The Green Bay Packers still have a depth question at cornerback, and one specific situation could add intrigue ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The Dallas Cowboys now seem open to trading cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., a former third-round pick who was a healthy scratch last week.

Revel played his final three college seasons at East Carolina and came out as a relatively highly touted prospect. He also had a pre-draft visit with the Packers in 2025. Green Bay passed on him, using its second-round pick on offensive lineman Anthony Belton. Dallas then took Revel with the 76th overall pick in the third round, before the Packers were back on the clock at No. 87 to select wide receiver Savion Williams.

After less than two full seasons with the Cowboys, Revel has fallen out of favor. So Green Bay could see a young player it showed interest in during the pre-draft process become available.

Physical tools, uneven results

Revel fits the physical profile the Packers tend to like at the position. He’s a 6-foot-2, 198-pound cornerback and plays physically. His athletic profile is incomplete, though, because he didn’t participate much in pre-draft testing.

Revel hasn’t been good in the NFL, though. He’s been a mediocre cornerback at best so far, but he has shown some improvement. Last season, he allowed a 119.7 passer rating when targeted. This season, that number is down to 88.8. He has one pass breakup in 2026, and he still doesn’t have an interception in his NFL career.

Run defense has been a problem for him. In coverage, he’s been just below average. Dallas also runs a passive defense under defensive coordinator Christian Parker, which doesn’t necessarily maximize what Revel does well.

Why Revel hasn’t panned out in Dallas

It’s only fair to start with the fact that 2025 was close to a redshirt year for Revel Jr. The Cowboys didn’t activate him until November. Adapting to the league is already tough on rookies, so that combined with Revel’s rust and lack of an offseason led to inconsistent play. In 2026, though, the expectation was Revel Jr. would take a leap forward and compete for starting reps. After a strong training camp, however, Revel Jr. has struggled in limited playing time.

Revel Jr. shows flashes of truly sticky coverage in man looks, and he allows very little separation. The film and advanced metrics prove it. However, once the ball is headed his way, Revel Jr. struggles to finish the play. Opposing quarterbacks target him right away when he’s on the field for a reason. Additionally, in zone, Revel Jr. can be late to react to what his eyes are seeing. As of right now, Revel Jr. is a liability in coverage. But a team that liked his man coverage coming out of college would be enticed to take a flyer on him and see if they can “fix him.”

That being said, the Cowboys would likely need to hear a strong offer to part ways with him as they’re reluctant to embrace a selling mentality ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, for better or worse.

Green Bay built a staff for this

The idea is that a change of scenery could help Revel develop. Green Bay has invested heavily in a coaching staff built to develop defensive backs.

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has a background coaching defensive backs himself. The Packers also have Bobby Babich as secondary and pass game coordinator, a coach with experience as a defensive coordinator who now focuses on the secondary. On top of that, Green Bay hired cornerbacks coach Daniel Bullocks, a former San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

That’s a lot of resources devoted to developing cornerbacks, and it has worked to a certain extent. The Packers have gotten strong cornerback play this season, especially compared to last season.

Contract control and the long view

The bigger appeal is the contract. Revel has two years left on his rookie deal beyond this season, so he would be a longer-term piece for the cornerback room.

Green Bay has second-round rookie Brandon Cisse under contract through 2029. Beyond him, several cornerbacks are reaching the final parts of their deals.

Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are both on expiring contracts. Veteran backup Benjamin St-Juste signed a two-year deal and is under contract through 2027. Kamal Hadden is in the final year of his deal as well, but he will be an exclusive rights free agent next offseason, so the Packers can easily keep him around.

Pairing Revel with Cisse would give the Packers two young cornerbacks under control beyond this season.

What would it cost?

The key question is price. According to the A to Z Sports Trade Simulator, Revel would cost something around a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

A fourth-rounder is probably too much based on what Revel has shown so far. A fifth-round pick for a cheap player with potential, and with the physical tools Green Bay generally wants at cornerback, is easier to justify. It would help this season and for the next two as well.

That’s usually how general manager Brian Gutekunst approaches trades. He wants long-term solutions rather than deals that only patch a need. In that sense, Revel would be a viable option for the Packers as the deadline approaches.