Sure things are hard to come by in the NFL draft. For every slam dunk like Cam Newton or Peyton Manning there are a dozen prospects who could go the other way – burning out of the league in two years or less. Sometimes it’s safer to pick up a veteran rather than roll the dice on a rookie. As is the case every year, there are several good players who are on the trade block going into the draft, offering teams proven commodities at the pro level.
While it’s fun to think about Budda Baker or DeAndre Hopkins in a Seahawks uniform, truth is they can’t really fit either one of them. However, there are a few interesting names they could be able to afford. Here are four players around the league who might be worth a phone call during the draft.
1
Jets DT Quinnen Williams
Quinnen Williams (6-foot-3, 303 pounds) is one of the top interior pass rushers in the game today. Last season he posted 12 sacks and 28 QB hits, numbers normally reserved for high end edge rushers. That makes him an ideal acquisition for Seattle’s defense, which struggled to produce interior pressure in 2022. Aside from Jalen Carter, the odds that any of the iDL prospects in this class will be better than Williams are pretty low.
2
Commanders Edge Chase Young
Chase Young (6-foot-5, 264 pounds) came into the NFL with a lot of hype, but several injuries have severely limited his production. In 27 games he’s totaled just nine sacks and 17 quarterback hits. However, a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered. If the Seahawks can find a way to accomodate his $10,997,509 cap number he’d represent a massive upgrade at the spot opposite Uchenna Nwosu.
3
Vikings Edge Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter (6-foot-5, 263 pounds) represents an older and more certain option for teams looking to add defensive line firepower. Hunter has totaled 71 sacks and 112 QB hits in 102 career games. Then again, he has a $13,120,000 cap hit, so Minnesota would have to agree to take on a large portion of that in order for any team to agree to a trade.
4
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) is one of several big-name running backs on the trade block this year. He won’t be nearly as expensive as Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook though, coming with a cap number of just $7,750,000 in 2023. The selling point here is that Ekeler is arguably the league’s best pass-catching running back outside of Christian McCaffrey. He has 29 career touchdown catches to go with his 34 rushing scores.
