As much excitement and optimism as the NFL draft engenders for fans, it’s an annual exercise in out with the “old” and in with the new for players.
That was perfectly encapsulated in recent days, the Detroit Lions drafting Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round barely a month after signing fellow RB David Montgomery in free agency. That rendered D’Andre Swift, a second-round pick in 2020 who’s still only 24, the odd man out – especially with his rookie contract set to expire after the 2023 season.
Fortunately for Swift, the Lions packaged him to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, shipping him home and into a favorable situation to showcase his talents in a walk year.
“We want to do the right thing for the player,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said of the Swift deal. “I think, at the end of the day, him being able to go back to his hometown on a really, really good team that was just in the Super Bowl, I think it was a win-win for all parties involved.”
In addition to swapping seventh-rounders, Detroit acquired a fourth-round pick in 2025.
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Swift has averaged 959 yards from scrimmage and more than eight touchdowns during three NFL seasons, but the explosive runner’s numbers could spike – as departed Miles Sanders’ did in 2022 – as part of such a loaded offense and with defenders forced to honor QB Jalen Hurts’ dual-threat ability.
“D’Andre Swift’s a dynamic, electric football player,” said Holmes.
But not every veteran with a (relatively) low-cost rookie suddenly nipping at his heels is going to find such a soft landing. Here are 16 who might be playing for their jobs in 2023 … assuming they even remain on their current roster:
Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen and OLB Khalil Mack
Similar situations, both Bolts north of 31 and with cap hits set to skyrocket past $34 million in 2024. Oh, and the team just drafted WR Quentin Johnston in the first round and OLB Tuli Tuipulotu in the second. Seems very unlikely both Allen and Mack are back after this season, and neither might be.
Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
The 2021 first-rounder lashed out on social media at GM Eric DeCosta when he lamented the team’s inability to hit on the wideout position during his interview at this year’s scouting combine. Bateman deleted his tweet, but DeCosta wound up picking Zay Flowers, the third wideout he’d selected in Round 1 over the past five drafts. And while this offense is evolving under new coordinator Todd Monken, safe bet it won’t suddenly be three-wide for the the preponderance of the snaps – which means Bateman could be the odd man out given Baltimore also signed WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Arizona Cardinals RT Kelvin Beachum
One of the league’s best humans, the soon-to-be 34-year-old has been subsisting on short-term contracts in recent years, and this could be his last season in the desert. The Cards didn’t target Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth overall pick to park him at guard indefinitely. The guess here is Beachum is gone next year, while LT D.J. Humphries reverts to the right side … though the team would save a lot more money if the 29-year-old Humphries is the odd man out in 2024.
Philadelphia Eagles DL Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham
Leading up to Super Bowl 57, head coach Nick Sirianni repeatedly cited the impact of the longtime defensive linchpins on the NFC champs’ culture, not to mention Philly’s on-field performance. Cox and Graham returned on one-year deals for 2023, but it could be the end of the road after the Eagles invested first-round picks in DT Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith.
Houston Texans DE Jerry Hughes
He’s 34, headed into the final year of his contract and just watched his team pop up the board to take Will Anderson with the No. 3 pick Thursday. There’s little question Hughes is a short-timer here but, after collecting nine sacks in 2022, he could be a nice commodity at the trade deadline and might even get the chance to show on a larger stage that he retains value as a sub package pass rush specialist … even at his age.
Las Vegas Raiders DE Chandler Jones
Unproductive (4½ sacks, 15 QB hits) in his Sin City debut, Jones will stick in 2023 because the Silver and Black can’t afford to cut him financially. But that will change in 2024, so he better rebound in spectacular fashion given the arrival of Tyree Wilson with the seventh overall pick.
New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan
The defensive mainstay and potential Hall of Famer is entering his 13th season, but his final one under contract with the only NFL team he’s played for. Second-rounder Isaiah Foskey could be Jordan’s successor.
Seattle Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett
Despite his slight stature, he’s been remarkably durable, missing just three games over the course of his eight-year career. But first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba lives in the slot, a spot where Lockett routinely operates. He’s working on a string of four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but Lockett will be 32 in 2024, when his base salary climbs to $15.3 million. That might be a logical time for him to “graduate” from HC Pete Carroll’s roster via release or trade.
New York Jets C Connor McGovern
The only NYJ player on the field for every offensive snap in 2022, he re-signed just days before the draft … but only for the upcoming season. Friday, McGovern watched New York draft his eventual replacement, Joe Tippmann, in the second round but is certainly capable of delaying the transition until 2024.
Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon
His production slipped in his sixth season, and he makes too many headlines that have nothing to do with football – though HC Zac Taylor generated one Saturday by giving Mixon a vote of confidence for the upcoming campaign. But Cincy selected Illinois’ Chase Brown in the fifth round, and he proved to be a durable, productive player – including 1,883 yards from scrimmage and 13 TDs (on 355 touches) in 2022. Brown should see the field plenty in 2023, and if he shows he can handle a pro workload, the Bengals could be tempted to decline their club option for Mixon, worth nearly $10 million, in 2024.
Baltimore Ravens LB Patrick Queen
A first-rounder in 2020, he’s been inconsistent, which explains why the team traded for LB Roquan Smith last season before signing him to a $100 million extension. As for Queen? The team has yet to pick up his fifth-year option but did select Clemson’s highly regarded Trenton Simpson in the third round, and it seems only a matter of time before he’s serving as Smith’s wingman instead of Queen.
Jacksonville Jaguars LT Cam Robinson
With a PED suspension apparently coming down the pike and $22+ million cap hits each of the next two seasons for a player who’s collected a lot of money but never a Pro Bowl nod, it seems evident that first-rounder Anton Harrison may be lining up on QB Trevor Lawrence’s blind side sooner rather than later.
Tennessee Titans backfield
QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry, whose 2023 cap numbers amount to nearly $53 million, are not signed beyond this season. Easy to foresee second-round QB Will Levis and third-round RB Tyjae Spears (assuming his knee is sound), as first-teamers in 2024.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
