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Notebook: Complete Draft Order Finalized By League

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With compensatory draft picks awarded by the league on Monday, the NFL announced the complete round-by-round order for the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Packers will have nine selections in this year's draft, including four picks in the top 83. Green Bay has a third-round pick from the Jets and a sixth-rounder from the Saints.

Green Bay's four selections in the top 83 are second only to Detroit, who possess five picks since they have Dallas' first- and third-round choices. New England is the only other team in the NFL to have four picks in the top 83.

The Packers' picks in the 2009 NFL Draft are:

First round (1) - 9

Second round (1) - 41

Third round (2) - 73, 83 (from N.Y. Jets)

Fourth round (1) - 109

Fifth round (1) - 145

Sixth round (2) - 182, 187 (from New Orleans)

Seventh round (1) - 218

To view the complete round-by-round draft order, click here.

Rules passed by owners

On the final day of league meetings in Dana Point, Calif., NFL owners voted to change the draft order of picks 21-30 based on the teams' performance in the playoffs.

The new system, which will take effect in 2010, will not change how the teams that do not make the playoffs are slotted in the draft (worst record picking first, etc.).

For the teams that do make the postseason, there will be a reseeding based on how far they go in the playoffs. The losers of the wild-card contests will be seeded 21-24 based on their records. The losers of the divisional games will be slotted 25-28, and teams losing in the conference championship games will be picks No. 29 and No. 30. The Super Bowl loser will pick 31st, with the Super Bowl winner picking last at No. 32.

Other rule changes adopted Wednesday included if a fumble or backward pass goes out of bounds, the game clock will start when the official puts the ball in play. The league also eliminated a second onside kick chance if the first onside kick attempt goes out of bounds.

On Tuesday, NFL owners passed four new safety rules for the 2009 season.

The first is a new rule stating that the initial force of a blindside block can't be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent's head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.

Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver will also draw a 15-yard penalty.

On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed. A violation of this will result in a 15-yard penalty.

The final rule change is the kicking team can't have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick. Breaking this rule will result in a 5-yard penalty.

Performance pay for Williams

The league announced the top earners under the NFL's "Peformance-Based Pay" system that awards players for playing time based on their salary level.

Cornerback Tramon Williams checked in at No. 25 on the league's list, first among Packers by earning $252,901 in additional pay.

Performance-Based Pay was created as part of the NFL's 2002 Collective Bargaining extension with the NFL Players Association, and is designed to supplement player compensation based on a comparison of playing time to salary.

Williams played in over 73 percent of the Packers' defensive plays, good for third in the secondary behind only cornerback Charles Woodson and safety Nick Collins. Williams was also in for over 38 percent of Green Bay's plays on special teams.

Williams played in all 16 games with a career-high nine starts in 2008, and posted career bests in interceptions (5), tackles (52), passes defensed (14) and forced fumbles (2).

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