The Arizona Cardinals could factor DeAndre Hopkins into a Draft Day trade

One way to keep DeAndre Hopkins’ value high is to factor him into a draft day trade with another team picking in the Top 10.

Thanks to his PED suspension last season, Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ No-Trade Clause is no longer in effect. This means he has significantly less control over his destination than he’d have had in the past. 

Therefore, with the Arizona Cardinals looking to maximize Hopkins’ value, as they should, one way they can do this is to wait until April 27th to package him into a trade. Or, if they swap picks with another team, offer him up at that time. 

If Arizona engages in a trade with someone like the Atlanta Falcons, for example, they could theoretically trade away Hopkins and their 2023 first round pick to Atlanta for something along the lines of the Falcons 2023 first rounder, a 2023 second rounder (for the third pick), PLUS a 2024 second rounder (for Hopkins). 

Arizona Cardinals could package Hopkins into a trade on Draft Day

Another, and a likelier scenario, is that the Cards could also end up with a second round pick in 2023 by trading with a team seeking to contend that missed out on drafting the receiver they wanted. Suppose a team like the Buffalo Bills, someone who, per my friends in the Queen City, could use another receiver, miss out on their target in the first round and are unable to trade up in the second, could easily swap their 59th overall pick to acquire Hopkins. 

Therefore, there should be zero sense of urgency for general manager Monti Ossenfort to get a deal done regarding Hopkins. And as mentioned yesterday, there is also no reason for him to devalue the star receiver’s price just because players like Amari Cooper and Brandin Cooks went for cheaper deals. 

Overall, holding Hopkins over a receiver-needy team looking to contend could work in Ossenfort’s favor. Not only will he still get a second round pick out of the deal, but there is also a chance any team looking to pull off a trade for the 30-year-old may even overpay out of desperation.