Credit where credit is due, and the Green Bay Packers deserve plenty of praise for bouncing back after a rough start to the 2026 season. In fact, they're a promising 3-2 and in the thick of the NFC North race after trouncing the division rival Chicago Bears.
That said, the Packers have their work cut out for them even after winning two in a row. One thing in particular that could prevent them from winning games for the remainder of the year — aside from a brutal rash of injuries — is that they have a handful of roster holes that opposing teams could exploit. The good news is that general manager Brian Gutekunst could take care of them by trading for help at the deadline.
Already, Gutekunst made an aggressive effort to beef up the offensive line, and considering these trade targets would allow him to address other needs.
7 players the Packers need to target at the trade deadline
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
When Josh Jacobs landed on the Commissioner's Exempt list, the expectation was that the backfield tandem of Kaleb Johnson and MarShawn Lloyd would be able to hold the fort. Thus far, that hasn't been the case.
The Green Bay running game ranks dead last in the league after Week 5, with Johnson and Lloyd racking up a combined 218 yards on 67 carries (a measly 3.25 yards per carry).
It's clear that the Packers need reinforcements at running back, and the Arizona Cardinals may have the perfect option: James Conner.
Conner is still on injured reserve with a foot injury, but he is nearing a return.
The Cards signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency and later drafted Jeremiyah Love third overall. With both Allgeier and Love in the mix, Arizona could afford to trade James Conner. They just traded Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans, and nobody would bat an eye if they shop other players at the deadline.
A third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2017, Conner has spent the last five seasons in the desert, registering 3,763 yards on 861 carries with 38 touchdowns in that span. The Packers would surely welcome that kind of production from the running back position right now.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
If Conner isn't Green Bay's cup of tea, the Tennessee Titans could offer an intriguing alternative: Tony Pollard. A fourth-round pick in 2019, Pollard is younger than Conner and has registered four straight 1,000-yard seasons in Nashville.
You would think that the Titans would be opposed to dealing a player with that kind of production, but they're currently 0-5 and in the midst of a rebuild under head coach Robert Saleh.
Granted, trading for Pollard may be more expensive than Conner (probably a conditional fourth), but Green Bay would also be getting a better player, so it would be worth it.
Austin Jackson, RT, Miami Dolphins
By now, you may have noticed a theme. Several teams are either rebuilding or could soon be punting on the season. In either instance, they could be looking to acquire assets to address their larger-scale roster in 2027. The Miami Dolphins most certainly fit the bill.
The Dolphins brought in a new regime in 2026, with former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley becoming the head coach and former vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan becoming their general manager. Anyway, the Phins are off to a rough start to the season, losing five in a row. The top brass might want to argue that the team is in the early stages of a rebuild and will continue to bring in players that fit the vision.
To acquire said players, Miami will need draft assets, which they could get if they trade right tackle Austin Jackson. The 2020 first-round pick has played 66 games with 64 starts and would be an upgrade over incumbent Anthony Belton, who's played multiple positions across the Green Bay offensive line but hasn't been able to settle anywhere.
Sure, Belton has been fine the past two games (zero pressures allowed), but that shouldn't stop Green Bay from getting upgrades.
Already, Brian Gutekunst has signed Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton, and Kevin Zeitler. Trading for Jackson could be the last piece in the offensive line puzzle to keep Jordan Love protected.
Moro Ojomo, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
The win over the Bears was bittersweet because Green Bay lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to what appears to be an Achilles tear. What makes this even more frustrating is that the injury happened once the outcome of the game had already been decided.
The Packers have a handful of promising defensive tackles who can hold the fort for the remainder of the year, but it wouldn't hurt to reach out to the Philadelphia Eagles to inquire about Moro Ojomo. Philly just lost to the Jags, and their willingness to trade Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens may be a sign that other players could be available.
Ojomo racked up sick sacks for the Eagles last year. He's had 13 pressures and 10 hurries this season. Given that he's entering a contract year, the Packers could evaluate him for the rest of the season and decide whether they want to keep him beyond 2026.
Patrick Queen, LB, Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't great either. They have an aging roster and could use draft ammo to bring in reinforcements next year. This is why nobody batted an eye when they traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys not that long ago, and he may not be the only player that they might be willing to move. Perhaps Patrick Queen could be available at the deadline.
Queen has had his moments with the Black & Gold, but has also struggled at times. That said, Green Bay could use help at linebacker after Edgerrin Cooper's season-ending injury. While Queen isn't particularly great in pass coverage, he's a stud against the run, racking up over 100 tackles each of the past two seasons.
Josh Sweat, Edge, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner may not be the only Cardinal who could be on Brian Gutekunst's radar ahead of the deadline. In fact, they've been linked to pass rusher Josh Sweat since the offseason, but that's because they would be a fit.
Sweat used to play for Green Bay defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon in Arizona and Philadelphia. Heck, Sweat wasn't thrilled about Gannon's departure, which led to rumors about him wanting out of the desert.
In the end, Sweat remained in Arizona, but the Cardinals are riding a four-game losing streak after beating the Los Angeles Chargers in the opener. Perhaps they'll be open to trading Sweat. It doesn't hurt that Mike LaFleur's brother is coaching the Packers.
Khalil Mack, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers
As bad as things were for the Packers early in the season, they managed to fight their way back to a 3-2 record. The same cannot be said about the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that's riding a four-game losing skid and has been the subject of rumors ahead of the deadline.
Nobody in the Chargers' locker room appears to be on the same page, and if they're ready to embrace a rebuild, trading aging veterans like Khalil Mack would make sense.
Now, Mack's best years are behind him, but he's still a dependable pass rusher, one who could fortify Green Bay's rotation and hold the fort while Micah Parsons returns from injury.
And once Parsons is back, he could form a pretty dynamic group alongside rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton, the ascending Lukas Van Ness, and Mack.
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