By Lance Zierlein | NFL.com Media draft analyst
Teams tend to treasure draft picks like gold, and compensatory draft picks aren't treated any differently. In fact, the idea of allowing a top free agent to walk in exchange for a compensatory draft pick has picked up steam in recent years as teams look for the best way to construct their rosters for sustained success. Organizations have parlayed compensatory picks into some highly valuable selections -- the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott and Pittsburgh Steelers' James Conner are a couple of recent examples.
So, how do compensatory picks work?
The number of compensatory picks allotted each year is limited to the number of teams in the league (32). However, compensatory picks are not divvied up equally among the teams, and no team can receive more than four compensatory picks in a single year. To qualify for compensatory picks, teams must end up with more compensatory free agents lost than gained in a particular year.
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