Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, now the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, showed a clear preference for his former players during free agency. 

The Titans signed multiple players from Big Blue, with Wan'Dale Robinson's four-year, $70 million deal being the most expensive of the bunch. And Daboll's preference for familiar faces, which was signed off on by head coach Robert Saleh, could earn the Giants a compensatory draft pick in 2027.

The NFL's formula for compensatory draft picks is highly complicated, but it boils down to the difference in value between the free agents that a team loses and the ones it adds. That "value" isn't just monetary — it factors in playing time, as well.

Robinson is the only offseason loss currently expected to give the Giants a 2027 compensatory draft pick. The rest of the deals cancel each other out. 

New York would receive a fourth-round selection for losing Robinson, assuming the value gained or lost from Robinson and others throughout the season doesn't change the calculations.

Giants Could Find Compensatory Draft Pick Help From an Unlikely Source

However, an update in the Titans' starting lineup could help secure the fourth-round pick they hope to get for letting Robinson walk. Austin Schlottmann played a limited role at center for Big Blue in 2025, logging 362 snaps on the season. 

Tennessee signed him this offseason on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, which wouldn't typically factor much into the compensatory pick formula.

Schlottmann is currently listed as the starting center in the Titans’ unofficial depth chart. And per Nick Korte of Over the Cap, that's exactly what the Giants want to see. 

“Austin Schlottmann as the starting center for the Titans is what the Giants and their fans want to see, as a full season of snaps likely seals a fourth-round compensatory pick for Wan'Dale Robinson leaving—also to Nashville,” Korte said.

While Schlottmann's contract itself won't weigh heavily enough to warrant a compensatory draft pick, his spot in the starting lineup certainly helps. 

The more snaps that Schlottmann plays this season, the more impact he will account for in the formula. That impact may help the Giants to receive a fourth-round pick for Robinson.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen hasn't historically been able to work the compensatory draft pick formula to his advantage, largely because the roster has always been one that necessitated free-agent signings to fix it. 

New York didn't receive any compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, the Giants have only had one compensatory pick in the last three drafts, a third-round pick in the 2025 draft for losing safety Xavier McKinney. The Giants traded that pick away.

Schlottmann is engaged in an ongoing position battle for Tennessee's starting center role. Andre James and rookie Pat Coogan both have chances to overtake him in the preseason.

If Schlottmann can hold onto the job, he will help Schoen reverse the compensatory draft pick trend that has hindered the Giants in recent years.

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