Lions 2025 Compensatory Picks Update

Lions are projected to be without a compensatory pick for third straight year.

James Houston / Jim Dedmon, USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions went through the 2024 NFL Draft without a single compensatory selection, and the same is expected to be the case for the Lions in 2025. 

Per Over The Cap, Detroit will be without a compensatory pick during the 2025 NFL Draft. If such occurs, it’ll mark the third straight year that Detroit will not own a comp pick. 

The Lions last possessed compensatory selections in 2022, using those picks on safety Kerby Joseph, tight end James Mitchell and EDGE James Houston.

During this offseason’s qualifying portion of free agency, Detroit spent enough on the free agents it acquired to cancel out the roster losses that it suffered. The Lions were one of 17 NFL franchises to achieve that status. 

As for what it takes to be the recipient of a compensatory pick, it involves balancing the average per year (APY) value of contracts signed by qualified free agents departing one's team with the APY value of free agents acquired by that same team.

The Lions had three qualified players that departed the organization in free agency:

• OL Jonah Jackson – $17 million per year

• C.J. Gardner-Johnson – $11M/year

• Josh Reynolds – $4.5M/year

Meanwhile, here were the four qualifying free agents added by the Lions:

• OL Kevin Zeitler – $6 million per year

• EDGE Marcus Davenport – $6.5M/year

• DL D.J. Reader – $11M/year

• CB Amik Robertson – $4.6M/year

Detroit spent $28.1 million on qualified free agents this offseason. Meanwhile, it lost $32.1 million on qualified players that left the team in free agency. This resulted in a loss of $4.4 million in net free-agent spending – not enough, though, to receive one of the league’s 32 compensatory picks.