Green Bay sent pick 175 to New England for picks 195 and 246,…
Green Bay sent pick 175 to New England for picks 195 and 246, selecting Craig Bragg and Will Whitticker. Whitticker started as a rookie but did not develop into a lasting starter, while Bragg made little impact. New England immediately flipped pick 175 to Oakland for pick 230, used on Matt Cassel, plus a 2006 fifth-rounder, creating far greater downstream value.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2005 6th round pick (195th overall, Craig Bragg )
- pick 2005 7th round pick (246th overall, Will Whitticker)
New England Patriots Received
- pick 2005 6th round pick (175th overall, later traded)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Green Bay wanted extra selections late in the 2005 draft and moved down twenty spots in the sixth round while adding a seventh-rounder. New England moved up to pick 175, but the Patriots had another plan almost immediately. They sent that selection to Oakland for pick 230 and a 2006 fifth-round choice, turning one acquired pick into two new pieces.
What the Returns Produced
The Packers drafted wide receiver Craig Bragg at 195 and guard Will Whitticker at 246. Whitticker started 14 games as a rookie but was gone after the following preseason, while Bragg never became a regular contributor. New England used Oakland's pick 230 on quarterback Matt Cassel, who developed behind Tom Brady and later started 11 games during the 2008 season after Brady's knee injury. The Patriots also retained the future fifth-rounder.
How the Value Developed
Cassel's emergence changes the entire shape of the trade. A sixth-round asset acquired from Green Bay became the bridge to a quarterback who helped keep a championship-caliber team competitive in 2008 and later carried trade value of his own. Green Bay received one short-term starter and one minimal contributor, useful but nowhere near the combined strategic and on-field value New England created.
Why This Trade Still Matters
Late-round trades are often dismissed as marginal, yet this one is a reminder that every pick can become leverage. New England did not simply draft better at the same spot; it multiplied the acquired selection and found a quarterback who mattered in a critical season. That downstream chain creates a much wider hindsight gap than the original pick numbers suggest.
Final Verdict
New England Patriots Win is the best fit. Green Bay Packers earns a D+, while New England Patriots earns a A-. Those grades reflect the cost paid, the direct production received, the length and quality of each contribution, and any important downstream value created from draft capital.