- Star pass-rusher on the move?: Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation continues to loom over the Cincinnati Bengals, which could lead to the star pass rusher playing elsewhere
- Cousins on the QB carousel?: Michael Penix Jr. Is the Atlanta Falcons’ starter, and Kirk Cousins is left in limbo as an extremely expensive backup who could be dealt
- PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft Guide is LIVE: This year’s guide is loaded with three-page draft profiles on hundreds of NFL draft prospects in the 2025 class.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Free agency has mostly died down, and as we barrel toward NFL draft weekend, there are still several big-name players who could be trade candidates before or during the draft. If teams are looking to recoup draft assets in exchange for these players, they don’t have much time left.
Given their current situations, we’ll examine a handful of those players who could be on the trading block over the next few weeks.
QB Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. will be the Falcons' starting quarterback this season, which means Kirk Cousins will either be an extremely expensive backup or will be dealt elsewhere. The Falcons' brass has repeatedly stated that they would be satisfied with Cousins as a high-end backup, but he wants to continue to start.
Cousins looked physically diminished last season en route to earning his lowest passing grade since 2017. Rumors about him being connected to Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns have run rampant, especially considering the Browns didn’t dip into the free-agent market for an established starter. Expect the noise around Cousins to continue through draft weekend.
RB D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
As rumors swirl that the Bears could select superstar Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the 10th overall pick in the draft, D’Andre Swift could be left without a starting role despite an $8 million salary. The former second-rounder compiled just a 65.7 rushing grade last season, leading to speculation that Chicago could upgrade at the position.
Even if the Bears don’t select Jeanty in the first round, they own two second-round picks, either of which could be used to select another of the premier talents at the position. Swift’s days in Chicago appear numbered. It’s just yet to be determined whether he will spend 2025 there or elsewhere.
WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill’s volatility on social media certainly matches the rampant speculation around his potential departure from Miami. He posted a career-low 77.3 receiving grade in 2024, but much of that was due to the Dolphins’ turbulent quarterback situation. Hill is still one of the premier playmakers in the NFL at 31 years old.
At this point, it’s more likely that Hill stays in Miami as the team doesn’t get any immediate salary cap relief from trading him prior to June 1st. The situation continues to be worth monitoring, though, as we’ve already seen multiple unexpected trades this offseason.
WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens is coming off a season in which he earned a career-high 79.7 receiving grade and was one of the best deep threats in the NFL. However, the Steelers’ acquisition of DK Metcalf brings his short and long-term role into question. Metcalf garnered a massive contract extension, but it seems unlikely that Pittsburgh would pay Pickens as well in the manner that Cincinnati has done with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
He could stay in Pittsburgh for the 2025 season, albeit in a somewhat redundant role to Metcalf, but there are likely several teams in need of a vertical threat that would at least inquire about Pickens. The Steelers would likely request a Day 2 pick in return to balance out what they gave up for Metcalf.
TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Just two years removed from being selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Mayer could find himself playing somewhere other than Las Vegas due to Brock Bowers‘ presence. The new front office regime also isn’t tied to Mayer, so they could feel less pressure to keep him around.
Mayer has racked up less than 500 receiving yards through his first two seasons, though he’s dealt with a far less than ideal quarterback situation. He is a serviceable blocker, however, and his draft pedigree should still lead a team to take a chance on him if he is truly available.
EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were able to agree to contract terms with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but extending Trey Hendrickson seems to be the toughest obstacle yet. He recently lamented the lack of communication between his representatives and the team as the situation continues to drag on.
If another team were to acquire Hendrickson, they would be getting an elite pass rusher. Hendrickson’s 92.2 pass rush grade since 2022 is tied for fifth among all edge defenders. Cincinnati, a team that is already defensively compromised, is in a tough spot with Hendrickson potentially playing elsewhere in 2025 and beyond.
LB Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers
Walker could stay in Green Bay to start alongside Edgerrin Cooper for the 2025 season, but unless he significantly improves upon his prior performance, it’s highly unlikely that the Packers would pick up his fifth-year option. If another team were willing to take a chance on the young linebacker, the Packers could look elsewhere for similar production.
Walker’s 54.6 PFF grade over the past three seasons ranks 77th out of 83 linebackers who have played at least 1,000 snaps in that span. He’s had difficulties in the passing game, in particular, that have led some to believe that he could be expendable. Perhaps another team could take a flier on him as was done for players like Kenneth Murray Jr. and Devin Bush.
CB Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers
The Packers have an even bigger name known to potentially be on the trade block in Jaire Alexander. The two-time All-Pro carries nearly a $25 million cap hit into this season but has only appeared in 16 games over the past two seasons combined.
If he is healthy, Alexander could be a big help for a contender in need of talent at cornerback. When he did play last season, he earned a solid 78.3 coverage grade. If the Packers trade him, though, they would be extremely thin at cornerback. There’s certainly a delicate balance for a team that is still aiming for NFC contention this season.
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.