Arizona Cardinals: Breaking down what it would take to trade for Hopkins

It’s no secret that DeAndre Hopkins has played his last game with the Arizona Cardinals. That said, even at 30, Hopkins won’t come cheap. 

The Arizona Cardinals have a roster full of holes, but they also have a power play with DeAndre Hopkins. Despite Hopkins’ six-game suspension, the star receiver was still arguably the best player on the Redbirds offense.

Therefore, the Cardinals will demand some serious compensation when they move Hopkins. Since there is a no-trade clause in place, Hopkins will have the final say of where he will go, but his recent Instagram post all but sums up that he knows he is done in the desert.

This was something I saw coming ages ago, stating back in October that the Cardinals trading Hopkins would be franchise altering. No one believed it at the time, since the Redbirds were still somewhat in the playoff race.

But as the tidal wave unraveled, it was clear Hopkins, heading into his 11th season in 2023, was too old to see this franchise’s latest rebuild. But he would become a valuable chess piece nonetheless.

So what would it take for the Cardinals to swing a trade? Let’s go exploring.

Arizona Cardinals need a high asking price for Hopkins

A few teams I can see trading for Hopkins include the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and the New York Giants, all for their own reasons. Each of the aforementioned teams, even those like New England and Las Vegas who missed the playoffs, believe they will have a contender in 2023. But if they want Hopkins, they must give up some respectable compensation.

This is a player who, in just 10 starts, logged 64 receptions, 717 yards, and three touchdowns. In his career with the Cardinals, Hopkins recorded 221 catches, 2,696 yards, and 17 touchdowns, showing that he is still well in his prime with no imminent signs of a drop off.

With his remarkable numbers, the Cardinals should ask for nothing less than a first round pick in either 2023 or 2024. Arizona should also ask for a mid-round pick, ideally a second rounder, in 2024.

Overall, fair compensation for Hopkins would look like this: 2023 1st round pick, 2023 3rd round pick, 2024 2nd round pick, 2024 3rd round pick. This would certainly drive some teams away, but if they believe they have a contender on their hands, then giving up the above compensation should be an easy decision.

A starting point, however, could and should be even higher. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the Cardinals initial asking price looked like this: 2023 1st round pick, 2023 2nd round pick, 20241st round pick, 2024 3rd round pick. But with Hopkins’ age being a factor, the above probably wouldn’t be feasible, so the first offer would generate the Cardinals two more draft picks, including another first rounder, which they definitely need at the moment.

They don’t need to ask for any players. This is a team looking to rebuild in several areas and they have a plethora of holes on the roster. Whoever is running the front office when the new league year begins MUST understand this, and add to the five measly picks the Redbirds currently have. It’s high time the Arizona Cardinals built through the draft, and trading Hopkins to a team figuring to contend will enable that.

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