GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers could have taken Kevin King with the 29th overall pick in the NFL draft, and no one would have blinked.
In a deep cornerback class, five at his position came off the board in the first 27 picks. King became the sixth, but not in the first round. Instead, Packers general manager Ted Thompson traded back four spots in order to pick up a fourth-round draft pick (that turned into pass rusher Vince Biegel) and grabbed King at No. 33.
The move cost King some money, but the expectations of him are the same at No. 33 as they would have been four slots earlier: he will be counted on heavily to turn around last year’s 31st-ranked pass defense.
The contract King signed last Friday included a $3,289,708 million signing bonus. Over four years, it could be worth up to $7.080 million. At No. 29, the Packers would have likely given King a signing bonus in the $5 million range and a total of about $9 million over the life of the deal.
Make no mistake about it, money had nothing to do with the Packers' decision to trade out of the first round in the draft, but the unintended consequence was King’s lower-cost deal. It also means that because they didn’t have a first-round pick, they won’t have the choice of adding a fifth year to their top draft pick’s deal. Only first-round picks have the fifth-year option in their deals.
Below is a breakdown of King’s contract, plus details on the other five draft picks who already have signed. There are still four unsigned draft picks: safety Josh Jones (second round), defensive tackle Montravius Adams (third round), Biegel (fourth round) and running back Jamaal Williams (fifth round).
King’s contract
2017
Salary-cap charge: $1,287,427
Signing bonus: $3,289,708
Base salary: $465,000 (guaranteed)
2018
Salary-cap charge: $1,609,284
Base salary: $786,857 (guaranteed)
2019
Salary-cap charge: $1,931,141
Base salary: $1,108,714 ($735,000 guaranteed)
2020
Salary-cap charge: $2,252,998
Base salary: $1,430,571
DeAngelo Yancey, WR, fifth round: Four years, $2,623,908. Signing bonus of $223,908. Base salaries of $465,000 (2017), $555,000 (2018), $645,000 (2019), $735,000 (2020).
Aaron Jones, RB, fifth round: Four years, $2,601,948. Signing bonus of $201,948.Base salaries of $465,000 (2017), $555,000 (2018), $645,000 (2019), $735,000 (2020).
Kofi Amichia, G, sixth round: Four years, $2,531,476. Signing bonus of $131,476. Base salaries of $465,000 (2017), $555,000 (2018), $645,000 (2019), $735,000 (2020).
Devante Mays, RB, seventh round: Four years, $2,475,044. Signing bonus of $75,044. Base salaries of $465,000 (2017), $555,000 (2018), $645,000 (2019), $735,000 (2020).
Malachi Dupre, WR, seventh round: Four years, $2,466,648. Signing bonus of $66,648. Base salaries of $465,000 (2017), $555,000 (2018), $645,000 (2019), $735,000 (2020).