ARIZONA CARDINALS

ESPN’s Clay ranks Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins trade a top-3 NFL upgrade

May 18, 2020, 9:43 AM | Updated: 2:37 pm

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) celebrates a touchdown catch by teammate Lamar Mi...

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) celebrates a touchdown catch by teammate Lamar Miller (26) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DeAndre Hopkins’ trade from Houston to Arizona was the first sign that the NFL’s offseason would be a doozy.

Largely regarded as a steal for the Cardinals as they swapped fourth-round picks and threw David Johnson’s contract plus a second-round choice into the deal, the Hopkins trade made them immediately better.

Johnson wasn’t going to play much with running back Kenyan Drake returning, and Hopkins gave them a clear No. 1 receiver while bumping the quite capable Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk into high-grade sidekick roles.

Was the Hopkins trade the best addition in the NFL this offseason? Almost.

ESPN’s Mike Clay rated it as the third-best position upgrade heading into 2020.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury were not shy about their interest in adding an impact wide receiver during the offseason. It’s fair to say their mission was accomplished when they fleeced Houston by landing one of the league’s best pass-catchers in Hopkins in exchange for a package that included David Johnson. An absolute workhorse, Hopkins has averaged a target share of at least 30% while ranking no lower than 10th in targets, receptions, receiving yards and end zone targets each of the past three seasons.

Clay framed a ranking of the top 25 upgrades by reflecting who joined a team and who they replaced.

Hopkins replaced Arizona’s third leading receiver of 2019, Damiere Byrd, who on 46 targets made 32 receptions for 359 yards and one score. It was a breakout for Byrd that earned him a new contract with the New England Patriots, but the upgrade to Hopkins is obvious.

On 142 targets, Hopkins made 93 receptions for 1,143 yards and seven touchdowns for the Texans in 2019.

Clay ranked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ upgrade from quarterback Jameis Winston to Tom Brady as the second-best upgrade of the offseason, while leading the list was the Indianapolis Colts’ trading for San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who replaces rotation player Margus Hunt.

Arizona Cardinals

Aaron Rodgers...

Associated Press

Jets tell Aaron Rodgers they’re ‘moving on’ from the QB for next season, report says

Aaron Rodgers is still contemplating whether to continue his playing career. If he does, it appears it won’t be with the New York Jets.

1 hour ago

The Chiefs try to make history against the Eagles by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl, this t...

Associated Press

Chiefs aim to make history in city where they won their first Super Bowl

The Chiefs will try to make history against the Eagles by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl, this time in the same city where they won their first.

7 hours ago

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line could prove to be a pivotal factor in the outcome of Sunday...

Associated Press

Eagles’ Super Bowl path paved by prowess of their offensive line

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line could prove to be a pivotal factor in the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

9 hours ago

Tush push...

Associated Press

Chiefs think they have answer for Eagles’ tush push in Super Bowl

No team has taken advantage of the tush push the way the Eagles have, but the Chiefs think they have an answer for a play deemed unstoppable.

22 hours ago

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort looks on. It's officially NFL mock draft season with Arizona's...

Tyler Drake

NFL mock draft tracker: What will Cardinals do with No. 16 pick?

A look across the NFL mock draft landscape when it comes to the Arizona Cardinals' No. 16 overall pick in this year's draft.

1 day ago

Bidwill...

Associated Press

Former Cardinals employee files lawsuit against owner Michael Bidwill for verbal abuse

A former assistant to Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill filed a lawsuit against him, saying that she was verbally abused during her tenure.

2 days ago

ESPN’s Clay ranks Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins trade a top-3 NFL upgrade