The Green Bay Packers will attempt to take care of a few needs in the NFL Draft. The issue is that they don't have a first-round pick, and there's a chance that some of their dream targets could be gone by the time they're on the clock at No. 52.
The good news is that the sky won't fall if Green Bay fails to plug all its roster holes in the draft, as teams will part ways with some of their veteran players to make room for their rookie class.
With this in mind, there are a pair of potential trade candidates that general manager Brian Gutenkunst must keep tabs on.
The Packers could target Anthony Richardson and Arik Armstead if they're released
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report drew up a list of 10 players who could get their walking papers during or after the draft. A couple of them stand out, as they could help Green Bay plug roster holes: Defensive tackle Arik Armstead and quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Before he signed a three-year deal worth $42.5 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, Armstead was one of the best defensive tackles in the whole NFL. However, his stint in Duval hasn't gone as planned. Although the former Oregon Duck is at his best when he lines up inside, he switched to defensive end during his first year with the Jags. To nobody's surprise, he was underwhelming.
Armstead switched back to defensive tackle in 2025 and got off to a strong start, registering five sacks to start the season. However, he cooled down the stretch and didn't rack up a single sack the last six games. The 2015 first-round pick is now entering a contract year, and while the Jags plan to keep him around next season, they probably won't hesitate to trade him because they would get cap relief and possibly a late-round pick.
On the other hand, Richardson would be the perfect replacement project for head coach Matt LaFleur. He helped Malik Willis enjoy a career revival after an underwhelming tenure with the Tennessee Titans. Willis is now with the Miami Dolphins after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal in free agency. Green Bay needs a backup behind Jordan Love, and rolling the dice on Richardson may be better than taking a flyer on a rookie quarterback.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, has flashed potential with the Indianapolis Colts but has also shown that he has a long way to go. Couple that with the fact that he's failed to stay healthy, and the former Florida Gator could be on his way out.
With Daniel Jones firmly entrenched as the starter, Indy can afford to trade Richardson. And in Titletown, he could afford to take a step back and get the time he needed to develop behind Love. Heck, Moton sees Green Bay as an obvious landing spot for him.
"Looking at quarterback Malik Willis' development in Green Bay over the last two years, Richardson should hope that Colts general manager Chris Ballard is on the phone with Packers executive Brian Gutekunst during or after the draft," Moton wrote.
It's worth noting that Dexter Lawrence also made B/R's list of 10 cut candidates, but he's asking for more than $26 million a year, and the New York Giants will want a lot for him. This makes Armstead a more viable target even though he's not nearly as dominant at this point in his NFL career as his New York counterpart.
Still, Armstead would be a solid pivot if the Packers address another position at No. 52 and fail to add reinforcements at defensive tackle. Richardson, on the other hand, would be a perfect reclamation project regardless of whether Green Bay drafts a quarterback.
Ideally, Green Bay will fix all its roster holes in the NFL Draft. But in case they don't, other teams offer intriguing fallbacks.
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