Green Bay Packers Sign 5th Round Pick Kamal Martin

It was recently reported that the Green Bay Packers have now signed fifth-round pick Kamal Martin.

With the official signings last week of Jordan Love and A.J. Dillon, that only left Josiah Deguara, Kamal Martin, and Jake Hanson from the Green Bay Packers’ 2020 draft class that remained unsigned.

Well, now it appears that you can cross Martin off that list.

Martin, a linebacker from Minnesota, was the Packers fifth-round pick this year, and he is certainly going to be someone to keep your eyes on in training camp. As long as Christian Kirksey is healthy, all signs point to him being Green Bay’s primary linebacker, but after that we there are several question marks. And this leaves an opening for Martin to earn some meaningful playing time.

Martin is an experienced player, having appeared in 40 games over his career. He would total 177 tackles, 13 of which were for a loss. This includes a career-high 66 tackles this past season, despite playing in only eight games. Martin would also add 3.5 sacks, four interceptions, and five pass breakups over those 40 games.

Turn on his tape, and what many notice right away is his ability to play downhill and plug holes, which will hopefully give the Green Bay Packers a boost in the run game. But prior to his knee injury, GM Brian Gutekunst described Martin as a “dynamic” player and someone that can help this Packers defense in coverage.

Here is what Packers’ college scout Brandian Ross had to say about Martin’s ability in space (via Packers Wire):

"‘He can cover tight ends down the field. He has some length and size to him that allows him to be physical with tight ends down the seam,” Ross said. “He’s going to be a guy that will give you a versatile piece when dealing with bigger, faster tight ends because of his ability to run downfield and play out in space and cover backs and tight ends.”"

In addition to helping against both the run and pass, Martin is another versatile chess piece for Mike Pettine to utilize pre-snap. While he primarily lined up in the box during his final season at Minnesota, Martin also took snaps as a free safety and in the slot as well.

The details of Martin’s deal are yet to be released, but he is now officially a Green Bay Packer just before training camp begins. That leaves third-rounder Josiah Deguara and sixth-round Jake Hanson to be signed.