NFL Draft: Tom Brady, Larry Allen headline list of all-time best compensatory picks

If you're a draft nerd, there's no limit to the ways in which you can preview, analyze or relive drafts.

With that in mind, let's talk compensatory picks.

Often overlooked, the NFL has been doling these things out for 24 years now in order to soften blows for teams that have suffered losses in free agency. These days, they hand out 32 compensatory picks per year, with the earliest coming in Round 3.

Sixteen teams were awarded these "bonus" picks this year, with the Bengals, Broncos, Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams and Seahawks all landing multiple compensatory selections.

Fans of those teams might not be fixated on those picks, but they certainly can't be ignored. A lot of talented players have entered the league as comp picks, including the most decorated quarterback in the history of the sport.

Let's review the top compensatory picks for every NFL team.

Best compensatory pick: S Pat Tillman (Round 7, 1998)

Defensive tackle Chad Eaton -- a seventh-round comp pick in 1995 -- started 77 games in eight years with New England, Seattle and Dallas. But he didn't make the Cardinals' roster as a rookie, so the legendary Tillman gets the nod. The safety had three picks, 2.5 sacks and 247 tackles while starting 39 games in four years with the Cards before leaving the sport to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Tillman was killed by friendly fire in April 2004 and is memorialized with a statue at University of Phoenix Stadium.  

Best compensatory pick: S Thomas DeCoud (Round 3, 2008)

The Cal product started 78 games in six years with Atlanta, earning a Pro Bowl nod with six interceptions in 2012. DeCoud spent a seventh season with Carolina, finishing his career with 15 picks. He beats out 2002 seventh-round comp selection Kevin Shaffer, who started 93 career games at offensive tackle in Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago.

Best compensatory pick: G Edwin Mulitalo (Round 4, 1999)

The Ravens have had a lot of good comp picks, including current/recent NFL starters Ricky Wagner, Kyle Juszczyk and Pernell McPhee. But Mulitalo was a steady starting left guard there for eight seasons.

Best compensatory pick: OT Jonas Jennings (Round 3, 2001)

The Georgia product was Buffalo's regular starting left tackle for the first four years of his career before starting 23 games over the next four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He was never a Pro Bowler, but he was solid. Jennings edges out 1996 seventh-round comp pick Jay Riemersma, who started 73 games and scored 23 touchdowns at tight end in an eight-year career with the Bills and Steelers.

Best compensatory pick: C Geoff Hangartner (Round 5, 2002)

This was a toss-up between Hangartner, who started 57 games at center and guard during two separate stints with the Panthers, and Frank Garcia (Round 4, 1995), who started 84 games in a nearly identical role a decade earlier. Neither were stars, but Hangartner gets extra credit for being drafted a little later.

Best compensatory pick: S Mike Green (Round 7, 2000)

The first "Mr. Irrelevant" of the 21st century, Green had four picks, six sacks and seven forced fumbles in 81 games during his six seasons in Chicago. He also had a 100-tackle campaign in 2002. He beats out 2009 seventh-round guard Lance Louis.

Best compensatory pick: LB Landon Johnson (Round 3, 2004)

The final pick of the third round in 2004 started 11 games as a rookie and 53 in four years with the Bengals before finishing his career primarily as a backup in three years with the Panthers and Lions. Defensive tackle Clinton McDonald -- a 2009 seventh-rounder -- could wind up having a better career, but he lasted just one season in Cincy and has had most of his success the last three years in Tampa.

Best compensatory pick: WR Derrick Alexander (Round 1, 1994)

The first compensatory pick in NFL history was a starter from the get-go and was a solid player for most of his nine-year career in Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City and Minnesota. If you're looking for a pick from a later round and the current Browns era, I'll offer defensive tackle Billy Winn (Round 6, 2012).

Best compensatory pick: OL Larry Allen (Round 2, 1994)

Recent comp pick Dak Prescott (Round 4, 2016) deserves a lot of love for what he did as a rookie quarterback last year, but Allen is the only compensatory pick in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 12-time Pro Bowler is one of the best guards of all time.

