Packers Urged to Trade for $20 Million First-Round Edge Rusher

General manager Brian Gutekunst could still swing a big trade for an edge rusher before the Green Bay Packers begin training camp next month, but he doesn’t need to land Trey Hendrickson to elevate the unit for the 2025 season.

The Packers defense had an underwhelming pass rush in the first year of Jeff Hafley’s new 4-3 defense in 2024, struggling to consistently generate sacks or pressures despite first-round picks at all four starting positions. Rashan Gary took a step back despite receiving his first Pro Bowl nod, while Lukas Van Ness failed to make much of a dent.

Rather than sign a top free agent or invest a premium pick into a pass rusher, though, the Packers waited until Day 3 of the draft to add more help, selecting Barryn Sorrell in the fourth round and Collin Oliver in the fifth round. In other words, they plan to trust most of the same talent to perform better with a year in the system under their belts.

An understandable plan, but perhaps also a risky one with Super Bowl aspirations.

Instead, the Packers could take a suggestion from Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox and explore the possibility of a trade for former first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux.

“The Green Bay Packers should also be interested in adding Thibodeaux,” Knox wrote. “They only had one player (Rashan Gary) record more than five sacks last season and didn’t add any edge help this offseason before taking Barryn Sorrell in Round 4.”

Kayvon Thibodeaux Has Registered 21 Sacks for Giants

The Packers have rarely made trades to acquire players throughout Gutekunst’s tenure, which is why trading a first-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Hendrickson — and then paying him a hefty contract — is almost certainly not in the cards for them.

Depending on the asking price, though, the Packers could potentially swing a deal for Thibodeaux if the Giants are looking to move on from him before the start of camp.

Thibodeaux has not risen to the elite stature one might expect from a former top-5 pick, but he has still been a productive pass rusher for the Giants over his first three seasons. The 24-year-old has tallied 21 sacks, 46 quarterback hits and 127 tackles in 43 starts, putting up 11.5 sacks alone in 2023, the only season in which he played all 17 games.

The biggest knock against Thibodeaux is his consistency, especially against the run, but he could thrive in a new environment where the defensive talent around him is better. The Packers would also have two years of contract control, with Thibodeaux owed about $9.97 million in 2025 and $14.75 million in 2026 during his fifth-year-option season, according to Over the Cap.

Again, the Packers would need to feel good about the cost of doing business from a draft capital perspective, but acquiring Thibodeaux would certainly make their pass-rushing rotation more formidable heading into 2025, even if it would hurt Van Ness.

Would Packers Wave the White Flag With Lukas Van Ness?

Thibodeaux is not a flawless or fully developed pass rusher, but he has achieved enough that he would offer the Packers a clear upgrade over Van Ness if they traded for him.

The question is: Would the Packers really sour on Van Ness like that?

Van Ness — the 13th pick in the 2023 draft — has been largely disappointing in his first two seasons with the Packers, tallying just seven sacks and 42 pressures in 34 games. While he showed signs of improvement in his pass-rush win rate between campaigns, it is unclear whether he will make enough progress to thrive in a make-or-break season.

Even if the Packers are having their doubts about Van Ness, though, they are still more likely to turn in-house to find a replacement for him, at least for the forthcoming year. Brenton Cox Jr. is coming off a four-sack season in which he played just 160 defensive snaps. Sorrell and Oliver are also intriguing talents who could surprise them in camp if they manage to quickly pick up Hafley’s system and put it into action in the preseason.