For the draft hound in all of us who may have missed Monday's news out of the NFL owners meetings, here's the lowdown on compensatory picks handed out like chocolate on Halloween, courtesy of a release from the Chargers.

Here's an edited version of that release:

A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2008 NFL Draft has been awarded to 15 teams. The Chargers received a fifth-round choice and now have five picks in April 26-27 draft: first round (27th overall), fifth round (160th and 166th) and one each in the sixth (192nd) and seventh (234th) rounds.

Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in a year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 220 choices in the seven rounds of the draft. (The 252 total is the lowest since 2001 when there were 246 choices. There were 255 picks in each of the last four drafts.)

This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula.

One club this year (St. Louis) will receive a compensatory pick even though it did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents St. Louis lost were ranked higher than the ones it signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).

Here's a breakdown of the comp picks listing round, selection number of that round, overall selection number and team:

3......33........96......Washington
3......34........97......Cincinnati
3......35........98......Atlanta
3......36........99......Baltimore
4......33......131......Philadelphia
4......34......132......Buffalo
4......35......133......Baltimore
4......36......134......Tennessee
4......37......135......Green Bay
5......33......166......San Diego
6......33......199......New York Giants
6......34......200......Philadelphia
6......35......201......Indianapolis
6......36......202......Indianapolis
6......37......203......Philadelphia
6......38......204......Miami
6......39......205......Indianapolis
6......40......206......Baltimore
6......41......207......Cincinnati
7......33......240......Baltimore
7......34......241......Carolina
7......35......242......Washington
7......36......243......Chicago
7......37......244......Cincinnati
7......38......245......Miami
7......39......246......Cincinnati
7......40......247......Chicago
7......41......248......Chicago
7......42......249......Washington
7......43......250......Carolina
7......44......251......Buffalo
7......45......252......St. Louis

--Jeffrey Parenti
--jparenti@pe.com

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