Green Bay sent three late-round picks to New England to move…
Green Bay sent three late-round picks to New England to move up for linebacker Terrell Manning at No. 163 in 2012. Manning barely contributed for the Packers, while the Patriots turned the return into Nate Ebner, Alfonzo Dennard and Jeremy Ebert. Ebner became a long-tenured special teams player and Dennard supplied useful defensive snaps. New England extracted substantially more value from the late-round bundle and wins the trade.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2012 5th round pick (163rd overall, Terrell Manning )
New England Patriots Received
- pick 2012 6th round pick (197th overall, Nate Ebner), 2012 7th round pick (224th overall, Alfonzo Dennard ) and 2012 7th round pick (235th overall, Jeremy Ebert)
Trade Analysis
Green Bay's move reflected a familiar draft strategy: identify a player the scouting staff valued above his remaining position and spend inexpensive late-round capital to secure him. The Packers traded picks 197, 224 and 235 to New England for No. 163, then selected North Carolina State linebacker Terrell Manning. At that price, the move did not endanger premium future resources, but it still required Manning to become a meaningful contributor for the exchange to work.
That never happened in Green Bay. Manning appeared in only a small role during his brief Packers tenure and was gone before developing into a regular defender. For a team that moved up specifically to secure him, the football return was minimal.
New England's side was more productive. The Patriots used pick 197 on Nate Ebner, who became a dependable special teams fixture and remained with the franchise through three Super Bowl championship seasons. Pick 224 became cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, who started games and gave New England useful defensive snaps early in his career. Jeremy Ebert, selected at 235, did not provide meaningful value, but the Patriots did not need all three picks to hit.
Late-round trades should be judged with realistic expectations. Most selections in this range do not become stars, so Green Bay's miss is not catastrophic in the same way as a failed first-round gamble. Still, the Packers consolidated three chances into one player who gave them almost nothing, while New England found two contributors and one especially durable special teams presence.
The Patriots therefore created more useful roster value from the same collection of draft capital. The difference is not franchise-altering, but it is clear enough to move the result away from an even grade and toward New England.