The NFL Draft is just one day away, and the news, speculation, and rumors are just starting to rev up. With that in mind, Pro Football Network has decided to open up its weekly mailbag a bit early and answer YOUR reader questions.
With the Jags picking at 33, what trade value or possible selections could you see here?
Question submitted by Glen Wieger (@Glentazman) on Twitter
The 33rd overall pick is a spot that is primed for movement. Teams get an entire day to salivate over who is left on the board from Day 1, and some prospects may still have first-round grades on teams’ boards.
While there hasn’t been an on-day trade of the 33rd overall pick since 2015, the value is there to be had if the Jaguars are willing to move back a bit. In 2015, the Tennessee Titans acquired additional fourth- and seventh-round picks from the New York Giants after moving from No. 33 to No. 40.
Weirdly enough, the 34th overall pick is typically the early second-round pick that moves. The Detroit Lions own that selection this year, along with holding a second first-round pick at No. 32. This gives the Lions plenty of leverage in the movement at the top of the second round, and theoretically, they could get great value for either pick.
In 2014, Washington traded the 34th overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the 47th and 78th overall picks. Getting an extra third for moving back 15 spots when you also own the 32nd overall pick is a smart play.
What do you see as the biggest factor(s) as to why there seems to be a lack of interest in trading for the No.1 pick?
Question submitted by Brent (@JAGMAN13) on Twitter
Simply put, the class doesn’t have a consensus top player. While the lack of shine on the QB class is noteworthy, there isn’t a surefire No. 1-type at any position in this year’s group. Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson is a blue-chip player, and so are Alabama’s Evan Neal and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, but none of them have a generational, can’t-miss vibe. Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Georgia’s Travon Walker have excellent upside and athleticism, but that doesn’t make them must-have players.
Essentially, teams aren’t willing to pay the huge price to trade up for players who would be second-tier prospects in most classes. Teams typically trade up for franchise QBs and game-changing pass rushers. On the surface, it appears neither prospect archetype is in this class, so the price is too much to digest for the first overall pick.
To their credit, the Jaguars shouldn’t trade the No. 1 pick just to deal it away. Taking a loss on the first overall pick’s value can hurt a team more than just taking the top guy on the board.
Assuming Stingley, McDuffie, and Sauce are long gone, who is your favorite of the Tier 2 corners?
Question submitted by Paxton Boyd on Twitter (@Paxton)
This is a loaded one, so let’s cut both questions into two separate ones. First, let’s address cornerback, as the Bengals could legitimately use an upgrade in the secondary. While picking No. 31 won’t give the Bengals the pick of the Tier 2 corners, they should be able to land an upgrade (in theory) to Eli Apple if they so choose.
Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. is the top of the Tier 2 cornerbacks. It’d be fine to put him behind LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. and Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner in Tier 1, depending on how you view Washington’s Trent McDuffie‘s lack of size. That said, those are the top four corners in the class.
After them, Florida’s Kaiir Elam and Auburn’s Roger McCreary are the next ones up. Washington’s Kyler Gordon is just an inch behind, in my opinion.
Here’s how PFN’s Draft Department ranks them on their consensus board:
- Gardner
- Booth
- Stingley
- Elam
- McDuffie
- Gordon
- McCreary
Obviously, everyone sees something different on tape, but our draft team has poured in hundreds of hours into scouting prospects, so I tend to lean toward them on this one.
To add to this, if the Bengals don’t take a corner in Round 1, they should still be able to land noteworthy competition/an upgrade at the position at No. 63. Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant, in this writer’s opinion, is the most underrated player in the entire class.
Do you think any teams will trade up into the end of the first round to draft a QB?
Question submitted by Steve Heilmeier on Twitter (@SRH3186)
While it’s definitely possible, because of the perks of having a young QB’s fifth-year option, there aren’t a ton of teams in position to really move from the top 45 into the top 32 who need a QB of the future.
The two teams that present intrigue are the Seattle Seahawks, who own the 40th and 41st overall picks, and the Atlanta Falcons, who own the 43rd selection.
If the Kansas City Chiefs were willing to trade out of the 30th pick after using the 29th on their top target, then the Seahawks or Falcons could make a jump for someone like North Carolina’s Sam Howell or Mississippi’s Matt Corral, who are seen as two of the top five QBs in the class.
The Seahawks are probably in the best position to move up because they have back-to-back second-round picks. They could theoretically package their 40th and 72nd picks — their third-round selection — and send those to the Chiefs or Cincinnati Bengals (31st) to move back into the first round for a QB.
So, the Seahawks could look for an edge rusher or offensive tackle at No. 9 and then come back and trade into the first for a QB of the future while still holding onto one of their two second-round picks. That seems like a no-brainer if they like Corral, Howell, or Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder drops out of the Top 25.
If the Eagles make a trade for the 10th overall pick (with the Jets) and Ahmad Gardner and Jameson Williams are still available, who do you think they would draft?
Question submitted by IM HIM (@OMMIMTHEGOAT) on Twitter
This is an interesting hypothetical. While I don’t think the Eagles will trade up that high, I do think this debate is intriguing.
The Eagles have spent back-to-back first-round picks on wideouts over the past two years. They haven’t drafted a cornerback in the first round since Lito Sheppard in 2002. So, one would think wideout is more likely than cornerback. Although, drafting a first-round wideout three years in a row is kind of a rough look for the organization, and that hasn’t been done since the Detroit Lions did it in the mid-2000s.
Cornerback feels like a massive need externally. However, the Eagles have repeatedly brought up their interest in watching second-year players like Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, Mac McCain, and Kary Vincent develop. Gardner would be a massive upgrade on paper.
That said, Jameson Williams, while recovering from an ACL injury, is seen as the most dynamic offensive weapon in the class when healthy. He’d be an excellent complement to DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins, as well.
Given head coach Nick Sirianni’s background, one would think the Eagles would go with the WR. That said, if you’re trading up five picks, you probably want to go with the safest pick possible, and that feels like Gardner. So, I think from a value standpoint, Sauce would be the cause of the trade up, though I don’t expect him to make it to No. 10.
Does Tyler Linderbaum make sense for the Bengals?
Question submitted by Paxton Boyd on Twitter (@Paxton)
In a word, yes. Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is a tone-setter and an incredible athlete. While the Bengals signed Ted Karras in free agency, he could easily move to left guard and upgrade that position with Linderbaum in the middle. That said, only five true centers have been selected in the first round in the past 10 years. Linderbaum is probably a center only, so his lack of versatility might cost him on Day 1.
That said, the Bengals could do much worse than selecting Linderbaum, who by all accounts is an exceptional athlete, teammate, and lead-by-example worker. He would be the perfect player to put in front of Joe Burrow.