The most entertaining aspect of the NFL Draft is when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces every first-round pick and the latest news that a deal has taken place. Trades arise from teams targeting a specific player through months of scouting and scenario taunting. The 2021 NFL Draft is no different; teams may need to move if they are going to fulfill certain roles in the squad.
And it’s already begun, as the 49ers went to No. 3 on Friday in a trade with the Dolphins, and the Finnish turned and closed another blockbuster with the Eagles. Here are six more teams that fall under that category and the trails they could take:
Current draft position: No. 11 in general
Edge rusher and linebacker are the obvious focus points for New York. They may take another chance to add an attacking guard, but the earlier options seem to offer better opportunities. The only linebacker worth taking this early is Penn State’s Micah Parsons. Rather, if Parsons is taken by the Eagles, Broncos, or Cowboys, the draft board won’t be in New York’s favor. It’s not a particularly strong year for edge rushers, and the idea of selecting Miami’s Gregory Rousseau or Jaelan Phillips or Michigan’s Kwity Paye may turn out to be too rich at number 11 overall. With General Manager Dave Gettleman’s reluctance to act in previous years, it’s a tough place to find the Giants.
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New England Patriots
Current draft position: No. 15 in general
Foxborough is quiet, almost too quiet. The national media has reached near consensus that the patriots are not ready at the quarterback position and pinned them down as a team likely to move up the draft order to find the right player. It’s hard to imagine that Bill Belichick would make his strategy so clear. The respect he has earned in the competition has caused paranoia as many look for an ulterior motive. If New England is passive to its quarterback chase in draft, then it’s unlikely anyone would fall for them. Washington would know they only had to move up six places to number 14 overall; the difference of a high pick in the third round on the trade value chart.
Washington football team
Current draft position: No. 20 in total
Washington paid William Jackson III as a boundary cornerback, but he was better suited in the slot. While the team should still be open to the position, they are more likely to target an offensive tackle. With Trent Williams out of the picture, they need to step up the left tackle. Some imagine that Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw is still available at No. 20 overall, but I’m less confident. They could flip one of the college’s predominant right-wing tackles, like Bitches Jenkins in Oklahoma State or Jalen Mayfield in Michigan, to left-wing tackles like Cleveland did with Jedrick Wills, but don’t rule out moving up a few places if that means that they have to secure a left tackle. If the board doesn’t fall in Washington’s favor, cornerback and linebacker would be at the top of his wish list.
Current draft position: No. 26 in general
Realistically, as the roster is currently being put together, Cleveland is likely to take an edge rusher or cornerback in the first round. If talks with free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Gareon Conley lead to a contract, that could change. In fact, I recently wrote that the Cardinals were desperate for corner-back help in the draft, and hours later they signed Malcolm Butler. For now, those are the positions the Browns need. General Manager Andrew Berry is likely to have to deal with table scraps in any position unless he makes a move for a player higher on the team’s design board. The trade value graph suggests that the team could rise from No. 26 in total to No. 20 overall by saying goodbye to the No. 95 overall selection; This would normally be beyond Berry’s character, but with fewer holes to tackle, it might just be the healthiest decision a player really likes.
Current draft position: No. 27 in general
Baltimore was looking for help from wide receivers, and an overture to Juju Smith-Schuster fell short. Sammy Watkins visited and could choose to sign there after one of the other teams, Indianapolis, re-signed TY Hilton. Even when the Ravens lands Watkins, they can still be in the mix for a wide receiver. The problem is, a solid wide receiver with a size may not be available. LSU’s Terrace Marshall Jr. is a somewhat polarizing prospect and it may be too early for the AFC North franchise to pick it.
If the Ravens aren’t satisfied with the wide receiver options available to them, in all likelihood, an edge rusher of length would be next on their checklist. Jayson Oweh of Penn State and Jaelan Phillips and Gregory Rousseau of Miami fall into this category.
Current draft position: No. 31 in general
Kansas City needs help with offensive tackle, but it will be difficult to find a bona fide Day 2 starter this late in the first round. The Chiefs don’t have many gaps in the squad and they’ve already proven to be aggressive when targeting a specific player. In the 2017 NFL Draft, the team traded to No. 10 overall from No. 27 overall to select Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City doesn’t have to go that far up to get a good player on the position, but you may wonder if they would like to stay at number 31 instead of moving up to get a player. take whatever they want.