Pair of 'win-win' trades suggested for Packers during training camp

The Green Bay Packers are unlikely to make a big, flashy trade during training camp, much less two trades, but ESPN's Seth Walder has a pair of "win-win" trade ideas for general manager Brian Gutekunst this summer.

Walder's general idea for the two trades is improving the Packers' edge rusher situation using the developing surplus at wide receiver.

Walder proposed five trades across the NFL he sees as "win-win" for both teams. The first two involve the Packers. In the first, Walder has the Packers sending a second-round pick in 2026 to the New York Giants for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and a fifth-round pick. In the second, Walder sent receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Arizona Cardinals for a fourth-round pick in 2026.

Considering how unlikely each trade is, this exercise is more about identifying strengths and weaknesses and potential surpluses and deficits in a roster for a team like the Packers.

Why would the Giants trade Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft? Walder, like many else, see the Giants in rebuilding mode, and trading Thibodeaux might make sense after New York recently signed Brian Burns to a big deal and used another top-5 pick on Abdul Carter at edge rusher. The Packers, meanwhile, are real contenders with a question mark in terms of disrupting the quarterback entering 2025.

From Walder: "The Packers are natural trade partners here. This is a team in contention now, but with a major need at edge. Their current grouping of Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare and fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell probably isn't cutting it -- the team ranked 26th in pass rush win rate last season. Thibodeaux would certainly help the cause."

To help ease the pain of giving up a second-round pick next year, Walder looked to the wide receiver position in another trade, sending Wicks to the Cardinals for a mid-round pick in 2026. Wicks is coming off a disappointing second season filled with drops, but he's still an enticing receiver prospect who can get open, and there's clearly untapped upside if Wicks can smooth over any inconsistency catching the football.

From Walder: "Wicks' raw numbers undersell his upside in my opinion, and Arizona would be making a bet to that effect. In ESPN's receiver scores last year, Wicks recorded an 84 open score but a 0 catch score -- the lowest one can have -- after an astounding 10 drops on 76 targets. If I'm betting on one of those two numbers to sustain into the future, it's the open score over the drops (openness is more stable from year-to-year than catch score). There are no guarantees, however, so Green Bay would opt for a future asset instead of letting Wicks' development play out on their roster. Meanwhile, Arizona would wager that Wicks can hit a higher gear and boost the offense over the next couple of seasons."

The final tally from the Packers point of view: Wicks and a second-round pick for Thibodeaux, a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick.

Breakdown

Both trades are unlikely. For better or worse, the Packers believe they have enough talent in the defensive front to take a big step forward rushing the passer in 2025. And while adding Thibodeaux would help, the Packers are already banking on a young player at edge rusher taking a big step this season. Lukas Van Ness, a 2023 first-round pick, is penciled in as a starter opposite Rashan Gary and early returns at training camp are encouraging. While far from a certainty, Van Ness becoming an impact player would solve a lot of problems. At receiver, the Packers may have a talent surplus, and trading a player could happen this summer, especially if first-round pick Matthew Golden keeps impressing and earning opportunities. There are only so many targets and snaps to go around. But Wicks is still under contract for two more years and is expected to be a big part of the passing game with Christian Watson sidelined. Does using the receiver position to help improve the edge rusher group make sense for the Packers? Of course. Are the Packers likely to be this aggressive in the trade market during training camp? Almost certainly not.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Pair of 'win-win' trades suggested for Packers during training camp