The 2024 NFL draft is only days away. Every year trades of all kinds find their way to happen in the draft so let’s take a look at some moves that could happen in this year’s draft. Here are five trades that can happen in this year’s NFL Draft.
Possible NFL Draft Day Trades
Brandon Aiyuk Gets Traded
Brandon Aiyuk has been a name of conversation the last few weeks as a possible trade candidate. Rumors started when Aiyuk tweeted out to Mike Tomlin. The San Francisco 49ers have been adamant about keeping Aiyuk and wanting to get a long-term deal done but from Aiyuk’s camp, none of that seems to be close to happening. So could we see a trade come draft day? Wide receiver-needy teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills seem to make sense to make a call. It might cost a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft but with Aiyuk’s production, it might be worthwhile.
Arizona Cardinals Trade Back
The Arizona Cardinals hold the fourth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. The Cardinals have the possibility of moving back in the draft when you have quarterback-hungry teams that could be looking to trade up such as the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and the Vegas Raiders. Or the Cardinals could stay pat and draft Ohio State wide receiver Marvion Harrison Jr to pair with quarterback Kyler Murray. If they decide to trade their first pick, they could receive a haul for it and keep building their future and still select an offensive weapon in round one with one or both of their first-round picks.
Minnesota Vikings Trade Up to Draft a Quarterback
The Vikings are in an interesting spot at pick number eleven in the first round. They have been heavily favored to trade up and take Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. For that to happen, they will most likely have to trade up and grab him. What are a couple of options where they could do that? As said previously, they can trade up with the Arizona Cardinals at pick four. Or they could trade up with the Los Angeles Chargers who are a pick after the Cardinals and take their future quarterback.
The Vikings hold two first-round picks in this year’s NFL draft and can even use the latter pick as a way to jump up the board. Another possibility which might seem more of a long shot is if somehow, they get in the top three and take Jayden Daniels from LSU or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. But that will find itself to be more costly because the three teams in the top three all need a quarterback.
Denver Broncos Get into the Top 5
The Denver Broncos have not had an answer at the quarterback spot since Peyton Manning retired. Going through the likes of Trevor Simien, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Russell Wilson the list goes on. Right now, their starter is Jarrett Stidham. It’s safe to presume, most Broncos fans don’t want that to be the case. Denver holds the 12th pick in the NFL draft and would need to take a big swing to get into the top five.
The likes of Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. are more realistic options for them, but if they can pull off a trade up into the top three or five it would take a haul but might be worth it. After years of poor quarterback play, they could finally have their potential answer for a signal caller. Teams like those mentioned above, the Cardinals and Chargers are prime candidates to trade back. Could Sean Peyton and company leave Detroit with a quarterback of the future?
Buffalo Bills Replace Stefon Diggs
The Bills decided to let go of star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and traded him to the Houston Texans earlier this month. Their other wide receiver Gabe Davis was a free agent this past March and went south to Jacksonville. The Bills have a clear need at the receiver spot. Granted, they can select one early on the draft after the first round, but with the top talent available in the early parts of the draft this year, they’d be foolish to not explore any options to move up to select one of these playmakers.
At pick 27, the Bills will have to give up a ransom to move up that high, but they are a team that wants to win now. And making a move for one of the top wideouts in the NFL draft, such as Malik Nabers from LSU or Washington’s Rome Odunze, that will help keep them in that spot for this season.
Frankly. it will be difficult to replace the production of Stefon Diggs this year, but with a two-headed spot at tight end with upcoming second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid and veteran Dawson Knox, with young wideout Kalil Shakir, adding a top prospect to that pass-catching room like Nabers or Odunze, Josh Allen could find a level of success for 2024.
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