3 big moves that make too much sense after Packers' Dontayvion Wicks trade

The Green Bay Packers picked up a couple of Day 3 draft picks when they traded wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Green Bay's wide receiver corps was overcrowded, and there's almost zero chance the Packers would've given Wicks the type of money he was looking for. Philly promptly signed him to a one-year, $12 million contract extension.

Gaining a 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 153 overall) and a 2027 sixth-rounder was about as well as the Pack could've fared under the circumstances, since it was known Wicks wanted out and they had little leverage.

With those new assets in tow, though, the Packers could be proactive in upgrading the roster leading into the NFL Draft. Here are a few trades that'd make a lot of sense to best utilize the draft capital from the Wicks deal.

Exploit Jon-Eric Sullivan's Packers ties in Round 2 trade up with Dolphins

• Dolphins receive: 52nd & 153rd overall picks & 2027 4th-round pick
• Packers receive: 43rd overall pick

PFF's mock simulator told me that this trade had a 93% chance of being accepted, so blame the sim if you disagree. Anyway, ex-Packers exec Jon-Eric Sullivan is now the Miami Dolphins' general manager. If Green Bay wanted to move up in the second round, there's no more logical trade partner.

The Dolphins are in full fire sale mode. They have four third-round picks among their seven selections in the top 94 of the upcoming draft. Packers GM Brian Guttenkunst could give his pal Sully even more flexibility to move all around the board by executing this trade with the higher of the Wicks picks.

That fourth-rounder in this proposed package comes courtesy of Dallas via the Rashan Gary trade, so it's not even Green Bay's own pick. Makes it all the more digestible, eh?

Cornerback should be the Packers' No. 1 draft priority. They seem keen on San Diego State's Chris Johnson. However, there's no guarantee Johnson will make it to the late second round. If he goes sooner than expected, that could trigger a run on corners near the top of Day 2.

Rather than settling for whomever falls to them at 52, the Cheeseheads could move up nine spots at a somewhat negligible cost to ensure they acquire a prospect they're truly smitten with.

Solidify cornerback position in trade for Bengals CB Dax Hill

• Bengals receive: TE Luke Musgrave, 120th overall pick & 2027 6th-round pick
• Packers receive: CB Dax Hill & 2027 7th-round pick

Another option: Why count on a rookie when a proven player could be had via trade? Now that the Packers have the Eagles' pick at No. 153, they might feel better about parting with Pick 120 and the lesser of the Wicks picks (so nice I had to say it twice) in a trade for Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill.

The Bengals are notorious for hardball contract talks. They're liable to insult Hill with whatever extension they offer him this offseason, if they do it at all.

As the site expert for Stripe Hype, I've written about how weird things might get in Cincy at the negotiating table with Hill and DJ Turner, two studly boundary cornerbacks who share the same agent.

There's also a heavy helping of insider intel that suggests the Bengals are leaning toward drafting a cornerback like Tennessee's Jermod McCoy or LSU's Mansoor Delane with the 10th overall pick.

A preemptive move off of Luke Musgrave and the 120th pick, plus a Day 3 pick next year, could be enough to entice the Bengals to move off Hill and replace him with McCoy or Delane straight away. Musgrave fills a need Cincinnati has for a viable second tight end to complement Mike Gesicki, too.

For Packers fans wondering whether Hill is legit or not, look no further than his splits when the Bengals actually deploy him at his best position. He has the chops to be Green Bay's CB1 of the future. Another perk: Inking Hill to an extension right after this trade could prove to be a big bargain.

Buy low on a quality tight end contingency plan

• Raiders receive: 153rd overall pick & 2027 3rd-round pick
• Packers receive: TE Michael Mayer

Before he has a chance to truly break out in Las Vegas in a contract year, the Packers could pull the trigger on a Michael Mayer trade and extend him. That is, unless he prefers to play out the rest of his deal for a future payday, but if Green Bay pays enough of a premium, it should work out.

The pending free-agent cost gap between Musgrave and Mayer should be minimal as it is. If Musgrave can just stay healthy, there's a chance he hits the open market in 2027 with a higher value than Mayer.

Considering how much money Las Vegas spent in free agency, it's unlikely Mayer will be big priority for GM John Spytek next year as the clear TE2 behind superstar Brock Bowers.

Although Bowers is more of a glorified receiver and gives Mayer enough run to be an inline tight end, Mayer could see a more significant pass-catching role with the Pack, since Tucker Kraft is more of a well-rounded player. Mayer would also be a boon to the Packers as a beefier, better run blocker than Musgrave.

That first Wicks pick (sorry, last time) and a Day 2 selection for next year should be plenty to get this mock Mayer trade over the line.