The Green Bay Packers made the playoffs this past season as the youngest NFL team in 2023. Heading into the offseason, the Packers’ front office seems poised to be aggressive so it can be a Super Bowl contender in 2024.
While the Packers aren’t flush with cap space in 2024, still weighed down by money owed to David Bakhtiari ($40.018 million cap hit) and Aaron Jones ($17.028 million cap hit), they are flush with draft picks. Boasting five picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, including two picks in Rounds 2 and 3, the Packers’ front office is well-positioned to be aggressive this offseason.
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Ordinarily, for a team whose philosophy relies on drafting and developing players, those picks would be used exclusively in the draft. However, Green Bay publicly opened the door to the possibility of a blockbuster trade thanks to some recent comments during a press conference.
Speaking to reporters regarding the team’s draft capital ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst suggested the picks allow Green Bay to move around in the draft order or even acquire a veteran player this offseason.
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“Whether it’s staying and picking, trading, moving around…maybe trading those picks for veteran players, who knows.”
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on the flexibility of the team’s draft capital
With needs on both sides of the ball and the top of the 2024 NFL Draft class quite strong, moving up in Round 1 seems like a viable option. However, the ability to add win-now players who could play at a high level immediately and offer veteran leadership creates a broader list of Packers trade targets.
Green Bay Packers trade targets
It’s important to be realistic when identifying potential options for the Packers to acquire in 2024. The Denver Broncos aren’t moving Patrick Surtain II or Justin Simmons unless they are moving up for the No. 1 overall pick. Likewise, Super Bowl contenders aren’t going to trade away one of their best players.
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So with that in mind, here are a few more realistic Packers trade targets who could help Green Bay improve significantly in 2024.
- Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals – Budda Baker was floated as a trade candidate last offseason, but stuck around with the Arizona Cardinals. He just turned 28 and in addition to wanting to get paid, the Pro Bowl safety wants to compete for a championship and that isn’t happening in Arizona. With the hiring of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Green Bay’s need at safety becomes even more pressing. Baker is one of the best safeties in football and he fits perfectly into the Packers’ young core. Add him to Green Bay’s secondary and this could be a top-10 defense for the next two-plus years.
- Tyrann Mathie, S, New Orleans Saints – The youngest team in the NFL would benefit from adding some veteran leadership. Tyrann Mathie wouldn’t just improve the Packers’ secondary play dramatically, the veteran defensive back would add on-field leadership. Mathieu was outstanding last season in New Orleans, holding opponents to a 70.7 QB rating when targeted in coverage (PFF) and he was rated by Pro Football Focus as the sixth-best coverage safety in the NFL last season. Mathieu could play the deep safety position in Hafley’s defense, providing the extra help whenever Green Bay’s corners needed it.
- 8th overall pick – As previously mentioned, another alternative for the Packers is to move up. Packaging the 25th overall pick and a second-round selection would still leave Green Bay with one pick in Round 2 and two in Round. Because of that, Gutekusnt could attempt to jump into the top 10 picks to get ahead of teams in the market for a cornerback or offensive tackle. Whether it’s a top-10 talent like cornerback Cooper DeJean or offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, the Packers would be adding one of the best players in the 2024 NFL Draft to their lineup for the next five-plus years. Plus, if the Atlanta Falcons can’t move up for a quarterback, it makes way more sense to move down and collect assets then draft someone like J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr. at a more reasonable spot.
