Revisiting the past handful of picks at the Patriots’ 2021 compensatory draft slots

No. 96 overall and No. 139 overall are now in the hands of the New England Patriots as the 2021 NFL draft pulls closer.

Time will tell whether they remain in the same hands come April. But those pair of compensatory picks, awarded Wednesday under the NFL Management Council’s net-loss formula, have recent fingerprints.

Here are the players who had their names called at both slots over the past five years.

No. 96 overall

2020: Lucas Niang, OT, TCU — The Kansas City Chiefs turned to Niang last spring at a time when Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz occupied the starting tackle spots. Both veterans have since been released. Niang, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound Horned Frog and former second-team All-Big 12 pick, opted out of his rookie season amid Covid-19 concerns.

2019: Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss — Through two regular seasons in the AFC East as a Buffalo Bill, Knox has started 18 games and appeared in 27. The 6-foot-4, 254-pound tight end stands with 52 receptions for 676 yards and five touchdowns over that span. Knox made an additional two trips to the end zone during January’s Bills playoff run.

2018: Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford — From the Cardinal defensive interior to Buffalo’s Phillips went three years ago. Since then, the first-team All-Pac-12 nose tackle has made three starts over 31 contests. Phillips, who suffered a torn ACL in 2019, has logged 56 tackles, a half-sack, two fumble recoveries and two batted passes in his career.

2017: Kenny Golladay, WR, Northern Illinois — On the doorstep of free agency as the top wideout left without the franchise tag is Golladay. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound Pro Bowler has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark twice and led the league with 11 touchdown catches in 2019. Golladay was limited to five games last season by hamstring and hip-flexor injuries.

2016: Vincent Valentine, DT, Nebraska — The Patriots turned in Valentine’s draft card, and the 6-foot-3, 331-pound Cornhusker won a Super Bowl LI ring during his tenure. Valentine was released from the practice squad in 2018 having posted 19 tackles and one sack over 13 games and two starts. He later had stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

No. 139 overall

2020: Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech — The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Robertson after a Conference USA stay that included two first-team selections as well as second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. The 5-foot-8, 187-pound corner logged three tackles over 35 snaps on defense and 35 snaps on special teams as a rookie.

2019: Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama — A 2018 All-SEC selection and consensus All-American, Thompson has gone on to start six games and appear in 24 for the Cardinals. His career has included 45 tackles and three pass deflections. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Crimson Tide product played 34 percent of Arizona’s snaps on special teams last season.

2018: R.J. McIntosh, DT, Miami — McIntosh returned from the non-football injury list to play in six games as a New York Giants rookie. The 6-foot-4, 283-pound defensive lineman from the Hurricanes saw action in a dozen games as an NFL sophomore while notching 13 tackles and two sacks. McIntosh did not appear in a game for New York’s depth chart in 2020.

2017: Jehu Chesson, WR, Michigan — Chesson made stops with the Washington Football Team and the New York Jets after first entering the league with Kansas City. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Wolverine played in 24 games through his initial two seasons. He caught three passes for 25 yards over that span, adding three kick returns for 65 yards and eight tackles.

2016: Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State — A Buckeyes national champion, Jones landed with Buffalo. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound quarterback would be traded to the Los Angeles Chargers during training camp in 2017 after going 6-of-11 passing for 96 yards and an interception in his NFL debut. Jones has also been a member of the Seahawks and XFL’s DC Defenders.