Best compensatory pick: QB Trevor Siemian (Round 7, 2015)

This is somewhat of a live battle between Siemian and 2016 fourth-round comp pick Devontae Booker, who started six games at running back as a rookie. Neither had a great first full season, but Siemian certainly made a bigger impact. The next-best option is former cornerback Domonique Foxworth (Round 3, 2005), who started 44 games and registered eight interceptions in five seasons with the Broncos, Falcons and Ravens.

Best compensatory pick: DE Devin Taylor (Round 4, 2013)

The South Carolina product only became a starter in 2016, but he did have seven sacks as part of the rotation in 2015. The runner-up is probably 2000 seventh-round defensive tackle Alfonso Boone, who was drafted by the Lions but didn't play for them, instead having a nice 10-year career as a role player in Chicago, Kansas City and San Diego.

Best compensatory pick: G Josh Sitton (Round 4, 2008)

It was hard to narrow it down, because the Packers have used half a dozen compensatory picks on players who turned out wonderfully. Two -- Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks, who were drafted in '98 and '99, respectively -- went on to become successful starting quarterbacks with other teams. There was also 1996 sixth-rounder Marco Rivera and 2004 seventh-rounder Scott Wells, both of whom became Pro Bowl interior offensive linemen in Green Bay. And 2012 fourth-rounder Mike Daniels has also excelled. But Sitton is a four-time Pro Bowler with 124 career starts under his belt. He wins.

Best compensatory pick: TE Ryan Griffin (Round 6, 2013)

The UConn product is coming off a 50-catch, 442-yard campaign, despite starting only five games. He's a reliable cog in that offense. The leader here could change, though, if 2014 fourth-round comp pick Tom Savage wins the starting quarterback job this summer.

Best compensatory pick: S Antoine Bethea (Round 6, 2006)

The 11-year veteran was twice a Pro Bowler during his eight seasons in Indy, intercepting 14 passes and compiling 569 tackles in 123 starts. But you could also give this to 2008 sixth-round comp pick Pierre Garcon, who had three seasons with at least 700 yards and four touchdowns with the Colts and went on to have more success in Washington.

Best compensatory pick: S Marlon McCree (Round 7, 2001)

Front-seven defenders Danny Clark and Bobby McCray both had success as occasional starters after being drafted with seventh-round comp picks in 2000 and 2004, respectively, but McCree had a six-interception campaign as a full-time starter in 2002. He also went on to have some success in Houston, Carolina, San Diego and Denver.

Best compensatory pick: P Dustin Colquitt (Round 3, 2005)

I had no choice but to give this to a punter, because Colquitt is a two-time Pro Bowler who has served the Chiefs well for more than a decade. It was either him or 2013 third-round running back Knile Davis, who averaged just 3.3 yards per carry during his four seasons in Kansas City.

Best compensatory pick: OT Vaughn Parker (Round 2, 1994)

One of the first compensatory picks of all time, Parker was a full-time starter for seven years in San Diego. He gets the nod over 2009 fourth-round guard Tyronne Green and 2007 fifth-round receiver Legedu Naanee.

Best compensatory pick: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Round 7, 2005)

Linebacker Brandon Chillar (Round 4, 2004) was a solid starter in St. Louis for the majority of his four-year run with the team, while Fitzpatrick posted abysmal numbers in three spot starts as a rookie and was gone a year later. But the Harvard product went on to start 113 games for five different NFL teams after that. Also deserving a shoutout is 2003 seventh-rounder Scott Shanle, who hardly played as a rookie in St. Louis but went on to become a successful starting linebacker in New Orleans.

Best compensatory pick: S Yeremiah Bell (Round 6, 2003)

Linebacker Derrick Rodgers (Round 3, 1997) had six solid seasons as a starter in Miami, but Bell lasted even longer and he was drafted a heck of a lot later. The Eastern Kentucky product was a Pro Bowler with three picks and 92 tackles in 2009.

