How 4 former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver prospects did in 2020
32. . . . Deandre Hopkins, Cards. . player
The Cards steal Hopkins right from under the Philadelphia Eagles’ noses.
During his days as one of the best wide receivers in college football, Clemson Tigers fans affectionately referred to DeAndre Hopkins as ‘Nuke’. Honestly, you can say what you want. That’s one of the most spectacular nicknames that football fans have ever come up with.
No one calls one of the members of Madden’s 99 Club ‘Nike Hopkins’ anymore (the 99 Club consists of players who have received an overall ranking of 99 on EA Sports’ highly-popular video game franchise). Still, even with that being said, this is still one of the most explosive players in the NFL at any position. The Birds sure could have used someone like that in their offense.
There were stories that Howie Roseman was at the negotiating table when Bill O’Brien lost his mind and began his quest of trying to ruin his own team from the inside. The story goes that Howie thought the asking price was too high. The Houston Texans eventually dealt Hopkins and a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals to acquire David Johnson, a 2020 second-round draft selection, and a 2021 fourth-round draft selection.
Wait! Philly couldn’t trade a broken-down running back, a second-rounder, and a fourth-rounder to the Texans? That seems like a bargain! That debate will go on forever, but here’s what we all probably can agree on. The return, which wound up being 115 receptions, 1,407 receiving yards, and six trips to the end zone (including one on the now-famed ‘Hail Murray’) seems to justify Arizona’s decision.