The Green Bay Packers raised eyebrows when they traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2026 NFL Draft. At the time, they had yet to extend Jayden Reed and Christian Watson, so their vision wasn't fully clear. But just after a few months, the deal looks great.
Reed and Watson got new deals, while general manager Brian Gutekunst turned the 2025 fifth-round pick he got as part of the trade into offensive lineman Jager Burton.
On the other hand, Reed is already thriving with the Eagles, so you could argue that the Packers shouldn't have traded him. But when you look at the whole picture, they made the right call.
The Packers could afford to trade Dontayvion Wicks
Reports out of Eagles training camp indicate that Dontayvion Wicks is entrenched as the No. 2 opposite DeVonta Smith. All his teammates, including running back Saquon Barkley, are stoked to have him around. Then again, that was the plan all along. Philly acquired Wicks with the intention of trading A.J. Brown, who was moved to the New England Patriots after the draft.
That Wicks became the No. 2 in Philadelphia, though, makes you wonder whether the Packers should have traded him. The truth is that they're better off without him.
For starters, Wicks was entering a contract year, and he wasn't seemingly a part of the team's long-term plans. Rather than letting him walk in free agency in 2027 and get nothing, Brian Gutekunst flipped him for a fifth-round pick in 2026 and a sixth-rounder next year.
But leaving aside the compensation, Wicks may have had trouble contributing in Titletown because of how stacked the Packers are at wide receiver. Matthew Golden is expected to make a leap in Year 2, and the team is confident that Jayden Reed and Christian Watson can round out the starting trio.
Beyond Golden, Reed, and Watson, Green Bay also has Skyy Moore and Savion Williams. When you take into account that J Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard, Bo Melton, and Isaiah Neyor are competing for a roster spot, losing Wicks doesn't sting nearly as much.
Granted, Wicks would've been better than Moore, Williams, Melton, and pretty much everyone but Golden, Reed, and Watson. However, he might also have hindered Williams' progress. Without him, the coaching staff can afford to give playing time and develop other receivers.
It's hard to see the downside of the Packers trading Dontayvion Wicks
Maybe if Dontayvion Wicks turns into an All-Pro receiver, the Packers will then have second thoughts. However, that's not bound to happen, and even if it did, Brian Gutekunst took a calculated risk. He knew there was a chance that he could succeed with the Eagles, which is precisely what he's doing.
Having said that, the Packers should also be thrilled about the state of a wide receiver corps that is stacked with talent and depth.
Make no mistake, Dontayvion Wicks is a playmaker, and the Packers would have loved to keep him around. But he was also an unnecessary luxury, one they knew they could exchange for assets to address the larger scale roster, which is precisely what they did.
This is why the trade looks great even though the 2026 season hasn't even started, and it could be even better if Green Bay strikes gold with the other draft pick next year.
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