Value of Compensatory Draft Picks For Jets: Bryce Huff
When a top free agent hits the open market, all is not lost for the team that originally developed him.
With the NFL's compensatory pick formula, organizations can gain an extra draft selection if key players on their team leave in free agency for large amounts of yearly cash.
New York Jets DE Bryce Huff
Cred: The Athletic
For the New York Jets, that could be their future in 2025 with the pending free agency of pass-rushing dynamo Bryce Huff. Huff will be only 26 - a rarity for a player with 10+ sacks last season to be available in free agency, and could command a massive contract with a new team.
That new contract could help the Jets in 2025.
Should Huff receive a contract worth over $20 million annually, the common math is that the Jets would receive a third-round compensatory pick - the highest a comp pick can be. By receiving a contract well north of the position, and without the team responding with a hefty contract of their own to a new free agent, New York could set themselves up nicely for a solid compensatory pick round up next season.
During the 2023 offseason, the Jets lost Sheldon Rankins to a one-year deal worth over $9 million. The loss could have given them a fifth-round compensatory selection this year, but the signing of Allen Lazard to an $11 million annual deal canceled that out.
So long as the Jets do not sign anyone close to the annual per year average of Huff, they should be able to receive a pretty significant comp pick.
A perfect comparison to this are the San Francisco 49ers. The defending NFC Champions lost major free agents last season like Mike McGlinchey, Jimmy G, Jimmie Ward, and Azeez Al-Shaair. They currently have five compensatory draft picks with those losses but could've have an extra fourth-round pick, but the signing of Javon Hargrave canceled out the highest fourth rounder.
That's why the Jets won't be giving a king's ransom to a free agent for the sake of doing so. By signing a player to below the annual average, it's safe to assume the organization could be getting multiple comp picks in 2025.
Free agent players like Jordan Whitehead, Mekhi Becton, Ashtyn Davis and will hit free agency and could potentially add additional comp picks for New York.
Huff will be the big fish in this formula, though.
The only question will be if the Jets find a free agent that is worth a contract equal to Huff's. It's what makes the early stages of this free agency one of the more interesting ones in franchise history.
