Green Bay Packers former first-rounder linebacker Quay Walker could be on the trade block this NFL Draft. Even though the draft is weeks away, Walker continues to be in several trade rumors, so there’s a chance that he will land with a new team. According to Pro Football Focus, it’s highly unlikely that the Packers will pick Walker’s fifth-year option, so it might better for them to put him on the trade block before his poor performance doesn’t get them much in return for his services. Originally selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Georgia product has been struggling to stop the passing game, recording a 54.6 PFF grade over the past three seasons, which ranks him 77th of 83 linebackers playing at least 1,000 snaps.
Walker won’t start for any team if the Packers decide to trade him, but it might be the scenery change he needs. The linebacker could start alongside Edgerrin Cooper, but chances are, he probably won’t improve in his last year. Many teams may take advantage of this opportunity like the Dallas Cowboys are doing with Kenneth Murray Jr. in an earlier trade. Walker is still on an expensive contract, so he could land with these three teams, and the linebacker could make an impact there.
Breaking: Packers Former First Rounder Quay Walker on Trade Block – Chargers, Ravens and Panthers Logical Fits
Khalil Mack’s Help
Last season, Jesse Minter brought a new philosophy with Jim Harbaugh to produce an old-school style defense. While they weren’t explosive in stopping the run, the Chargers had one of the best pass defenses in the league. However, after losing Poona Ford, the team lost their best run stopper, so it’s time for the team to find a capable defender. Walker might be weak in stopping the pass, but he could be a worthy pickup to hold down the trenches and stop the run from third-down conversions.
Joey Bosa wasn’t able to do that, which was a huge reason why the team let him go, other than his injury problems. It’s hard to imagine Denzel Perryman becoming a starter alongside Khalil Mack this upcoming offseason since he’s unproven. The Chargers won’t be losing anything if they decide to trade for Walker, especially when they have one of the best salary caps in the league, so, surprisingly, they haven’t made a splash move yet. If worst comes to worst, the Chargers should take a chance on Walker, and if he doesn’t work out, the team won’t lose out much on salary cap.
Other Fits
The same can be said about the Baltimore Ravens, as the defense wasn’t the same last season, and they’re in a deeper hole now. After losing Malik Harrison, the team will have to depend on a struggling David Ojabo and Trenton Simpson. It spells bad news for many key defenders like Roquan Smith and Kyle Van Noy, Perhaps, they could take a chance on Walker to see if he could change this pass rush around.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers probably have one of the weakest linebacker groups other than Jadeveon Clowney. However, he’s aging, and the team can’t depend on Josey Jewell for too long. Walker is the better upgrade in this situation and could rotate in this scheme.
