Cardinals Projected to Trade Budda Baker to Jaguars

The Arizona Cardinals are projected by PFF to trade Budda Baker during the 2023 NFL Draft.

When it comes to the 2023 NFL Draft and trades, the Arizona Cardinals are your team. 

Whether it be the availability of the No. 3 overall pick, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins or safety Budda Baker, the Cardinals are all ears as they enter their rebuild looking to fix things from the ground up after their 4-13 football team seemingly worsened over the course of the offseason.

It feels as if it's a lock that Arizona will sell the No. 3 pick to whoever the highest bidder will be. Due to Hopkins' age and contract, it's hard to imagine he'll be on the 2023 roster. The draft could be the optimal time to flip him for a coveted Day 2 pick and let both sides officially go their separate ways. 

When it comes to Baker - however - things get a little iffy. The Cardinals don't want to trade one of the best safeties in the league at 27-years-old with plenty of gas left in the tank, but Baker himself told the team he's not sticking around unless Arizona makes him the highest paid at his position. 

It's truly a question if blood becomes bad between the two sides leading to an eventual departure, but Pro Football Focus formulated the following draft day trade that sees Baker departing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Cardinals Projected to Trade Budda Baker to Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars Receive: Budda Baker

Arizona Cardinals Receive: 2023 Third-Round Pick, 2023 Sixth-Round Pick

"After weeks of back-and-forth conversations between Baker and the new Cardinals regime, Baker has reportedly requested a trade from the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2017 draft as he seeks an extension that would place him near the top of the safety market," said Brad Spielberger.

"Over Baker's first six seasons in the NFL, his 90.1 run defense grade ranks seventh among all safeties, and his 40 tackles for loss or no gain rank fifth. Baker is the clear leader of this Cardinals team and just turned 27 years old. When he signed his extension in 2020 for $14.75 million per year, the safety market hadn't reached $15 million annually, but the following offseason, Jamal Adams pushed it to $17.5 million. 

"There is no question Baker deserves a bump in pay at the very least, and perhaps he'll have to find that elsewhere, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are one team that stands out as an interesting option.

"On the field, Baker will be a great addition to a Jaguars defense that does have two solid safeties in Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco but can benefit tremendously by deploying him all over. Baker is a weapon in the slot, down in the box, as a blitzer and back deep in coverage, and he could help defend opposing tight ends, which is an obvious area for improvement after Travis Kelce exploded for 14 receptions and two touchdowns to knock Jacksonville out of the playoffs. Off the field, Baker’s leadership could be massive for a very young defense.

"If Alabama’s Brian Branch does not make it to pick No. 24 or the Jaguars go a different direction, a potential pursuit of Baker becomes much more interesting."

It would hurt to see Baker go, but dumping him off in the opposite conference while also seeing him land on a playoff time (and getting his wish of a new contract) would find some solace for Cardinals fans in the ugly stages of their rebuild. 

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