The Arizona Cardinals made a blur of first-round trades on Thursday night, but not a one included wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
And according to first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort, it's unlikely Hopkins will be traded over the course of the 2023 NFL Draft, a possibility which had been widely speculated.
"I don't foresee that happening," Ossenfort said Thursday, via the team website's Darren Urban. "I don't know what is going to happen in the next couple days, but right now, I don't foresee that happening."
Hopkins has been at the center of trade rumblings for months, but rumors heated up like an Arizona afternoon ahead of Thursday's first round. The Cardinals engaged in a whopping three trades during the opening round, but Hopkins -- nor safety Budda Baker, who recently requested a trade -- were involved.
Arizona began its trading tsunami by settling a tampering dispute with the Philadelphia Eagles over contact with head coach Jonathan Gannon. Thereafter they moved down from No. 3 overall to No. 12 in a swap with the Houston Texans and then vaulted right back up to take Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson at No. 6 in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
The 30-year-old Hopkins will carry a $30.75 million cap hit into 2023, and a highly paid No. 1 wide receiver isn't a must for a rebuilding roster with franchise quarterback Kyler Murray likely to miss the start of the season recovering from an ACL tear.
Never mind all that, though, as Ossenfort said he could "absolutely" see Hopkins playing for the Cards this upcoming season.
"DeAndre is a Cardinal," he said. "DeAndre is a Cardinal and we're moving forward."
Whether that forward thinking extends past Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft will still be something to monitor.
