins could add a sixth-round comp pick after defensive tackle Raekwon Davis agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal with the Colts to follow safety Brandon Jones' agreement with the Denver Broncos on a three-year, $20 million deal, while the Dolphins so far have agreed to terms with one UFA in that price range, Tennessee center Aaron Brewer.
So at it stood Wednesday morning, the Dolphins were line for three comp picks, two in the third round and one in the sixth. The Dolphins currently already have an extra fifth-round pick as the final piece of the Bradley Chubb trade — the Dolphins got Chubb and that 2025 fifth-round pick for a first-round pick in 2023, a fourth-round pick in 2024 and RB Chase Edmonds — and they swapped their sixth for Chicago's seventh in the trade that brought WR Chase Claypool to Miami last October.
RARE COMP OCCURRENCE FOR DOLPHINS
The Dolphins were not awarded a compensatory pick for the 2024 NFL draft because the two compensatory free agents they lost last offseason (Mike Gesicki and Elandon Roberts) were offset by the signings of QB Mike White and OL Dan Feeney, though they ended up trading up to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round pick.
This continued a trend for the Dolphins, who haven't had the benefit of a compensatory pick since the 2020 draft when they got two.
Getting two in the third round obviously would strengthen the Dolphins' 2025 draft position by giving Miami five picks in the first three rounds.
The last time the Dolphins got as high as a third-round compensatory pick was 2017 and that was for the loss of defensive end Olivier Vernon, who the Dolphins initially tagged before they rescinded it and he signed with the New York Giants. With that 2017 third-round compensatory pick, the Dolphins selected cornerback Cordrea Tankersley from Clemson.
The only other time the Dolphins got a third-round compensatory pick was 1997 in the early days of the system.
That year, the Dolphins got not one, not two but three third-round compensatory after losing Troy Vincent, Irving Fryar and Bryan Cox as unrestricted free agents and used them on LB Derrick Rodgers, LB Ronnie Ward and OL Brent Smith.
