Seahawks awarded three compensatory picks in 2016 draft

The Seahawks have been awarded three compensatory picks – a third, fifth and sixth – bringing their number of selections in this year’s draft to nine.

The NFL announced Friday that a total of 33 compensatory picks were given to 13 teams based on the number and quality of the free agents each team lost the year before. It’s determined by a formula that takes into account salary, playing time and postseason honors.

The free-agent departures that factored into Seattle’s compensatory-pick equation were cornerback Byron Maxwell, left guard James Carpenter, linebacker Malcolm Smith, safety Jeron Johnson and outside linebacker O’Brien Schofield. The only addition that factored in was defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin. That likely kept Seattle from receiving the maximum of four compensatory picks.

Players who become unrestricted free agents after being released aren’t part of the compensatory-pick equation, which is why cornerback Cary Williams didn’t count against Seattle’s total. The Seahawks signed him last offseason after he was released by Philadelphia whereas their other free-agent additions played out their contracts. Free agents who sign after May 12 don’t count toward or against a team’s total either, so Seattle didn’t receive any compensation for defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who signed with New Orleans after the cutoff date.

The compensatory picks that Seattle was awarded are No. 97 overall (the 35th pick in the third round), No. 171 (the 34th pick in the fifth round) and No. 215 (the 40th pick in the sixth round).

Seattle has six non-compensatory selections, beginning with the 26th pick in the first round. The Seahawks have their own pick in every round but the fifth and sixth, having traded their fifth-rounder to Kansas City for safety Kelcie McCray and their sixth-rounder to Detroit for cornerback Mohammed Seisay. Seattle has two seventh-round picks, including the one received in the trade that sent running back Christine Michael to Dallas (that trade was conditional, but those conditions were met assuming the reported terms were accurate).

Here’s a round-by-round look at Seattle’s selections in this year’s draft, which is April 28-30:

• Round 1: Own pick (26th overall)

• Round 2: Own pick

• Round 3: Own pick, comp. pick (No. 97 overall)

• Round 4: Own pick

• Round 5: Comp. pick (No. 171 overall), own pick traded to KC (McCray)

• Round 6: Comp. pick (No. 215), own pick traded to DET (Seisay)

• Round 7: Own pick, additional pick acquired from DAL (Michael)