The Packers turned Rodgers into six players, including picks used in trade-ups in the 2024 NFL Draft.
12 months and change ago, we all wondered just how much compensation the New York Jets would be willing to give the Green Bay Packers for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had clearly moved on from the franchise following his darkness retreat. Ultimately, the Jets parted ways with the 13th, 42nd and 207th picks in the 2023 draft along with a conditional selection in the 2024 draft for Rodgers and the 15th and 170th picks in the 2023 class.
The conditional pick in 2024 centered around Rodgers’ playing time during the 2023 season, which was cut short when he tore his Achilles tendon in his first game as a Jet. Because of that injury, the would-be first-round pick in 2024 turned into a second-round pick — the 41st selection in this class.
This week, the Packers traded down from #41, turning that pick into the 45th, 168th and 190th picks of the draft via the New Orleans Saints. Green Bay used those selections on linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, a trade-up for safety Evan Williams (190th pick) and a trade-up for offensive lineman Jacob Monk (168th).
Including the 2023 draft choices, below is what the Packers’ end of the Rodgers trade now looks like:
Packers Compensation
- 2023 13th pick: DE Lukas Van Ness
- 2023 42nd pick: TE Luke Musgrave
- 2023 207th pick: K Anders Carlson
- 2024 45th pick: LB Edgerrin Cooper
- 2024 111th pick: S Evan Williams (plus 126th pick used in trade-up)
- 2024 163rd pick: OL Jacob Monk (plus 219th pick used in trade-up)
The Jets ended up trading the 2023 170th pick in the draft for two late-round picks, which they used to select players in those spots. Below is their compensation from the trade:
Jets Compensation
- QB Aaron Rodgers
- 2023 15th pick: OLB Will McDonald
- 2023 204th pick: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- 2023 220th pick: TE Zack Kuntz
As of right now, the best way to judge who “won” the trade is opportunity cost. Green Bay seems to believe they have their franchise quarterback of the future in Jordan Love, who is in for a mega deal this offseason after he had one of the better statistical second halves of the 2023 season in the NFL.
The prospects either team has taken via the trade, though, haven’t exactly hit the mark quite yet. Both pass-rushers, Van Ness and McDonald, remain backups going into the 2024 campaign. Bernard-Converse and Kuntz hardly made any impact for the Jets last year, but they remain on the roster. Carlson will enter a kicking competition with the Packers this summer, as he missed seven field goals and six extra points — including the playoffs — as a rookie.
Truthfully, the most valuable asset in this trade to date, other than Love getting the opportunity to start and the cap space the Packers saved by moving on from Rodgers, is probably Musgrave at this point. He started nine games as a rookie when healthy and was able to record 34 receptions for 352 yards and a touchdown.
Hopefully, Green Bay’s return for Rodgers takes another step in the right direction this year, with Van Ness, Musgrave and Carlson solidifying their roles with the team and Cooper — presumably one of the team’s starting 4-3 linebackers — having a big rookie season.
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