The idea of projecting trades seemed pointless two weeks ago when it was not known where each team would be drafting. Now that the draft order has been locked in for non-playoff teams, some of the trade ideas that have been stewing in our minds over the past few months are starting to surface. There are two types of teams: those with a franchise quarterback and those searching. Every year, we see action at the top of the draft as teams attempts to get in position to secure one of those top quarterbacks prospects. In this week's mock draft scenario, two teams execute the idea of trading up for those players.
Without further ado, let's kick this off!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Trevor Lawrence to Jacksonville is a formality at this point. They should begin to negotiate his contract now that he has declared.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
New York starts fresh with Zach Wilson and an additional pick(s) acquired in a deal for Sam Darnold. There are a lot of holes to fill but there is a promising, fresh start in the Big Apple.
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Mock Trade from
Miami Dolphins
Round 1 - Pick 3
Carolina moves up to secure the No. 3 overall pick and the rights to Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. It will cost them two second round picks.
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Mock Trade from
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1 - Pick 4
Detroit moves up to Atlanta's pick and takes the next best quarterback. Trey Lance is far from a finished product but he can learn behind Matthew Stafford for a year. It has appeared that the Lions and Stafford were headed towards a parting of ways in the near future anyway.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Cincinnati watches all the chaos untangle before them and happily select Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The team's focus has to be securing the protection of Joe Burrow.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Philadelphia may have lost on Sunday Night Football intentionally, or maybe not. No one will remember nor care two months from now. They take the top wide receiver off the market as the next step to overhauling that room.
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Mock Trade from
Detroit Lions
Round 1 - Pick 7
Atlanta adds some much needed pass rush for its new head coach. Kwity Paye is not the elite edge rusher that Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett, Chase Young or Nick Bosa were before him but he has proven to be a high impact player in 2020.
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Mock Trade from
Carolina Panthers
Round 1 - Pick 8
Miami adds an elite piece to its defense after trading down from No. 3 overall. They continue to stockpile picks as part of a "rebuild" under successful head coach Brian Flores.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Denver would have loved to land Micah Parsons but the board did not fall in its favor. Instead, they take the top cornerback off the board and continue adding talent to Vic Fangio's defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Kyle Pitts to Dallas pick was well-received Monday, so let's run it back. The Cowboys could entertain the idea of taking the next best cornerback but instead elect to go all out on offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
New York graciously welcomes the Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most productive wide receivers that college football has ever seen. Devonta Smith is a polished performer and, by all accounts, a grounded young man that should pay immediate dividends for Joe Judge.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Patrick Surtain II has not seen many passes thrown his way this season and he may not see much more moving forward as the talented San Francisco defensive line returns from injury in 2021.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Los Angeles continues to build a wall around stellar rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. Christian Darrisaw is capable of protecting Herbert's blindside for a decade-plus.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Minnesota is an interesting team in need of some change this offseason. The roster has a lot of aged players and they are not close to contending. Gregory Rousseau is a blue-chip capable player that could swing the narrative back in their favor.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Jaylen Waddle to New England has been a common projection. The team is not going to add its quarterback of the future here so the idea of adding a top tier wide receiver is feasible. Bill Belichick has had to watch some pretty poor wide receiver play in recent years and I imagine that has left his stomach unsettled.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Arizona takes another step into the future by adding Jaycee Horn. They have a handful of impact players on that side of the ball.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Las Vegas adds some pass rush in the form of Azeez Ojulari. The Georgia star was dominant against Cincinnati and the Raiders could use some of that ability opposite Maxx Crosby.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
I envision Rashawn Slater manning the right tackle position, which would allow Robert Hunt to move to guard. Miami would essentially be set along the offensive line for several years to come.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Washington needs a wide receiver but it is a little too early to take the next best at the position relative to the talent of other players on the board. They also need a left tackle but prospects at that position would be a reach as well. They hold tight and take Derion Kendrick to capitalize on the pass rush provided by the defensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Chicago adds Alijah Vera-Tucker to an unsteady offensive line likely tasked with blocking for Mitchell Trubisky and David Montgomery next season. I am not sure Bears fans envisioned that scenario two months ago but it seems likely as they are stuck in no man's land in regards to a quarterback in the first round.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 21
Jacksonville has a couple of talented young pass rushers and they plug a sideline-to-sideline capable linebacker between them. The days of a Myles Jack and Telvin Smith tandem have come to an end.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
I know Colts fans are tired of hearing the Joseph Ossai selection but it makes sense. They would probably entertain offensive line if the right players were available to them.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Cleveland adds another high end pass rusher opposite Myles Garrett. Olivier Vernon has been great when healthy this season but the team needs a more reliable contributor as they look to take the next step as a franchise.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Tennessee needs pass rush. It is a narrative that is neither new nor secret. Jayson Oweh can step in and offer some of what they have been lacking.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Ronald Jones has performed much better this season than the prior two years. However, Travis Etienne would give them a more reliable option moving forward. He is great at catching passes out of the backfield and that will be comfortable to Tom Brady.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Baltimore wants to win in the trenches first and foremost. They have lost some important pieces to that offensive line but the investment in Wyatt Davis will provide a little more stability.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 27
New York's offensive line has played better down the stretch but it still has some holes. It would not be a surprise to see them address that at the top of the second round. For now, they add a pass catcher for Zach Wilson.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Zach Banner went down with an injury before the season but the job was not his without question in the first place. Jalen Mayfield can seal the edge for Ben Roethlisberger or whichever quarterback Pittsburgh ends up supporting.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Kadarius Toney replaces Emmanuel Sanders in New Orleans. There will be questions about the quarterback position but they save some money by replacing the veteran with explosive rookie Kadarius Toney. The Saints have their backs up against the proverbial salary cap wall and this provides them with some relief.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Buffalo's defense has started to resemble the unit that its fans had come to know and love but another linebacker next to Tremaine Edmunds would make them impenetrable up the middle.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Green Bay ushers in a youth movement with Nick Bolton taking over at linebacker. The Packers had a need last offseason after allowing Blake Martinez to walk and it remains a concern despite the team's very successful regular season.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was deemed a luxury pick last offseason. The question of "what do you get someone that has everything?" seems to arise every year with Kansas City because of their talented roster. Their entire starting interior offensive line was taken late Day 3 of the draft. It would benefit them to upgrade.
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