Patriots net two compensatory picks ahead of 2021 NFL draft

The New England Patriots will close in on the 2021 NFL draft with additional capital in hand.

The league announced Wednesday that New England has been awarded two compensatory selections, beginning with the highest slot at the end of the third round and continuing at the end of the fourth round.

• Round 3, No. 96 overall
• Round 4, No. 139 overall

This year’s 32 net-loss compensatory picks were spread across 17 different clubs. The Patriots were among eight clubs receiving a pair, while the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers received three and the Dallas Cowboys received the leading four.

Head coach Bill Belichick’s war room had taken on the league maximum last spring. And since the formula was greenlit by the NFL Management Council in 1994, New England has taken on 45 — an accumulation that ties for third-most.

A team that loses “more or better” free agents than it gains is eligible under the formula. Salary, playing time and postseason honors factor into the calculations and cancellations behind compensatory choices, which became tradeable in 2017.

Beyond quarterback Tom Brady, last offseason’s Patriots departures included the likes of center Ted Karras, defensive tackle Danny Shelton and linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins. Conversely, wide receiver Damiere Byrd, nose tackle Beau Allen and safety Adrian Phillips were among the arrivals that qualified before the league’s April 27 cutoff for compensatory free agents.

New England now stands with nine selections in all as another April nears.

The clock is scheduled to begin ticking at No. 15 overall in the first round. No. 47 overall in the second round follows.