Ranking the 5 Most Likely NFL Players to Be Traded During 2023 Draft
As it has throughout its history, the upcoming NFL draft will surely play host to a frenzy of trade activity.
While most of these deals will involve picks being flipped by organizations maneuvering up and down the board, at least a handful of trades could involve veteran players.
Several big-name talents were already moved early in the offseason, and there could be another flurry of transactions involving some of the league's biggest stars.
Based on factors such as recent news reports and the latest buzz on the rumor mill, as well as how much a team would benefit from making a deal and a player's contract status, here are the five players most likely to be dealt during the draft, which kicks off April 27 in Kansas City, Missouri.
5. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
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The Denver Broncos are coming off a disappointing campaign, one in which their offense looked abysmal despite the high-profile acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson.
While the team won't be able to rid itself of Wilson for a while, it can make other moves to shuffle the deck before the 2023 campaign kicks off.
The wide receiver room is a decent bet for a shake-up during the draft. The team has several intriguing young players at this position but could move one in exchange for assets new head coach Sean Payton can use to put his stamp on the roster.
Jerry Jeudy may net Denver the strongest returns after his impressive showing down the stretch last year. Although he started his career mainly playing the slot, the 23-year-old finally flourished after being moved to the outside. He finished 2022 with 67 receptions for 972 yards and six scores—all career-high marks.
Despite the breakout performance, Jeudy is relatively expendable because of the presence of Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. With more pressing needs at other positions, Denver could capitalize on Jeudy's rising value by dealing him for several draft picks.
According to Sportsnaut's Benjamin Allbright, multiple sources believed that a second- and fourth-round selection would have been enough to pry Jeudy away at the trade deadline in November.
Given that some of his best games came after the deadline, including a three-touchdown outing in Week 14 and a 154-yard performance in the season finale, the Broncos may be able to slightly up their asking price for 2020's No. 15 overall pick.
While Denver doesn't need to move Jeudy this offseason, it would be surprising if the team doesn't sign off on a deal if another club offers it a package headlined by a late-first or high-second round pick.
4. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire may not have panned out the way the Kansas City Chiefs envisioned, but the team has still managed to find success without the 2020 first-round pick playing an important role.
CEH has struggled with injuries and inconsistency during his three seasons in Kansas City. His production has waned since a promising rookie campaign, culminating in the 23-year-old accumulating a meager 302 rushing yards in 2022, a year in which he lost his starting job after being sidelined with a high-ankle sprain.
With Kansas City going on to win the Super Bowl with seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco serving as its starting running back and veteran Jerick McKinnon playing a big part as a pass-catching weapon, the club doesn't appear to have a well-defined role for CEH anymore.
Considering the back recently made headlines for his decision to walk the runway during New York Fashion Week rather than participate in Kansas City's Super Bowl parade, it's looking more likely that Edwards-Helaire has played his last down for this organization.
While CEH still has a year left on his rookie deal and wasn't being actively shopped last month, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the back has caught the eye of several teams as a potential trade candidate. Kansas City is also expected to decline his fifth-year option for 2024, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic.
The defending champs may not get many offers outside of late Day 3 picks or conditional selections, but opening up a roster spot and clearing some cap space could be more palatable than retaining Edwards-Helaire at this point.
3. Allen Robinson II, WR, Los Angeles Rams
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Signing Allen Robinson II to a pricy multiyear contract was one of the many missteps the Los Angeles Rams made following their Super Bowl LVI victory.
Robinson caught a mere 33 passes for 339 yards and three scores in his first season with the team. It was a concerning follow-up to the 38-catch, 410-yard, one-touchdown campaign he posted with the Chicago Bears in 2021.
Los Angeles seems to have seen enough out of Robinson just 10 games into his three-year deal and is now openly shopping the receiver.
Unfortunately, Robinson's value is at an all-time low as he heads into his age-30 season and is now two years removed from his most recent 1,000-plus-yard outing.
The Rams know interest would be almost nonexistent at his current price tag. Robinson is due a guaranteed $15.25 million for the upcoming season. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the team is open to paying a portion of that salary just to get him off the roster.
Teams with holes in their receivers room may consider the veteran as a backup option if they don't land the wideout prospect they are targeting.
With the financial risk reduced and a late Day 3 pick likely enough to convince the Rams to part ways with Robinson, there's a strong possibility a suitor will emerge before the 2023 draft concludes April 29.
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2. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
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The Los Angeles Chargers and Austin Ekeler failed to come to terms on a contract extension this offseason, opening the door for the star running back to depart from the organization he spent the first six years of his career with.
Despite developing him from an undrafted free agent into one of the NFL's top backs, the Bolts have been reticent to pay Ekeler as such. Now going into the final year of a four-year, $24.5 million contract extension, the 27-year-old back believes he should be making at least double his current salary while playing the upcoming season on a long-term deal.
During a recent appearance on Chris Long's Green Light podcast (h/t Noel Sanchez of FanNation), Ekeler said:
"I'm so underpaid right now as far as my contract and what I contribute to the team, I am relentlessly pursuing this. I want something long-term. I want a team who wants me long-term. I'm at the peak of my game, I'm getting half of the value of what I can be getting."
On March 14, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted that the Chargers front office granted Ekeler's request to explore trade options.
Given his versatile skills and consistency, there should be no shortage of interest. Ekeler has racked up over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and scored at least 18 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons
It remains to be seen if any team will be willing to meet his lofty contract demands, however. Aging running backs generally don't command blockbuster deals, but if he's willing to come down on those slightly, it's likely at least one squad will float the right offer to Los Angeles during the draft. Perhaps a Day 2 pick would do the trick.
1. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals
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A pair of star wideouts—A.J. Brown and Marquise Brown—were dealt during last year's draft, and that trend is likely to continue in 2023.
The rebuilding Arizona Cardinals are reportedly trying to move on from DeAndre Hopkins but haven't been able to find a trade partner willing to meet their asking price.
SI.com's Albert Breer noted Arizona has been attempting "to get a second-rounder and another asset" for the wideout but that talks had "fallen flat." Interest could surge again during the draft, however, especially after the Cardinals allowed rival organizations to start speaking directly to Hopkins and his representation.
While Hopkins' star may have faded a bit over the last two years—the three-time first-team All-Pro has only seen the field for 19 games since the start of 2021, recording 106 receptions for 1,289 yards and 11 touchdowns—and on the wrong side of 30, he's still one of the best receivers in the league at his best.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler found that a pair of AFC contenders in the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have both expressed some level of interest in Hopkins.
Because neither of those teams is flush with cap space or draft capital, Arizona may need to come down from its initial asking price and/or pick up a chunk of Hopkins' nearly $20 million base salary to make a deal work.
Regardless of how it gets done, there's strong reason to believe the veteran receiver will be on another team before the 2023 draft concludes.
Given the Cardinals will be without starting quarterback Kyler Murray for potentially up to half the campaign as he rehabilitates from a torn ACL, they should be motivated to move Hopkins in exchange for draft assets they can use to build a competitive 2024 roster.
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