Rams Almost Drafted DeAndre Hopkins?
Arizona Cardinals star receiver DeAndre Hopkins likely won't be in the NFC West after this offseason to face the Los Angeles Rams, as trade rumors that he's admitted to hearing have continued to run amuck.
But Hopkins could've had his NFL career begin in the division in the first place. During an appearance Wednesday on the "Pat McAfee Show," Hopkins revealed that the then-St. Louis Rams told him that they'd either draft him or Tavon Austin in 2013 depending on how the combine went.
“The St. Louis Rams said they were going to draft me or Tavon Austin,” Hopkins said. “They said, ‘We’re taking (one of) the two of you guys with our first pick.’ It was 2013, I was the second receiver off the board, Tavon was the first to the Rams."
The Rams clearly knew who their guy was, as they selected Austin with the No. 8 overall pick. Hopkins went later in the first round at No. 27 to the Houston Texans and has totaled over 11,000 receiving yards in the regular season since.
But it was Austin, who is currently not on an NFL roster, that looked like he'd have the better career based on his combine performance. It was something that the Rams paid close attention to when comparing evaluations for him and Hopkins.
"They said, ‘Whoever has the better workout, we’re gonna draft,'" Hopkins said. "I basically tanked the workout because I knew I couldn’t compete with Tavon Austin running routes. ... I’m like, ‘Damn, they’re going on speed and I had 18 touchdowns?’ Come on, man ... Y’all take Tavon.”
Austin turned out to be a solid offensive player during five seasons with the Rams, remaining with the team even during the move to Los Angeles in 2016. But he never quite lived up to the first-round billing.
Meanwhile, Hopkins is likely headed to Canton one day, even though the past year has been forgettable for him for different reasons.
During Arizona's abysmal 4-13 finish this past season, Hopkins still finished as the team's leader in receiving yards (717) despite missing eight games, six of which came in the first six weeks of the season due to a PED suspension. But despite that, reports have indicated that the Cardinals still plan on trading Hopkins at some point this offseason.
But while his future remains uncertain, hearing about what could've been for one of the league's best receivers is certainly worthy of attention.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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