3 Players Most Likely to Be Traded During 2022 NFL Draft

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. / Christian Petersen/GettyImages
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The 2022 NFL Draft is just a couple of days away and will introduce fans to a whole new crop of young talent. One reason to catch the action is the possibility of blockbuster trades going down. As the hours count down, the rumor mill is firing on all cylinders.

With that in mind, let us take a look at three guys who could be traded on draft day. 

Jimmy Garoppolo - San Francisco 49ers

While the number of teams that are desperate for a starting quarterback is dwindling, they haven’t all disappeared. It’s crystal clear that both sides want to find a trade partner to whisk Jimmy G away from the Bay Area. He's in the final year of a five-year, $135 million contract, which means teams will need cap space to deal for him.

However, teams like the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans are in real need of some help under center and have the money to make this move. 

DK Metcalf - Seattle Seahawks

Rumors about Metcalf have been circling for what seems like the entire postseason. After the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson those rumors exploded. With Seattle now in rebuilding limbo, the Seahawks don't have as much of an incentive to keep Metcalf on the roster.

He's eligible for a big boy extension and the Seahawks might want to avoid that kind of situation while they try to regroup. The 2022 NFL Draft presents a unique opportunity to do both, unload a massive contract and get back some additional draft picks to start putting the foundation of this team back together. 

Baker Mayfield - Cleveland Browns

This is another QB mess in which the team and the player are desperate to get a deal done before or during the draft. They have a few days left to create some hype for Mayfield so they can upload his $19 million in guaranteed money.

The Browns have made their bed with Deshaun Watson and Mayfield becomes a massively overpaid backup at this point. The Panthers and Seahawks could be potential landing spots for Mayfield to lick his wounds and try to resurrect his career.