No compensatory picks for Packers in 2020 NFL Draft

No surprises here. For the second year in a row, the Green Bay Packers won’t receive any compensatory draft picks.

The NFL announced which picks had been awarded to teams on Tuesday, and the Packers miss out. This would’ve been unheard of while Ted Thompson was the general manager but times have changed under Brian Gutekunst.

Compensatory picks are awarded based on the previous year’s free agency. In many cases, teams that lose key players without spending much money are compensated. Thompson’s Packers were rarely active participants in free agency and received extra draft picks most years as a result.

Gutekunst has placed a greater emphasis on free agency since taking over the role. This was especially true last offseason with the Packers signing Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner to big contracts all in the opening week of free agency.

With picks being handed out to other teams, it will impact the draft order slightly for Green Bay. For example, 10 third-round compensatory picks were awarded, which means the Packers’ fourth-round pick will now be 10 spots further down. The same goes for each round that follows.

Green Bay’s fourth-round pick was initially No. 126 overall. Factoring in the compensatory picks, the team now owns the No. 136 overall selection. It’s a small difference but it could prove to be important on the final day of the draft next month.

Compensatory picks are great to have, of course, and Thompson found a lot of success with these bonus selections in the past. However, Gutekunst shouldn’t have any regrets about his aggressiveness in free agency. All four signings made an impact and the Smith Bros. were two of the best free-agent signings in the entire league.

And despite not having any compensatory picks, the Packers do own 10 selections in total, giving them plenty of draft capital to use in trades.