Getty General manager Brian Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur and President and CEO Mark Murphy of the Green Bay Packers speak to the media during a press conference introducing Matt LaFleur as head coach at Lambeau Field on January 09, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
One year after letting Blake Martinez, Bryan Bulaga and Kyler Fackrell walk in free agency, the Green Bay Packers are expecting to receive some valuable kickback for the upcoming 2021 NFL draft.
According to final estimates from Nick Korte of Over the Cap, the Packers are projected to gain three compensatory picks in 2021 with an additional fourth-rounder (Martinez), fifth-rounder (Bulaga) and sixth-rounder (Fackrell) to account for their losses in last year’s offseason. It will be the first time since 2018 the Packers have received compensatory picks for lost free agents.
The Packers received four additional picks for 2018’s draft after losing T.J. Lang, Micah Hyde, JC Tretter and Jared Cook in the previous year’s free agency. They spent those picks on wide receiver J’Mon Moore (fourth round, No. 133 overall), punter JK Scott (fifth, No. 172), wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (fifth, No. 174) and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (sixth, No. 207). The Packers have also found success with comp picks in the past, securing Martinez, Mike Daniels, Josh Sitton and Dean Lowry in recent years.
The Packers will officially be awarded their compensatory picks at some point in March.
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Outlook on Packers’ 2021 Draft Picks
The Packers locked their draft position into place when they bowed out of the NFC championship game last Sunday, set to make their first pick at No. 29 overall in 2021. Here’s a closer look at which picks they will have along with the projected compensatory picks:
- Round 1 (No. 29)
- Round 2 (No. 62)
- Round 3 (No. 92)
- Round 4 (No. 134)
- Round 4 (No. 141) — Compensatory for Martinez
- Round 5 (No. 173)
- Round 5 (No. 177) — Compensatory for Bulaga
- Round 6 (No. 214)
- Round 6 (No. 220) — Compensatory for Fackrell
- Round 7 (No. 253)
Now, if you’re looking over the Packers’ initial seven picks and wondering how they finished with the No. 29 pick instead of the No. 30 pick despite tying Buffalo’s regular-season record and postseason positioning, Korte has another helpful explanation to sort out the confusion.
Since the Packers and Bills tied at 13-3 and both lost in their respective title games, the tiebreaker to determine who got the better first-round pick came down to strength of schedule, which found Green Bay facing an easier slate of regular-season games. As Korte mentioned, however, the draft order between the two alternates in each round due to the tiebreaker.
What Did Packers Lose With Three Departures?
The Packers opted to let all three of their pick-yielding free agents walk without making any (public) attempts to compete for them on the open market. And thanks to a pair of free-agents signings — Christian Kirksey and Rick Wagner — and the breakout progression of 2019 first-rounder Rashan Gary, none of the losses came with any real consequences on their 2020 roster.
At the same time, it is still noteworthy to mention how each of the three former Packers fared in their first seasons away from Green Bay. Here’s a closer look at their respective 2020 outputs:
Inside linebacker Blake Martinez (signed three-year, $30.75 million deal with New York Giants): Martinez was a tackling machine for the Packers in 2019, but there were complaints about other areas of his game — such as his athleticism and closing speed — toward the end of his rookie deal. Whether the Packers agreed with those issues or simply decided they couldn’t spring for a top-dollar reinvestment, the 27-year-old found a new start in New York and proved to be a jackpot fit as the Giants’ dynamic new signal-caller. Martinez tallied more than 150 tackles for a second straight season and added an interception, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three sacks, six quarterback hits and nine tackles for a loss. According to Pro Football Focus, he was also targetted 63 across 573 coverage snaps and allowed zero touchdowns.
Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga (signed three-year, $30 million deal with Los Angeles Chargers): Injuries were a major problem for Bulaga during his 10 seasons with the Packers and likely played a significant role in his departure; though, the concern doesn’t appear to have been unwarranted. The Chargers got only 10 games and 444 offensive snaps out of their new 31-year-old right tackle as he missed time with back and foot issues. He also struggled to hold up his end of the protection for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, allowing two sacks and finishing with underwhelming Pro Football Focus grade of 61.6. Time will tell if the Chargers can improve their overall O-line performance, but another injury-plagued season could tempt Bulaga to consider retirement — if he isn’t already.
Outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell (signed one-year, $4.6 million deal with New York Giants): Fackrell’s production waned in his final season with the Packers, going from 2018 sacks leader to a rotational edge rusher behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in 2019, but the 29-year-old reignited some of his previous fire in his move to New York. Despite missing seven games with an injury, Fackrell recorded four sacks, 34 total tackles, 10 quarterback hits, a pair of pass breakups and a forced fumble. He also picked off Dak Prescott in Week 5 and took it 46 yards to the house for his first career pick-six. Fackrell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this March, but the Giants may have seen enough for a second go.
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