Green Bay moved from pick 113 to 102 in the 2008 draft for…
Green Bay moved from pick 113 to 102 in the 2008 draft for defensive end Jeremy Thompson, giving the Jets pick 162 as the price of the climb. Thompson's Packers career was cut short after a serious neck injury and he appeared in 15 games. New York used the return on Dwight Lowery and Erik Ainge, with Lowery becoming a durable NFL defensive back and clear value driver.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2008 4th round pick (102nd overall, Jeremy Thompson)
New York Jets Received
- pick 2008 4th round pick (113th overall, Dwight Lowery )
- pick 2008 5th round pick (162nd overall, Erik Ainge)
Trade Analysis
Green Bay targeted Arizona State defensive end Jeremy Thompson early in the fourth round of the 2008 draft. To move from No. 113 to No. 102, the Packers sent the Jets their original fourth-rounder and pick 162. The move was modest in price, but it still required Green Bay to identify a player worth surrendering an additional selection to secure.
Thompson showed enough as a rookie to remain in the Packers' plans, appearing in 15 games across his first two seasons. His career changed dramatically after a serious neck injury late in 2009. He did not play another regular-season game and ultimately stepped away from football. The medical ending was unfortunate and not a scouting failure, but hindsight grading must still account for the value that each side actually received.
New York used pick 113 on cornerback Dwight Lowery and the fifth-round selection on quarterback Erik Ainge. Ainge never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, yet Lowery alone made the trade worthwhile. He played three seasons with the Jets before continuing a long career elsewhere, ultimately appearing in 116 games with 88 starts and 17 interceptions. His versatility at cornerback and safety gave New York useful early-career snaps and produced far more NFL value than the Packers received from Thompson.
This was not a reckless Green Bay gamble, and Thompson's injury makes an especially harsh grade inappropriate. Still, the Jets converted a small move down into a player with a long, productive career while retaining the extra selection as another opportunity. New York earns a B+ for turning modest draft leverage into durable defensive-back value. Green Bay receives a C- because the move yielded little sustained production despite understandable circumstances. The Jets win on realized value.