Green Bay Packers get two more draft picks

A general view of the NFL shield logo before the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports photograph

The Green Bay Packers, it was announced Monday afternoon, will receive two compensatory draft picks when the NFL cattle call comes around in May – that’s great news for Packers fans and team officials alike.

In fact, if you were a fly on the wall of Ted Thompson‘s office, you most likely would have seen a smile crack on the Silver Fox.

Two extra draft picks is like a couple of free extra gifts found under the tree on Christmas morning.

The Packers will receive one third round selection, number 98 overall, and one fifth round selection, number 176 overall.

We can thank Greg Jennings and Erik Walden for the two extra picks. Jennings signed with the Minnesota Vikings and Erik Walden left to sign with the Indianapolis Colts during last year’s offseason.

With four draft picks in the top 100, the Packers are sitting quite nicely heading into May’s draft. The big questions at this point is which positions Thompson will target with those top four picks and whether he might trade down from any of those slots to acquire more picks in a draft that is being considered the best and deepest in some years.

Courtesy of NFL.com, here is the full list of all compensatory picks:

Atlanta Falcons: 4th round (139), 7th round (253, 255)

Baltimore Ravens: 3rd round (99), 4th round (134, 138), 5th round (175)

Cincinnati Bengals: 6th round (212), 7th round (252)

Dallas Cowboys: 7th round (248, 251, 254)

Detroit Lions: 4th round (133, 136)

Green Bay Packers: 3rd round (98), 5th round (176)

Houston Texans: 4th round (135), 6th round (211), 7th round (256)

New England Patriots: 4th round (140)

New York Giants: 5th round (174)

New York Jets: 4th round (137), 6th round (209, 210, 213)

Pittsburgh Steelers: 3rd round (97), 5th round (173), 6th round (215)