Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons Trade Package Aging Well After Myles Garrett Blockbuster
Last year, the Green Bay Packers broke headlines with their stunning trade for Micah Parsons. This summer, the Los Angeles Rams are the ones making the big move for Myles Garrett. Both players are considered to be premier players at their position, which also happens to be one of the most crucial positions on an NFL roster. LA’s enormous trade package to acquire Garrett shines light on how well Green Bay did to grab Parsons last summer for a much lower price.
Los Angeles Rams Send Massive Trade Package for Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett is considered by some to be the best player in the NFL at any position. The defensive end has been the Defensive Player of the Year two of the last three years and is now departing Cleveland off the back of setting the league’s single-season sack record.
The Super Bowl-contending Los Angeles Rams had to sacrifice three draft picks, including a 2027 1st-rounder, a 2028 2nd-rounder, and a 2029 3rd-rounder, and two-time Pro Bowl end Jared Verse in order to acquire Garrett.
Both teams have received positive grades for the trade, with the Rams admirably trying to usurp division rival Seattle Seahawks and the Browns getting strong value as they try to restabilize a roster that has won just 8 games in the past two seasons combined.
Fans of the Green Bay Packers will be interested in thinking back on how the Garrett trade reflects on the Micah Parsons trade that general manager Brian Gutekunst pulled off last summer. It’s rare to see two elite talents at the same position be traded in such a short time span.
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Trading 1st-Round Picks for Defensive Linemen is All the Rage These Days
Prior to the Micah Parsons trade, no NFL franchise had traded a first-round pick since 2022. A few months later, there have now been numerous trades involving first-round picks, even without counting the now-infamous Maxx Crosby trade that would have seen the Raiders pocket two 1sts from Baltimore.
To start, the Cowboys used their Parsons compensation to grab defensive end Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets, including one of their own firsts in the deal at the 2025 trade deadline. Fast-forward to this summer, and three more players have been traded for at least one first. The Cincinnati Bengals traded for interior defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence prior to the 2026 Draft. On Monday, the Rams went all-in on Garrett, and the New England Patriots also swung big for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown.
Since 2022, four of these five players traded for 1st-round compensation play defensive line. If eventually traded, Crosby could make it five.
Lawrence, an interior linemen, went for the 10th overall pick in the 2026 Draft, which turned into offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Although the former Clemson Tiger has been one of the most disruptive interior linemen in the league for a number of years, the Giants have been lauded for both the trade and the draft selection, with many saying that the Bengals overpaid for the 28-year-old.
Similarly, the Cowboys were greatly criticized for acquiring Williams for the price of a 2027 1st-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder, and Mazi Smith. ESPN’s Seth Walder blasted Dallas for recklessly trying to heal the pain from the Parsons deal by giving up almost as much for an older player who has already shown signs of decline.
While Williams and Lawrence went for one first round pick each, Parsons and Garrett essentially went for the equivalent of two first-round picks. The Packers included two firsts in their package, and the Rams included one first and Jared Verse, a recent first-round pick who has already surpassed expectations.
One could argue that Verse would actually be worth more than one first-round pick. The 19th overall pick in 2024 was the Defensive Rookie of the Year, has 12 sacks and 2 Pro Bowl appearances to his name already, and is seen as one of the league’s best at the edge position.
Zooming out, while both teams essentially included two first rounders, but Rams still had to sacrifice two day-two draft picks; a 2028 2nd and a 2029 3rd. This dramatically clears the remaining ingredients the Packers needed to include to get Parsons, which was just veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
While certainly a good player, Clark is firmly past his prime and does not represent the value that two high draft picks do.
Funnily enough, the 2026 1st that the Cowboys got from Green Bay has since become Makai Lemon, the USC wideout who was drafted 20th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, who shrewdly prepared for life after AJ Brown by drafting his replacement. Brown was later traded for a 1st-rounder mere hours after the Garrett deal went public.
Green Bay Packers Micah Parsons Trade Aging Well in Wake of Myles Garrett Trade
Is it logical that the Browns got more for Garrett than the Cowboys did for Parsons? Yes, because while both are annual threats to lead the league in sacks, Garrett has a bigger body of work and is seen as a much better overall player. He is one of the league’s elite edge setters in the run game as well as being an elite rusher. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd made his thoughts on the matter abundantly clear last year, where he called Garrett a much better overall player and slandered Parsons for his inability to contribute in the trenches. His comments led to a social media spat with Parsons.
Another key perspective when comparing the deals is the contract situation. As ESPN’s Benjamin Solak astutely pointed out, Green Bay was trading for a player whose rookie deal was about to expire. Meanwhile, the Rams are getting Garrett fresh off of a massive extension totaling $160 million. A player with many years left on their current deal is inherently more valuable.
It’s hard to compare apples to apples with the Myles Garrett deal and Micah Parsons deal because the Packers had to extend Parsons, whereas the Rams inherit an existing Garrett contract.
But the Browns’ trade compensation dramatically clears the Cowboys’ imo
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) June 1, 2026
For the Browns, it makes a lot of sense to continue to stuff the draft cupboard while also gaining a player like Verse, who is set to dominate the league for the foreseeable future. In fact, at 25 years old, Verse is himself comparable player to Parsons, who was 26 at the time of the trade and, like Verse, is a more pure pass rusher than a true defensive end. Although they have similar profiles, his only 12 career sacks mean he has yet to enter the stratosphere that Parsons and Garrett have.
That all being said, it’s hard not to feel that the Packers trade package for Parsons is aging well. He is four years younger than Garrett and is firmly in the prime of his career. Garrett is now 30 and probably only has a few years left as the NFL’s best.
Last August, fans were saying the Cowboys got “fleeced” by Green Bay when they traded Parsons. In the wake of a comparable player at the same position getting traded for significantly more, it’s fair to say the Packers’ strategy is still looking good in hindsight.
Now of course, the Parsons trade will only truly be a success if he can return to his All-Pro form despite his recent ACL tear and if the Packers can make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time in almost two decades. But for now, from an on-paper perspective, Gutekunst is acquitting himself pretty well.
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