Packers: Raiders have 6 picks in top 100 over next 2 drafts

Aaron Rodgers has said on the Pat McAfee Show that he won’t be making a decision about his football future until after the Super Bowl. So in the meantime, of course, the speculation on where Rodgers will potentially be playing in 2023 has been running rampant, and while the New York Jets dominated the headlines early on, the Las Vegas Raiders have emerged as a new trade partner for the Green Bay Packers.

Attempting to put together possible trade packages is almost always a difficult task, and the uncertainty around Rodgers’ future beyond 2023 – if he decides to play this year – only further complicates things. Recently, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN ($$) reported that some NFL executives feel the same way.

"“Aaron Rodgers’ year-to-year approach to playing could complicate trade talks for the Green Bay Packers, several execs say, because it’s hard to trade hefty capital for just one year of Rodgers. Teams would prefer at least two seasons with him,” wrote Fowler."

I think we can safely assume that the Packers would get a first-round pick in return for Rodgers; the question, however, then becomes what could they get in addition to that? As I’ve discussed here before, and as Fowler added, a conditional pick very well may have to be a part of the trade compensation that the Packers get in return–meaning that they receive a first-round pick in 2023, for example, along with a 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers continues to play.

As far as draft picks go, the Raiders have the ability to make this deal happen, possessing six picks in the top 100 over the next two seasons. This includes the seventh, 38th, and 70th overall picks in this year’s draft. In 2024, while we don’t know where the picks will fall, Las Vegas does have a first, second, and third-round pick that year as well. Also important to note in all of this is that the Raiders have nearly $20 million in cap space this offseason to help absorb Rodgers’ contract.

In addition to potential draft picks that the Packers could receive, it’s worth keeping an eye on tight end Darren Waller as well. Reportedly, Brian Gutekunst has now tried to trade for Waller on at least two occasions. The first coming last offseason when Green Bay traded Davante Adams to Las Vegas, and then again prior to this year’s trade deadline.

As I wrote about recently, this Green Bay Packers offense very much has to add more playmaking to the tight end position this offseason. In 2022, Robert Tonyan was the only consistent target in the passing game at the position; however, he averaged only 8.9 yards per catch.

Waller certainly possesses that ability, posting a pair of 1,100-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 while averaging 12 yards per catch over his career. He’s also been a go-to option in the passing game, with three seasons (from 2019 to 2021) of over 100 targets, according to PFF ($$). With that said, he has battled injuries the last two years, playing in just 20 combined games, including only nine this past season.

Before any of these trade scenarios can become reality, Rodgers first has to make a decision about his future, and if he and the Packers decide to part ways, Green Bay then has to find a trade partner. But in terms of making a deal, the Raiders have the draft capital, the cap space, and even a player that the Packers are interested in to make it happen.

The question, however, as already stated, is, what is it going to take to get a deal done?