Thirty years ago, the NFL introduced compensatory selections as a new concept for the 1994 NFL draft. The idea aimed to provide assistance to teams that were outbid and lost players in the newly introduced free agency system, which began in 1993.
In the three decades since their introduction, compensatory picks has largely evolved into a reward for teams that draft well enough to stock their shelves with homegrown talent.
Next year, the Dolphins will be one of those beneficiaries. After losing Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt to the Raiders and Panthers, respectively, Miami is expected to receive a pair of additional third-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.
The last time the Dolphins received compensatory picks was in 2020, although the team traded both of them away during Day 3 of the draft. Here are all 19 players Miami actually picked with a compensatory selection: