Packers Gain Compensatory Picks in Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Rounds

The last time the Packers received three picks in those rounds, the results were less than stellar.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – As expected, the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday received compensatory draft picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds for losing linebacker Blake Martinez, right tackle Bryan Bulaga and outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell in free agency last offseason.

The pick for Martinez is the fifth of seven awarded at the end of the fourth round and No. 142 overall. The pick for Bulaga is the first of seven handed out in the fifth round and No. 179 overall. The pick for Fackrell is the fourth of 12 dispensed in the sixth round and No. 219 overall.

Compensatory picks are awarded mostly based on average annual salary, with playing time and postseason honors a smaller part of the equation. With a three-year deal worth $30.75 million and more than 1,000 defensive snaps, Martinez fell squarely in the fourth-round bracket. He just missed his career highs with 151 tackles and nine tackles for losses.

The interesting case was Bulaga. With his three-year, $30 million contract, he’d generally be worth a fourth-round pick. However, compensatory-pick rules state, “no club shall be entitled to a compensatory draft selection before the end of the fifth round for any compensatory free agent (excluding quarterbacks) with 10 or more accrued seasons at the time of signing with his new club.” Bulaga had completed 10 seasons when he signed with the Chargers. He started 10 games in a season sidetracked by knee, back and foot injuries.

Fackrell’s one-year, $4.6 million contract put him in the sixth-round tier. He had four sacks and played 56 percent of the defensive snaps.

With that, the Packers are scheduled to have have 10 picks in April’s draft, including No. 29 of the first round. Green Bay used its first pick on a defensive player in eight consecutive drafts until grabbing quarterback Jordan Love in the first round last year.

“Every year is a good year to have as many draft picks as you can have,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said recently. “We've gotten through our preliminary draft meetings in the last week and feel good about the way it looks right now. I do expect to have three. There's no guarantee on that. The formula's been changed up a little bit. They keep that pretty tight, but our projection is that we'll probably get three.”

The compensatory system began in 1994. Despite not receiving any the last two years, the Packers have received the third most picks league-wide with 45. Only the Baltimore Ravens (53) and Dallas Cowboys (47) have received more.

Green Bay received comp picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds in 2018, Gutekunst’s first draft. He’ll need to do better this time. He used those selections on receiver J’Mon Moore in the fourth round, punter JK Scott and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round, and receiver Equanimeous St. Brown in the sixth round.

Running back Aaron Jones was a fifth-round compensatory pick in 2017.

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