Steelers continue the trend of missing out on one of the NFL’s best benefits

One of the things that makes NFL free agency so intriguing is the balance between re-signing your own players, acquiring ones from other teams and letting some walk. 

But if the latter occurs, the NFL has a built-in reward system known as compensatory picks. 

But for two years in a row, Pittsburgh will be missing out on adding draft capital to the rounds they usually nail:

No Comp Picks for Pittsburgh

Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks between Rounds 3 and 7 of the draft based upon a league formula that takes into account a player's average salary per year (APY), snap count and postseason awards. While there is an expected level of compensation for a player based on the amount he has signed for, his playing time (or lack thereof) in the upcoming season could alter the expectation.

-Lance Zierlein, NFL Media

The system was designed so that teams who are good at drafting players don't have to lose out on a free agent and receive little in return. But the only player that Pittsburgh lost in 2024 free agency that would have allocated a compensatory pick was Armon Watts, and his contract with New England would have only netted a seventh-round pick. 

So there are two ways of looking at it if your Pittsburgh. On one hand, you're not losing valuable players, so you don't have to worry about compensatory picks. 

On the other hand, the trend shows a miss on recent top draft picks, as both Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush signed elsewhere, but not for contracts large enough to gain a comp pick. 

But that trend is likely to change come the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Steelers deciding to decline Najee Harris' fifth-year option, he is now slated to hit free agency in 2025. His signing would likely be a notable one, meaning Pittsburgh could gather a day-two pick for Harris, one that could be used to draft his replacement should the two sides separate after the season.