Given the Green Bay Packers' status as a genuine threat to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 60, it wouldn't be a surprise to see GM Brian Gutekunst attempt to add a piece or two on both sides of the ball ahead of the November 4 trade deadline.
The addition of players, of course, also typically means the loss of a few draft picks in the process. But if the Packers were wanting to recoup some of that draft capital, they've got an obvious trade candidate of their own, one who could be out the door even if Green Bay doesn't make any additional moves. And that candidate is edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare.
Taken by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2022 draft with the 179th overall pick, the South Carolina alum has been a reliable presence on the Green Bay defensive line, not missing a single game over the course of his four-year career and racking up 115 total tackles, 23 QB hits, 9.5 sacks, four passes defended, and three forced fumbles in his 56 regular-season appearances.
But here's the thing. Since the Packers swindled the Dallas Cowboys to bring in Micah Parsons, Enagbare has seen his snaps take a significant hit. In his first three seasons, he took 45, 41, and 47 percent of the team's defensive snaps, respectively. This year, that number has dipped to roughly 25 percent.
Teams have reportedly called Packers about Kingsley Enagbare, and it makes sense
Parsons, Rashan Gary, and Lukas Van Ness have obviously handled most of the responsibilities on the edge. And while Enagbare is still the fourth option for now, fourth-round rookie Barryn Sorrell appears to be closing the gap.
In Green Bay's Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Enagbare took 24.6 percent of the team's defensive snaps, while Sorrell took a season-high 20 percent. That's the closest things have been between the two all year, and one could easily assume that it's only a matter of time before Sorrell starts seeing even more time.
Enagbare is in the final year of his rookie contract, and according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the 25-year-old is garnering interest from other teams.
With the loss of Nick Bosa a few weeks back to a torn ACL, the San Francisco 49ers seem like an obvious trade partner. The Jacksonville Jaguars have already been aggressive this season and could certainly use some additional help on the defensive line.
The big problem for the Packers here is that they likely wouldn't get more than a Day 3 pick for Enagbare in return. So, he might actually be more valuable as a depth piece. That said, though, he's likely out the door no matter what come season's end, so they might want to at least get something for him instead of letting him just waltz into free agency with nothing to show for it.
If Green Bay can get a pick from another team that could be better than any compensatory pick the team would get if and when Enagbare signs elsewhere next March, this is undoubtedly an option worth exploring.