This evening the league announced which teams would receive compensatory picks in next month’s draft, and the Atlanta Falcons were awarded four of them. Annually the league gives out 32 picks to teams that suffered significant free agent losses in the preceding off-season. Dependent on the player’s significance, determined by secret formula taking into account salary and playing time, picks are given at the end of Rounds Three through Seven. Last year the Falcons lost Curtis Lofton, Eric Weems, Kelvin Hayden, and James Sanders. Lofton’s departure to New Orleans netted the Falcons a fourth round pick, the final pick in that round. The other three free agent losses give the Falcons three additional seventh round picks. The Falcons now hold eleven total picks, holding picks in each round prior to tonight’s announcement.

First round: No. 30 overall
Second round: No. 60 overall
Third round: No. 92 overall
Fourth round: No. 128 overall
Fourth round: No. 133 overall*
Fifth round: No. 164 overall
Sixth round: No. 199 overall
Seventh round: No. 237 overall
Seventh round: No. 243 overall*
Seventh round: No. 244 overall*
Seventh round: No. 249 overall*

* Denotes a compensatory pick.

Compensatory picks are ineligible to be traded.

The league announced the thirty-two additional picks in the draft which are awarded as compensatory picks, given to teams that had a net loss in free agency in the previous year. And among them was the Atlanta Falcons, being granted the forty-second pick in the seventh round, or the 249th overall pick. Last year the Falcons did not receive compensatory picks, but did receive two in 2010. Compensatory picks cannot be traded.

As a result, the Falcons now hold the following picks in the 2012 draft:

2nd round, 55th overall
3rd round, 84th overall
5th round, 157th overall
6th round, 192nd overall
7th round, 229nd overall
7th round, 249th overall (compensatory)

The Falcons first and fourth round picks were part of the compensation for the Julio Jones trade last year.

The Falcons did not receive any compensatory draft picks in this year’s round of picks that are awarded to NFL teams that lose key free agents in the previous year’s off-season. But with the league’s unveiling of the 32 picks awarded to other teams, the 7-round draft order has been set. Here are the Falcons picks:

It was announced today that the Falcons will receive a third and fifth round pick as compensatory picks.

The third round pick comes to compensate the loss of cornerback Domonique Foxworth to the Baltimore Ravens last season. The fifth round pick comes in compensation for the loss of linebacker Michael Boley, who signed with the New York Giants.

The Falcons now have eight picks. Compensatory picks cannot be traded.

1st Round, 19th overall
3rd Round, 83rd overall
3rd Round,  98th overall (compensatory)
4th Round, 117th overall
5th Round, 149th overall
5th Round, 165th overall (compensatory)
6th Round, 171st overall (from Lions in Chris Houston trade)
6th Round, 189th overall

The team is reporting on its tweeter feed that the team has won its second coin toss, and will pick 19th. The team was involved in a coin toss during Dimitroff’s first season as GM in 2008, and won that also, winding up with the third overall pick that they used on Matt Ryan.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the AJC reports that the Falcons and Houston Texans will flip for the 19th and 20th picks on Friday at the Indianapolis Combine. The Falcons and Texans share the same record and strength of schedule.

Because the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans share the same overall record (9-7) and strength of schedule (129-127), they will flip a coin to determine which team will pick 19th and who will pick 20th in the draft.

This is not the first coin flip the Falcons have been involved in. They were in a three-way coin flip in 2008 for the 3rd overall pick. They won the flip, getting the third overall pick, and ultimately selecting quarterback Matt Ryan.

Last time, the coin flip occurred during the first weekend of the NFL’s Scouting Combine held in the middle of February. This year’s Combine kicks off on February 24.