The Green Bay Packers made one of the biggest moves of the 2023 offseason when they decided to trade Aaron Rodgers away to the New York Jets, and 12 months later, we finally know how the Packers made out.
When Packers made the trade in April 2023, they acquired four draft picks from the Jets:
- 2023 first-round pick (13th overall)
- 2023 second-round pick (42nd)
- 2023 sixth-round pick (207th)
- 2024 second-round pick (41st)
The 2024 pick was actually a conditional pick that could have been a first-rounder if Rodgers had played at least 65% of the Jets' offensive snaps last season, but that didn't happen. The four-time MVP didn't even make it through the first quarter of the first game: He tore his Achilles in Week 1, which gave the Packers a 2024 second-round pick instead of a first-round pick.
With the 2024 NFL Draft now in the books, the Packers have now finally acquired every player they're going to get from the Rodgers trade. So how did things shake out for Green Bay? Let's check it out.
- 2023 first-round pick (13th overall): LB Lukas Van Ness. The Packers ended up using this pick on Van Ness, who saw action in all 17 games during his rookie season. Although he wasn't a starter, he did manage to rack up four sacks, which was the fifth-highest total on the team.
- 2023 second-round pick (42nd): TE Luke Musgrave. The tight end missed six games due to a lacerated kidney, but when he was on the field in 2023, he was a pretty solid weapon for the Packers. In his 11 games of action, he caught 34 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers translate to 52.5 catches for 544 yards over a 17-game season.
- 2023 sixth-round pick (207th): K Anders Carlson. The rookie kicker got off to a strong start in 2023 by hitting nine of his first 10 field goals, but he fell apart after that. Carlson missed at least one kick -- field goal or extra point -- in six of Green Bay's final seven games and he's now on thin ice heading into 2024. Due to his struggles, the Packers brought in some stiff competition for him this year in the form of Greg Joseph, which means Carlson could be out of a job after just one season.
- 2024 second-round pick (45th): Edgerrin Cooper. The Packers ended up trading back from 41st overall to 45th overall in a deal with the Saints that also gave Green Bay the 168th and 190th overall picks. With the 45th pick, they selected linebacker Edgerrin Cooper out of Texas A&M. We gave that pick a 'B+' in our annual draft grades.
- Added pick (168th). OL Jacob Monk. CBSSports.com draft guru Chris Trapasso absolutely loved this pick for the Packers. Trapasso gave it an 'A-' and here's why: "Hyper-experienced, legitimately versatile blocker who probably plays center or guard at the next level. Athleticism and acceleration off the snap instantly stand out," Trapasso wrote. "Classic Packers pick. He'll be a useful depth option for a while."
- Added pick (190th): S Evan Williams. OK, so this is where things get a little confusing. The Packers took the 190th overall pick and packaged it with the 126th overall pick (which wasn't part of the Rodgers trade) to make a trade for the 111th overall pick. The Packers then used that selection on safety Evan Wiliams out of Oregon. That pick earned a 'B-' in our draft day grades.
So there you have it, the trade is now complete. One year after getting rid of Rodgers, the Packers now have their full return from the trade in place. Overall, they ended up with six players and two of them have already become solid role players. If at least two of the three players taken in 2024 end up becoming key contributors, then the Packers will be able to look back and say they won the trade. Of course, they'll also be able to say that if Jordan Love ends up being a superstar and he took the first step toward making that happen in 2023.
If you're wondering how the Jets did, they closed out their trade details last year. The Jets received Rodgers plus a first-round pick (15th overall) and a fifth-round pick 170th overall. The Jets used the first-rounder on edge rusher Will McDonald II. After that, they gave up the 170th pick in a trade that gave them two later picks (204 and 220). With those two picks, they selected safety Jarrick Bernard-Converse and tight end Zack Kuntz.