Five Players Who Could Get Traded During the 2023 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft is only a few days away and I keep saying this, but time has gone by fast. While many are wondering about potential trades involving draft picks, a lot of people forget that current NFL players could be on the move as well.
This got me thinking about which players could be on the move during the draft. Here are five players who could get traded during the draft.
5. Dalvin Cook
I debated putting Austin Ekeler here, but it looks like he will be staying with the Chargers. One other big running back name that has been mentioned as a trade candidate is intriguing is Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings.
He’s a potential victim for the Vikings cap issues and he could get moved during the draft. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to give another fully guaranteed extension to Kirk Cousins (I like Kirk, but the Vikings are not going to win a Super Bowl with Cousins as the quarterback, they just aren’t).
Now with the fully guaranteed deal they signed with Kirk, it now could cost there best offensive weapon not named Justin Jefferson. If Cook is not traded they might just cut him which would be a loss for the team.
4. Devin White
White requested a trade during the free agency period and while the Buccaneers don’t seem to get rid of him, now might be the best time to do it. Despite a poor 2022, White should fetch a nice return that is going to help with the Buccaneers rebuild, plus they can get out of a potential holdout which could get nasty as he wants a new contract.
Trading White could be the way to go for Tampa Bay and it could happen during the NFL Draft where contending teams are desperate to get more talent.
3. DeAndre Hopkins
With the Arizona Cardinals blowing it all up this season, they are starting to rebuild. Hopkins is super talented, but he is turning 31 in June. The Cardinals want to get younger and now is the best time to trade Hopkins. In fact the Cardinals had allowed permission for teams to speak with Hopkins regarding a trade.
This one to me is going to be more likely as a Day 2 or maybe Day 3 trade as I don’t see Hopkins going for anything close to a first round draft pick. However, it would really shock me if Hopkins is a Cardinal when the draft is over, especially as he is telling close friends that he wants to play with other teams.
I will say that Hopkins is not the only Cardinal who could be on the move.
2. Budda Baker
Budda Baker is the best player on this Cardinals defense and he may be the only great secondary player on this team. Nonetheless, he’s requested to be traded even with two years remaining left on his contract.
Now there are a lot of people saying that he wants out because he wants a new contract. That could be true, but let’s be real Baker wants to play for a team that is not in such a poor state of affairs.
Baker is 27 years old now and when the contract ends, he’ll likely be the peak of his career unless injuries come. He will likely want to contribute on a team that has a better chance of winning than with the Cardinals.
1. Aaron Rodgers
This one is an obvious one. It is clear that Aaron Rodgers does not want to play with the Green Bay Packers and the Packers are ready to transition into the Jordan Love era. Plus the team that is linked the most to get Aaron Rodgers is the New York Jets.
So, it is expected that Rodgers will be traded to them, but so far the deal has not come through. The Packers price seems high and it looks like they are not willing to trade him for minimal value. But, it would still be perplexing if Rodgers is still a Green Bay Packer in the aftermath of the 2023 NFL Draft.
And there you have it, five players that could get traded during the 2023 NFL Draft. Who do you believe could get traded during the 2023 NFL Draft? Let me know in the comment section.
