The Houston Texans are presented with a golden opportunity to add foundational pieces within the top 10 as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade. The Seattle Seahawks are also in position to get a top-10 pick back as part of the Russell Wilson trade, but their own does not come until much later in the round. In today's thought exercise, we examine how those franchises can benefit by trading away a franchise quarterback.
The draft order below was determined using SportsLine's Super Bowl odds, but in reverse order. These are your team's betting odds of winning a Lombardi Trophy this season. Miami's selection at No. 25 overall was forfeited.
Without further ado, let's kick this off!
Round 1 - Pick 1
Houston has made a change at quarterback, but it will not be the last. Young will bring new energy and leadership to a team armed with ample draft capital over the next two years.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 2
Chicago moved on from Robert Quinn prior to the trade deadline because he is far along in his career. Anderson is a gifted player with strength and speed to impact the NFC North.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 3
Carolina is expected to move on from Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield after the season. Levis is not a finished product, but he possesses the size, arm strength and mobility to be a high-level quarterback in the NFL. The Panthers need to make the right head-coaching hire to support a young quarterback.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 4
Quality interior defensive linemen are both high in demand and low in supply. Pittsburgh may have bigger needs, but it can not bypass a talent like Carter if it sticks and picks. It could be a destination for a team trading up to select C.J. Stroud. The Steelers should absolutely evaluate all quarterbacks and compare them to what they have in Kenny Pickett before making a decision.
| |||
From
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 5
Geno Smith is playing at a high level, but opting out of taking a top quarterback talent in favor of a signal-caller having his best season at 32 years old is not a strategy I can get behind. Smith may do enough to be the team's starter for another year, but it is unreasonable to think he can play at this level for five more years. Plan for the future.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 6
Detroit has bigger needs, but Bresee is at the intersection of need and value. The Lions have leaned into building depth on both lines of scrimmage.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 7
Jacksonville adds size to the wide receiver room to support Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars can gain some financial flexibility in the coming years by parting with veteran contracts at the position.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 8
Indianapolis has already swapped out head coach Frank Reich for Jeff Saturday. The Colts are in a less-than-ideal position needing four of the most important positions on the field: left tackle, quarterback, edge rusher and cornerback. One of those spots is filled here with Fashanu sliding in on the left side.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 9
Las Vegas does not have its starting right tackle solution on the roster. It is not simple making the transition from left to right tackle, but Johnson can do it in one offseason. It would be the third position in as many years for the ex-Buckeye.
| |||
From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 10
After bringing in Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall selection, Houston upgrades its pass rush with the selection of Murphy -- a player who checks the size, strength and speed boxes.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 11
Arizona brings in Ringo to start opposite Byron Murphy. The Georgia product checks the height, weight and speed boxes at cornerback, but the production needs to become more consistent.
| |||
From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 12
Detroit brings in Mayer after trading away T.J. Hockenson to the division-rival Vikings. Mayer is a player who knows how to use his body to create separation and make plays at the catch point.
| |||
From
New Orleans Saints
Round 1 - Pick 13
Skoronski is a bit of a luxury pick, but he has the flexibility to play any one of the five starting offensive line positions. There is value in having one player capable of fulfilling so many roles while taking up just one roster spot.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 14
If Aaron Rodgers returns to Green Bay, then the Packers need to over-commit to the wide receiver position. Addison has not lost a beat since joining the Trojans of USC.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 15
Atlanta is not a Super Bowl contender and it is leaning on soon-to-be 32-year-old Cordarrelle Patterson at running back. There are more important positions to fill, but if the Falcons lean into building a difficult to defend offense, then at least it will be fun for fans until they do get a long-term quarterback in place.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 16
Washington moved on from Dre Kirkpatrick at the NFL trade deadline, which created a hole on the defense. The Commanders defense has played well this season, but they could use an upgrade at the position.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 17
Buzz about the Jets moving on from former first-round pick Mekhi Becton was rampant last offseason so the injury likely did not help the situation. New York may need to upgrade both offensive tackle spots in the not-too-distant future, and the need to do that in the same offseason can be daunting. Jones solidifies one of those roles.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 18
Cornerback and wide receiver will be high on the Giants' list of needs next offseason. Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a long defender with great ball production this season.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 19
Ohio State wide receivers have come into the league ready to contribute, from Michael Thomas to Terry McLaurin to Garrett Wilson to Chris Olave. New England has been pulling wide receivers out of the bargain bin in recent years. If the Patriots want to give Mac Jones a fair chance, then he needs some players capable of making an impact.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 20
Josh Downs is a succession plan for Tyler Lockett. With short-term and long-term answers at the quarterback position, Seattle deploys the same strategy at wide receiver.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 21
Los Angeles adds a big-bodied pass catcher who can make an impact in both the run and pass games. Defenses will have a hard time defending the length of the Chargers offense with Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and now Washington.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 22
Bud Dupree and Harold Landry have played a combined 203 defensive snaps this season. Without a long-term answer on the roster, the Titans bring in Wilson to provide length while creating long-term financial flexibility.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 23
Cornerback is a need for the Bengals and Porter is arguably the best available. His father's history against Cincinnati makes the selection all that more interesting.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 24
Safety Mike Edwards is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason. If Tampa Bay does not retain him, then it creates a void in the secondary. Johnson is not the ideal complement to Antoine Winfield Jr. but his talent justifies being taken in this range.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 26
Minnesota brings in another former LSU Tiger to pair with Justin Jefferson down the road. Boutte has not had the season many expected, but his talent will overcome in a better situation.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 27
Injuries have hampered the Baltimore secondary in recent years. Peters is in the final year of his contract and will turn 30 years old by the end of the season. Witherspoon is a savvy, productive player for the Illini.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 28
Dallas may want more of a traditional middle linebacker to pair with Micah Parsons, but the idea of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn mixing and matching Simpson is intriguing.
| |||
From
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 29
Denver will evaluate a trio of young pass rushers -- Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto -- through the remainder of the season. Veteran Randy Gregory will turn 31 next season and it becomes more feasible for the team to get out of his contract each year.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 30
While Kansas City may have lost a lot in wide receiver Tyreek Hill, it can supplement the roster as a whole by adding multiple players capable of matching that lost production. Gibbs has an Alvin Kamara-like skill set that Andy Reid should have no problem maximizing.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 31
Versatility is the theme for Philadelphia in this draft class. The Eagles added Peter Skoronski earlier in the round and he is capable of playing every position up and down the offensive line. Branch is similarly flexible and can fulfill a variety of roles in that Philadelphia secondary.
| |||
Round 1 - Pick 32
Buffalo continues its investment in Josh Allen by adding a plug-and-play offensive guard. Torrence is a bully who has benefitted from having another year of tutelage under his current (and former at Louisiana) offensive line coach, Rob Sale.
|