4 Veterans Who Should Be Traded After 2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL draft has shaken up rosters around the league, but that doesn’t mean player movement will be stopping anytime soon.

With 257 prospects entering the league during last week’s event and plenty more signing with clubs as undrafted free agents, there are sure to be some positional logjams to clear up during training camps. This could result in several notable veterans being placed on the trade block in the coming weeks and months.

There are also roster holes that still need to be filled after teams failed to address these needs during the draft.  While teams could opt to sign a budget veteran in free agency or roll the dice on rookies who weren’t drafted, a trade is often the best option teams have at their disposal to add legitimate talent at this point in the offseason.

With that in mind, here are four veterans who could be on the move now that the results of the 2025 draft are in the books.

QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

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The standoff between the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins is heading into May with no resolution in sight.

The club has no plans to utilize the veteran quarterback beyond backup duties after promoting rookie Michael Penix Jr. into the starting role last year and won’t financially benefit from cutting a player it dished out a massive four-year, $180 million contract to last spring.

While Cousins has been attending voluntary workouts, he did request that the Falcons set him free and allow him to sign with a team in need of quarterback help. That ask has not been obliged and, as it stands, a trade appears to be the only way to get Cousins out of Atlanta.

With Cousins due to make $27.5 million and count as a $40 million cap hit, the finances make any move a tricky one and risky for the club taking a chance on the aging signal-caller. It won't be easy to get Cousins, but several teams could still benefit from the veteran’s services.

The Pittsburgh Steelers notably passed on every opportunity to land a quarterback in the 2025 draft and have several underwhelming options to choose from at this juncture. Teams like the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings could also be in the mix for a veteran stopgap, a role that the 36-year-old Cousins may still be able to adequately fill.

Although Cousins struggled mightily in 2024 following a recovery from an Achilles tear that cut his previous season short, he had made back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in 2021 and '22 and may return to that form if healthy.

The Falcons will have to eat considerable costs of Cousins’ contract with a trade, but GM Terry Fontenot has said he would consider any deal that helps the team. If a team gets truly desperate for quarterback help during training camp—perhaps an injury would open the door for such a move—the Falcons could end up cashing in with some valuable capital in exchange for their veteran backup.

WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

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Quentin Johnston has had a rough start to his NFL career. Taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in Round 1 of the 2023 draft, the wideout product has yet to come close to reaching the potential he displayed at TCU.

Now two seasons into his career and facing the real threat of being bumped further down the depth chart this offseason, it may be time for the Bolts to recoup what little value they can still salvage and give Johnston a chance to turn things around elsewhere.

Johnston has the size and athleticism to be a star but thus far has caught just 93 balls for 1,142 yards and 10 touchdowns across his first 32 career games. While those aren’t utterly terrible marks, they’re underwhelming for a No. 21 overall pick and don’t display how inconsistent the receiver has been.

One of the biggest issues with Johnston is his lack of reliability. He followed up a two-week stretch in Weeks 2-3 during which he garnered 95 yards and three scores with a one-catch, nine-yard outing. He had zero receptions on five targets after scoring three consecutive games between Weeks 6 and 8 and posted that same disappointing stat line during the club’s lone playoff game.

That lack of consistency, coupled with L.A. utilizing a second-round pick on receiving prospect Tre Harris and bringing back longtime receiver Mike Williams in free agency, could spell the end of Johnston’s tenure with the organization.

With teams like the Dallas Cowboys desperate for receivers right now, there’s a chance the Chargers could get at least a middle-round pick in exchange for his services. Johnston is still just 23 years old, is on a cheap contract and had a 13-catch, 186-yard explosion during the regular season finale—displaying upside that could boost his value during trade talks.

CB Jalen Ramsey, Miami Dolphins

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The Miami Dolphins made a major splash when they traded for Jalen Ramsey ahead of the 2023 season. While the move looked great at the time, the superstar cornerback’s tenure in South Beach has been marred by injury and disappointing play.

Ramsey did manage to secure a Pro Bowl spot for his efforts across 10 games in 2023 but struggled this past season despite staying healthy for all 17 contests. He allowed a 62 percent completion rate—up nearly 8 percent from the year prior—and opposing passers posted an 83.2 QB rating when targeting him, an increase of over 20 points from the previous season.

Now entering his 10th NFL season and on the wrong side of 30, the aging defensive back may soon find himself suiting up for a fourth franchise with hopes of turning back the clock.

Earlier this month, Phins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the team is open to trading Ramsey. According to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, the Phins were still actively shopping the corner throughout the draft.

Miami could free up some money to sign a replacement corner by dealing Ramsey after June 1. Doing so would clear $5.9 million off the books and also return some capital the club could use in future drafts to rebuild the roster with.

A reunion with the Los Angeles Rams appears to be the most likely outcome here. ESPN’s Sarah Barshop noted that the club has the cap room available to absorb Ramsey’s contract and has been waiting until after the draft to work a deal out.

Regardless of where he winds up, Ramsey no longer appears to be a fit in Miami. The team looks ready to move on without him, likely elevating fifth-rounder Jason Marshall Jr. into a more prominent role if the rookie shows out in training camp.

RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

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The Seattle Seahawks have a surprising amount of running back depth going into the 2025 season. They could capitalize on this situation and help bring some clarity to their backfield by shipping off incumbent starter Kenneth Walker III this offseason.

One of the main reasons to part ways with Walker now is that he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. While he showed star potential as a rookie by rushing for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 totes, he hasn’t built on that performance and has instead trended in the opposite direction.

Since averaging that respectable 4.6 yards per carry mark in 2022, Walker has since seen his efficiency dip to 4.1 YPC in 2023 and a concerning 3.7 YPC last season. Part of the reason is Seattle’s inconsistent offensive line, but Walker hasn’t looked as dynamic as he did in Year 1 in recent seasons.

Despite the regression, there’s still reason to believe Walker’s best years are ahead of him. He’s been dealing with injuries that limited him to just 11 games last year and could improve with a clean bill of health. He’s gotten more involved in the passing game over the years too, culminating in a career-best 46-catch, 299-yard, one-touchdown stat line in 2024.

The Seahawks shouldn’t struggle much without Walker in the fold. Zach Charbonnet—who still has two years left on his current deal—is ready to step up into Seattle’s RB1 role, and a pair of intriguing seventh-rounders in Kenny McIntosh and rookie Damien Martinez can fill out the backfield depth.

Landing an early Day 3 pick for Walker would allow Seattle to get a head start on its transition to Charbonnet and see what it has in the young backups before losing a starter for little in return after the 2025 campaign wraps up.