Best compensatory pick: DT Jason Fisk (Round 7, 1995)

The Stanford product was a solid contributor while starting 16 games in four years with the Vikes, but he later played a large role in Tennessee, San Diego and Cleveland. There aren't even any worthy runners-up here. Minnesota is not a hot spot for comp picks.

Best compensatory pick: QB Tom Brady (Round 6, 2000)

Guess this one speaks for itself, huh? Offensive tackle Nick Kaczur (Round 3, 2005) and wide receiver David Givens (Round 7, 2002) were also good compensatory finds by New England.

Best compensatory pick: WR Marques Colston (Round 7, 2006)

The fourth-last selection of the '06 draft is the team's all-time receiving leader. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in six of his 10 NFL seasons, all with the Saints.

Best compensatory pick: RB Ahmad Bradshaw (Round 7, 2007)

The sixth-last selection of the '07 draft scored 48 touchdowns in his nine-year career, starting 36 games for the Giants and Colts. He hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2010 and 2012, and he played a key role in two Super Bowl victories.

Best compensatory pick: WR Quincy Enunwa (Round 6, 2014)

The Jets also used comp picks on 1,000-yard running back Derrick Ward (Round 7, 2004), and former starting defensive back Antonio Allen (Round 7, 2012), but Enunwa is coming off a breakout third season in which he had 857 yards and four touchdowns.

Best compensatory pick: DT La'Roi Glover (Round 5, 1996)

The San Diego State product spent only one year on the Oakland roster before becoming a superstar in New Orleans and Dallas. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, and the league's defensive player of the year in 2000.

Best compensatory pick: S Brian Dawkins (Round 2, 1996)

Losing Pro Bowl linebacker Seth Joyner to free agency in 1994 was a blessing in disguise for the Eagles, who selected Dawkins with the compensatory pick awarded to them to make up for that loss. He was a superstar in Philadelphia, earning four first-team All-Pro nods during his 13-year run there.

Best compensatory pick: WR Hines Ward (Round 3, 1998)

The team's all-time receiving leader went over 1,000 yards six times during his 14 seasons there. The Steelers also used a third-round comp pick on Pro Bowler Mike Vrabel in 1997.

Best compensatory pick: DE Ray McDonald (Round 3, 2007)

The Florida product started 68 games and registered 19.5 sacks during his eight seasons with the 49ers. He beats out cornerback Marcus Cooper, who didn't make the final roster as a rookie seventh-round pick in 2013 but had three picks while starting six games that year in Kansas City.

Best compensatory pick: LB LeRoy Hill (Round 3, 2005)

Hill posted 20 sacks and had 378 tackles while making 89 starts during his eight-year career with the Seahawks. He beats out offensive tackle Floyd Womack (Round 4, 2001) and linebacker Malcolm Smith (Round 7, 2011).

Best compensatory pick: LB Alshermond Singleton (Round 4, 1997)

The Bucs have not fared well with their compensatory picks, leaving us with Singleton. The Temple product did at least last six years in Tampa before spending four seasons with the Cowboys, but he started just one game in his first five seasons and finished his career with five picks and 4.5 sacks over the course of a decade.

Best compensatory pick: LB Barron Wortham (Round 6, 1994)

Wortham was a relatively solid starting middle linebacker in 1996, 1997 and 1999. He even started Super Bowl XXXIV for Tennessee. He wasn't special, but neither were center Kevin Long (Round 7, 1998), linebacker Peter Sirmon (Round 4, 2000) or center Eugene Amano (Round 7, 2004).

Best compensatory pick: G Brad Badger (Round 5, 1997)

The Stanford product started the entire 1998 season in Washington. He also had runs as a starting left tackle in Minnesota and guard in Oakland, playing all or parts of 11 seasons in the league. He gets the nod over offensive lineman Chad Rinehart (Round 3, 2008), who was an occasional starter over six seasons with Washington, Buffalo and San Diego.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL since 2007. You can also read his work at Bleacher Report, Awful Announcing and This Given Sunday. Follow him on Twitter. Or don't. It's entirely your choice.