Is A Dontayvion Wicks Trade Too Obvious To Pass Up?

The Green Bay Packers are getting close to a tough decision with the future of their wide receivers. They have four players on rookie deals in Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, and Savion Williams, while Christian Watson is under contract through 2026, even though an extension will likely be on the table sooner rather than later. The reality is that it will not be possible to pay all of them long term, which is what makes Wicks arguably the most compelling trade candidate of the group.

Dontayvion Wicks is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and has never finished higher than third on the team in receptions or receiving yards in any of his three seasons with the Packers. Last year, he had 30 receptions for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Those are solid numbers for a rotational role, but not quite enough to separate himself in a crowded room.

It’s hard to envision a clear role for the former fifth-round pick moving forward. Wicks has struggled with consistency, recording 11 drops over the last two years, including a team-high three in 2025. Furthermore, the area where he has shown the most promise, his ability to create separation, is something Matthew Golden can offer at a similar level.

Green Bay will have some important decisions to make at multiple positions over the next couple of years. Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft have built strong cases for extensions, and they will not be cheap if their production continues on this path. Meanwhile, players like Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, and Edgerrin Cooper could put themselves in that same conversation after the 2026 season if they take another step forward.

Then there is the financial side. Jordan Love’s cap hit is only going to rise from here and is projected to reach around $75 million by 2028. Even if Russ Ball works his usual magic to manage the structure and keep things flexible in the short term, all money spent on a player eventually hits the cap. Therefore, it must be selective about where to allocate its cash.

Everything ultimately comes down to cap space. The Packers are going to have to make smart moves to stay under the cap in the foreseeable future, and that likely means prioritizing players who have proven they can be core pieces. It becomes hard to justify paying someone like Dontayvion Wicks, who has mostly been a third option at best, when the Packers can get similar production from a cheaper player still on a rookie deal.

That said, the Packers don’t necessarily have to move on from Wicks before his contract expires. He still provides valuable rotational depth, and there’s a case to be made that keeping him through the end of his deal could be the better move. If Wicks walks in free agency, the compensatory pick Green Bay could receive might be more valuable than what they would realistically get in a trade, especially if his role remains limited.

On the other hand, Green Bay is projected to have just five picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is not much flexibility for a team that relies heavily on drafting and developing players. They should receive compensatory picks due to Malik Willis, Romeo Doubs, Quay Walker, and Kingsley Enagbare leaving in free agency. Still, those likely will be late-round picks.

Compensatory selections are influenced by playing time, so many factors can affect where those picks actually land. If any of those players miss time due to injury, the return for Green Bay could be minimal. That uncertainty makes it risky to rely too heavily on the compensatory formula as a primary means of replenishing draft capital.

Ultimately, the draft is a numbers game. The more picks you have, the better your chances of finding impact players and building depth across the roster. That’s where the idea of trading Wicks starts to make more sense. Moving him before he reaches free agency could give the Packers an extra asset in 2027, helping them add more ammo in what experts think will be a strong draft class.

There are pros and cons to dealing Wicks, but he’s probably the most tradable wide receiver of the group. The Packers should take pride in their deep, diverse receiver room. Still, if a team comes calling and offers anything higher than a fifth-round pick, it’s something Green Bay should seriously consider. They are reportedly taking calls on him, and a deal could happen before the 2026 draft, which would help Green Bay add more assets in a draft where they need them.