Whenever a team loses a notable player in free agency, the NFL often rewards them with something known as a compensatory draft pick. This is based on how big the player was for their team so the more notable the departure, the better the compensatory pick. One player who should net the Kansas City Chiefs a compensatory pick in next year's draft is DeAndre Hopkins.
The Chiefs traded for Hopkins ahead of the deadline last year and while the two weren't able to win a Super Bowl together, most would argue that the trade was a success. K.C. let Hopkins walk in free agency and he signed a bargain deal with the Baltimore Ravens that should net the Chiefs a compensatory pick as a result.
According to Over the Cap, the projected compensatory draft pick for Hopkins next year will be a sixth-rounder for Kansas City. This sounds about right since Hopkins had under 500 yards during his time with the Chiefs.
Chiefs projected to land sixth-round compensatory pick from DeAndre Hopkins
The Chiefs were rewarded two compensatory picks for this year's draft after losing Willie Gay and Tommy Townsend in free agency last year. Both picks were seventh-rounders, which both ended up getting traded to the Patriots so that K.C. could move up and draft Brashard Smith.
While some might think Hopkins is worth more than a sixth-round pick, this feels pretty fair. If you look at the other projected compensatory picks from Over the Cap, the Vikings are projected to get a third-round pick for losing Sam Darnold, who plays the most important position in the sport. The Lions are also projected to get a third-round comp pick for losing defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the Jets, who hired him as their head coach (yes, coaches and coordinators are factored in too).
The fact that the Chiefs got solid play from Hopkins and now will get an extra draft pick from him further solidifies that it was a good trade by Kansas City even if the goal of another Super Bowl victory wasn't reached.
