New Orleans paid picks No. 27 and 147 plus its 2019…
New Orleans paid picks No. 27 and 147 plus its 2019 first-rounder to jump to No. 14 for Marcus Davenport. Davenport flashed high-end ability and totaled 21.5 sacks in five Saints seasons, including nine in 2021, but injuries repeatedly limited his availability. Green Bay used the return as flexible capital in moves that helped produce Jaire Alexander in 2018 and Darnell Savage in 2019, giving the Packers the stronger long-term value.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2018 1st round pick (27th overall subsequently traded, Rashaad Penny ), 2018 5th round pick (147th overall subsequently traded, Micah Kiser ) and 2019 1st round pick (30th overall subsequently traded, Deandre Baker )
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2018 1st round pick (14th overall, Marcus Davenport)
Trade Analysis
The Saints were one of the NFL’s strongest teams entering the 2018 draft and acted like a contender seeking one more premium defensive piece. New Orleans sent Green Bay pick No. 27, pick No. 147 and its 2019 first-round selection to move up to No. 14 for UTSA edge rusher Marcus Davenport. The price was unusually heavy because it included a future first-rounder in addition to the same-year move down.
Davenport was not a complete miss. He showed the size, power and athleticism that attracted New Orleans, and he produced 21.5 sacks across five Saints seasons. His best year came in 2021, when he recorded nine sacks in only 11 games. The problem was availability and consistency. Injuries repeatedly kept him from playing full seasons, and he never developed into the durable double-digit sack cornerstone that would have justified the acquisition cost.
Green Bay turned the return into flexibility. The Packers moved pick No. 27 as part of another draft-night trade that brought them back up to No. 18, where they selected cornerback Jaire Alexander. The 2019 first-rounder landed at No. 30 and became part of the package Green Bay used to move up for safety Darnell Savage. Those later moves required additional Packers picks, so neither player should be credited solely to the Saints trade, but New Orleans’ capital was central to both branches.
That distinction matters. Davenport gave the Saints legitimate defensive value, so a failing grade would be too harsh. Yet two first-round assets and a fifth-rounder represent a premium price for a player who never completed a full season as the consistent top-tier edge threat envisioned.
Green Bay earns an A because the return created high-end flexibility across two drafts. New Orleans improves slightly from D to C+ for Davenport’s real production, but the Packers remain the clear winner because the cost demanded a much more durable star outcome.