The 2020 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, so let’s take a look at three trades that could make logical sense for all parties involved.
With most of sports shut down to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL has taken center stage. Free agency has gotten huge spikes of attention, while the upcoming draft has gotten more fascinating than usual.
Teams are already making some moves prior to the draft, such as the Indianapolis Colts trading away the 13th overall pick to land DeForest Buckner from the San Francisco 49ers. Let’s take a look at three more hypothetical deals that could make sense prior to the draft.
1. Miami Dolphins trade 2020 first-round pick (No. 5), 2020 first-round pick (No. 26) and 2021 second-round pick to Detroit Lions for 2020 first-round pick (No. 3) and 2020 third-round pick (No. 67)
Throughout the recent history of the draft, teams that want a franchise quarterback often have to trade up to get their man. The prime candidate for a trade out is the Detroit Lions, who still have Matthew Stafford and a multitude of needs at No. 3.
The Lions would be smart to auction the third overall pick for teams desperate to land either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert, and one team with the capital to make it happen is the Miami Dolphins. Shrewd deals have left Miami with a trio of first-round picks, so it could easily swap spots and send Houston’s first-rounder to Detroit.
That exceeds the pick’s value on the draft value charts, but teams often have to pay a premium to get the quarterback they want. The Lions do well here to extract a second-round pick next year, while Miami gets a third-rounder this season to bolster its talent haul in the draft.
2. New England Patriots trade 2020 fifth-round pick (No. 172) to Cincinnati Bengals for Andy Dalton
There has been a lot of smoke linking the Patriots to Andy Dalton, and that talk should intensify with New England looking for a bridge quarterback to stay relevant right now. Brian Hoyer was already brought in to help support Jarrett Stidham, but Dalton would offer a truer sense of competition for the job than Hoyer does.
The Bengals will be taking Joe Burrow with the first overall pick, leaving Andy Dalton without a job. Dalton could be retained to back up Burrow, but the Bengals would love to extract some value for him in the draft instead.
The Patriots are typically active traders in the draft, moving back to obtain more picks to give themselves opportunities to either select more players or move picks for veteran players. A fifth-round pick is a solid price to pay to get Dalton in the building ahead of training camp, giving him time to learn the New England playbook.
3. Indianapolis Colts trade 2020 second-round pick (No. 34) and 2021 third-round pick to Kansas City Chiefs for 2020 first-round pick (No. 32)
We already mentioned that the Colts have traded out of the first round to land DeForest Buckner, but they do have the second pick of the second round, which is the equivalent of a late first-round pick. The big difference between the two rounds is the fifth-year option teams have over first-round picks, which is especially valuable if you find a quarterback you like.
Indianapolis has signed Philip Rivers to a one-year deal, but there are still questions as to whether or not they believe Jacoby Brissett is the long-term answer under center. Several intriguing prospects could be had near the end of the first round, including guys like Jordan Love and Jacob Eason, so having the fifth-year option on that quarterback could pay huge dividends down the road.
The Chiefs would happily take an extra third-round pick next year to move back two slots and get a player of similar value than the one they could get at No. 32. This trade would also make a ton of sense for the Colts if they zero in on a guy who could be their franchise quarterback or an impact player who can make a difference for them in the next five years.