Three Packers Stalwarts Who Could Be on Trade Block

Resume: A seventh-round pick in 2023, Carrington Valentine has been the steal of steals. A starting-caliber cornerback taken with the 232nd pick? That’s highway robbery.

In three seasons, Valentine has played in 49 games with 30 starts. During the final four games of the 2024 regular season, Valentine intercepted a pass or forced a fumble in each. Of the 56 defensive backs from the 2023 draft class who’ve played in a game, Valentine is tied for 14th with two interceptions and is 11th with 18 passes defensed.

PFF charged Valentine with a 56.4 percent catch rate last season (good) but five touchdowns allowed and zero interceptions (bad) and a 22.7 missed-tackle percentage (horrible).

Complicating matters: To replace a starter, you better have a starter-in-waiting. Benjamin St-Juste was signed in free agency after an up-and-down five seasons. Brandon Cisse (second round) and Domani Jackson (sixth round) are rookies. Moreover, St-Juste and Jackson missed the offseason practices due to injuries.

Why it makes sense: Valentine will be a free agent after the season. Under the NFL’s proven-performance escalator, his base salary almost tripled to $3.674 million. Moving on would take that amount of money off the salary cap. Cornerback is a premium position, so the Packers could get decent value for a player who might be replaced by one of the newcomers.

The decision: Would the trade compensation be better than the compensatory pick? And would the Packers dare get rid of a proven player at such a critical position? That would hinge on the play of St-Juste and the development of Cisse and Jackson. If the Packers feel good about, for sake of example, Keisean Nixon and St-Juste starting with Cisse the next man up, a trade would make a lot of sense.

LB Isaiah McDuffie

Resume: A sixth-round pick in 2021, McDuffie has made 38 career starts, including 29 the last two seasons, when he had 97 tackles in 2024 and 92 tackles in 2025. He has his shortcomings in coverage but is a reliable role player and durable performer with only one missed the game the last four seasons.

Complicating matters: The shift to Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 defense means the Packers need only two off-the-ball linebackers on the field. That’s Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin. McDuffie would give the Packers the luxury of proven depth. Otherwise, they’d have to roll with Ty’Ron Hopper, a third-round pick in 2024.

In two seasons, Hopper has played 10-plus snaps in four games and 20-plus snaps only once. There’s only one way for an inexperienced player to become an experienced player, and that’s to play. The other linebackers are Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch, who are on the team because of their prowess on special teams, and TJ Quinn, an undrafted free agent.

Why it makes sense: McDuffie, who is playing under the final year of a two-year contract extension, has a base salary of $2.4 million for the upcoming season. Moving on would create almost $3.0 million of cap space.

The decision: Would getting a late-round pick for McDuffie be worth the risk of diminishing the depth chart? In other words, is Hopper ready to be the next man up and play an every-down role should something happen to Cooper and Franklin?

McDuffie sat out the offseason practices due to injury. It was interesting that it was Niemann who got some first-team reps during the final day of minicamp, when it appeared the coaches were taking it easy on Franklin. Is Niemann capable of contributing on defense? Can Quinn be an instant-impact player after going undrafted?

Bonus: Lineman Drafted in 2024

The headline to this story is “stalwart.” That is not Jacob Monk, a fifth-round pick in 2024 who has played in 57 snaps in two seasons, or Travis Glover, a sixth-round pick in 2024 who played in 13 snaps as a rookie but spent last year on injured reserve.

Monk, a guard/center, could be the odd man out after the Packers drafted Jager Burton in the fifth round this year, brought back Donovan Jennings and spent a considerable amount of money on undrafted rookies Dillon Wade, Josh Gesky and Dylan Garrett

Glover, a tackle/guard, could also be the odd man out if he struggles at tackle.

Monk and Glover are under contract through the 2027 season. A trade would only make sense if the young backups develop and the Packers have more competent linemen than roster spots.