Grading Packers’ Trade of Dontayvion Wicks and, Oh, What Might Have Been

The Green Bay Packers traded talented receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, a deal that isn’t addition by subtraction but a subtraction that probably signals an addition.

Wicks was the 19th of 33 receivers selected in the 2023 draft. From that group, he ranks 12th with 108 receptions, 14with 1,328 yards and tied for 10th with 11 touchdowns. (He’s also fourth with 14 drops, according to Stathead.)

From that perspective, he outplayed his draft slot.

Oh, What Might Have Been

On the other hand, the next receiver off the board was Puka Nacua, who had 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns last year alone. Had the Packers drafted Nacua, there would be no need to bother coach Matt LaFleur about such trivial matters as having a No. 1 receiver.

Regardless of what might have been, Wicks was a good pick. While he was unable to build upon his promising rookie season of 39 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns, he came up big on Thanksgiving at Detroit. They would not have beaten the Lions and might not have made the playoffs had he not played through an ankle injury to score two touchdowns and make the game-clinching catch on fourth down.

“We don’t win that game without him, so just to have him kind of just stay even through all the ups and downs with the injuries and whatnot, it’s exactly the Wicks that I know,” fellow receiver Christian Watson said after the game.

With six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns to rescue a depleted receiver corps, it was the best game of is career.

“It’s never been for him a lack of talent,” coach Matt LaFleur said after that game. “He’s always had the talent. Obviously, you want to go attack the ball aggressively. I think that can help eliminate a lot of drops. I know a lot of great receivers that have struggled with drops and then overcame that. He’s got great hands. He’s a natural plucker of the football.

“It’s never a lack of confidence in him. I’ve never wavered. We’ve never wavered on his ability. He’s so talented. You just got to keep on approaching it the same way, the way that he has, and I think games like this are going to happen for him.”

At the owners meetings last month, LaFleur said “there were some guys that were upset about roles last year, and I think that took a toll on our football team.” LaFleur wouldn’t say who those players were or if they were still on the team. Wicks’ target count went from 4.5 per game in 2024 to 3.3 in 2025. Whether Wicks was upset or not is anyone’s guess, but losing Romeo Doubs in free agency and trading Wicks should mean more defined and consistent roles and more opportunities for Christian Watson and Jayden Reed – the two leaders of the group – and 2025 rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams.

Talking Wicks Picks and Money

Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a pass for a touchdown against Detroit Lions safety Thomas Harper. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Financially, the Packers will save $3.674 million against the cap; that was Wicks’ base salary for the upcoming season. The Packers are going to need every dollar possible in their quest to sign Watson and Tucker Kraft to contract extensions.

The Packers picked up a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

The Packers enter this year’s draft with more holes than premium picks. Not that getting the 153rd selection of the draft is a premium pick, but trading at a position of strength will give general manager Brian Gutekunst another opportunity to upgrade a position of weakness.

The Packers are up to eight picks in this year’s draft:

Second round: No. 52 overall.

Third round: No. 84 overall.

Fourth round: No. 120 overall

Fifth round: No. 153 overall (Philadelphia’s pick in Wicks trade) and No. 160 overall.

Sixth round: No. 201 overall.

Seventh round: No. 236 overall and No. 255 overall (compensatory pick).

And 12 picks in what’s supposed to be the loaded 2027 draft, with this being the potential breakdown:

First round: None.

Second round. One.

Third round. Two (including potential Malik Willis compensatory pick).

Fourth round: Three (including Rashan Gary trade and Romeo Doubs compensatory pick).

Fifth round: Two (including Quay Walker compensatory pick).

Sixth round: Three (Kingsley Enagbare compensatory pick and Wicks trade).

Seventh round: One.

In a sense, the Packers got Wicks for free. They selected him in the fifth round and are getting picks in the fifth and sixth rounds in return.

Had Wicks spent his final season under contract with the Packers and then signed with another team in free agency, they might have gotten a fifth- or sixth-round compensatory pick in return. Now, they’ll get picks in the fifth round – a pick about 20 spots better than a fifth-round compensatory pick – and the sixth round.

The sixth-round pick the Packers will get in 2027 might wind up being the same pick they traded to the Eagles at the end of training camp last year for offensive tackle for Darian Kinnard. So, from that sense, the Packers also got Kinnard for free.

Grading the Dontayvion Wicks Trade

That’s sort of twisting things, though.

Here’s the bottom line: With Watson, Reed, Wicks and Skyy Moore all entering their final seasons under contract and just Golden and Williams under contract for 2027, the Packers almost certainly would have been in the market for a receiver in this year’s draft.

Drafting that receiver would have left Green Bay with seven roster-worthy receivers. That’s too many. So, the Packers had to get rid of one receiver to add one receiver. That player wound up being Wicks, and they got two draft picks in a move of necessity.

Grade: A.

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