Packers Slated to Have Just One Compensatory Pick
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were awarded three compensatory picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Since the dawn of free agency and the creation of the comp-pick system in 1994, only Baltimore (56) and Dallas (54) have received more than Green Bay (52).
General manager Brian Gutekunst won’t be a big beneficiary in 2025. The Packers are projected to get only one compensatory pick in 2025, according to Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com: A seventh-rounder for losing Yosh Nijman to the Carolina Panthers.
Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that lose more and better qualifying free agents than they signed.
Gutekunst made two big signings on Day 1 of free agency with the additions of safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs. Those eliminated the incoming compensatory picks for losing guard Jon Runyan to the Giants and safety Darnell Savage to the Jaguars.
The last remaining qualifying free agent was Nijman, who inked a two-year, $8 million contract with the Jaguars.
That means the Packers, who had a league-high 35 total draft picks the last three years, are scheduled to have only eight in 2025 when they host the draft alongside Lambeau Field.
The Packers had 10 compensatory picks the last four drafts, including three this year.
Gutekunst wants draft picks like a hoarder wants stuff. So, in a way-too-early lookahead to the 2025 draft, he might be in the market to trade back with his early-round picks to accumulate additional picks.
“I’ve talked a lot about competition in every room, and how much it accelerates the growth of your football team. I think that’s the best way for your team to move forward. So, to me, there’s never enough. You never have enough ammunition to build your room so there’s significant competition in every room. I think that’s really important. We have 11 right now. I’d love to end up with 13, 14 or more. I would never shy away from that.”