Rashan Gary trade grades: Cowboys stay on Micah Parsons recovery but is Trey Hendrickson next?

The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the 2025 NFL season. Now the Cowboys are trading for the now-former Packers pass rusher, who lined up opposite Parsons last season.

Rashan Gary, who wanted out of Green Bay, now gets to help Dallas in its attempt to keep rebuilding its defense. Moving Parsons put that in motion for the Cowboys, and now it's looking for impact players in the 3-4 base scheme of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

Here's breaking down the latest deal between the Cowboys and Packers:

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Rashan Gary trade details

Cowboys get:

• EDGE Rashan Gary

Packers get: 

• 2027 4th-round pick 

Rashan Gary trade grades

Cowboys grade: B-

Gary is a good get, but he is only one smart part of the solution in trying to once again develop a strong edge pass rush minus Parsons. Green Bay ran a similar scheme to what Dallas plans to run, so he continues to be a solid No. 2 playing off a top edge disruptor.

The Cowboys did not finish trying to trade for Maxx Crosby, whom the Raiders ended up trading to the Ravens. They are still expected to be suitors for the Bengals' Trey Hendrickson, the top overall free agent on the market. A combination of Henderson and Gary would be quite a foundation for Parker.

Gary was solid, not spectacular, for Green Bay as the No. 12 overall pick in 2019. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 on the strength of 7.5 sacks, a number he duplicated last season. He has 46.5 sacks in 106 games. He is versatile enough to play end or outside linebacker, with the latter set to remain his primary position.

Packers grade: B-

Green Bay moved a player who didn't want to be there and got reasonable compensation for his on-field value. Gary was a good complementary pass rusher for Parsons, but he was no longer an essential piece in their new defense under Jonathan Gannon.

The Packers are mixing up their defense, ready to let another linebacker in Quay Walker walk, after trading with the Colts to acquire linebacker Zaire Franklin. Green Bay will hope relative youngsters such as Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness can make teams pay for focusing too much on Parsons. Look for the Packers to get help at defensive tackle, maybe in the form of ageless Calais Campbell, who starred for Gannon in Arizona.