• The Vikings seem all but certain to move up for a quarterback: In this scenario, Minnesota trades up with the Los Angeles Chargers to No. 5 to select Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
• Green Bay could trade up for a top cornerback prospect: The Packers make a move with the Dolphins here to acquire Iowa’s Cooper DeJean — a tier-one athlete.
• Try PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator: You can trade picks and players and draft for your favorite NFL team.
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The 2024 NFL Draft doesn’t really get cooking until we have our first blockbuster trade to shake things up on night one. We expect a lot of action this year, with recent iterations bringing plenty of drama even before the festivities got underway and shortly thereafter. In 2023, pick Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 9 were traded right out of the gate along with Nos. 14, 24 and 25. We expect more maneuvering in 2024, and below are our six favorite trade ideas.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS TRADE UP TO NO. 5 WITH THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS FOR QB J.J. MCCARTHY
Trade terms: Vikings receive Pick No. 5; Chargers receive Pick Nos. 11 and 23 and a 2025 third-round pick
The writing is on the wall for the Minnesota Vikings to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins, who they reportedly were unwilling to fully guarantee a second year for on a new contract, after acquiring an extra first-round pick at No. 23 from the Houston Texans. We’d be shocked if Minnesota is not making a selection in the top six picks for one of the four primary quarterback prospects, and we continue here matching them with J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy gets some criticism for his lack of passing volume, but he has the arm strength to throw deep and attack tight windows at the intermediate level, with his 80.0% adjusted completion percentage in 2023 ranking as the sixth-best mark in college football. The one concern from the tape is there aren’t a ton of touch throws and different trajectories/velocities, but many college quarterbacks lean on the fastball a bit too much.
McCarthy is also a good athlete who can take off on a scramble or weaponize his legs on zone read. As a runner, he understands how to let his blocks set up, get to the edge and avoid taking big hits.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS TRADE UP TO NO. 9 WITH THE CHICAGO BEARS FOR T OLU FASHANU
Trade terms: Saints receive Pick Nos. 9 and 75; Bears receive Pick Nos. 14, 45 and 168
A tackle already made sense for the Saints with question marks on the left side, as 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning has not panned out thus far and veterans James Hurst and 2023 starter Andrus Peat — who is still unsigned — are not long-term starting options. Now, with news that stalwart right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has unfortunately not recovered as well as the team had hoped from knee surgery, tackle is by far the biggest need for this roster headed into 2024.
The Saints get ahead of the New York Jets at No. 10, who could still be in the market for a top tackle prospect despite adding Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses this offseason — both are signed only through 2024 — and the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13. New Orleans has never shied away from a trade-up for a desired player, and this year could be no different, with a glaring need at one of the most important positions in the sport and with veteran quarterback Derek Carr in need of better protection.
Fashanu has great feet to cleanly kick slide and also reset against counters, and he allowed just 16 quarterback pressures and zero sacks over the past two seasons, earning an 88.4 pass-blocking grade in 2023 with an 82.0 true pass set pass-blocking grade. He appears to be sliding a bit in draft conversations, at least in the media’s eyes, even after many viewed him as the No. 1 tackle if he had been able to declare for the NFL after the 2022 college season.
LOS ANGELES RAMS TRADE UP TO NO. 15 WITH THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FOR DI BYRON MURPHY II
Trade terms: Rams receive Pick No. 15; Colts receive Pick Nos. 19, 83 and 196
The Rams need to work to replace the irreplaceable Aaron Donald, and Murphy is the best place to start in this draft class. General manager Les Snead and company haven’t made a first-round selection since catapulting up to the No. 1 overall spot in 2016 to nab quarterback Jared Goff, and here they get similarly aggressive. Snead is actually one of the biggest proponents of trading down in the NFL, despite some popular memes you may see on Twitter. He actually “Loves Them Picks.” So, the team can replenish its war chest with trade-downs later in the draft.
The Rams appear laser-focused on maximizing the last few years of the Matthew Stafford experience, doling out huge contracts to guards Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson. A move up for one of the premier tackles could make sense here, as well.
Murphy is a bit undersized but has a lightning-quick first step off the line for an interior defender and absolutely wreaked havoc in 2023, living in opponents’ backfields with a ridiculous 19.6% pass-rush win rate and a nearly as impressive 9.5% run-stop rate. He also has the core strength to hold up against double teams, though he may need more time to adjust there at the NFL level.
Click here to see Byron Murphy II’s 2024 NFL Draft profile.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS TRADE UP TO NO. 17 WITH THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR DI JOHNNY NEWTON
Trade terms: Chargers receive Pick No. 17; Jaguars receive Pick Nos. 23 and 69
The Chargers use the hypothetical extra first-round pick they acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in the above J.J. McCarthy trade to make a small jump up with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the second interior defender off the board, getting ahead of prospective teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins who have a need along the interior defensive line.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke very sharply traded down multiple times in the first round of last year’s draft before ultimately selecting tackle Anton Harrison, who many believed to be their preferred target all along, and he looked the part as a rookie at right tackle.
Newton is explosive off the line and can hold up at the point of attack despite some size limitations. He lined up between the tackles as well as over the opposing tackle with a 15.4% pass-rush win rate in 2023. Over the past two seasons, Newton wracked up 13 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. You never want to narrow the scope of your scouting, but it’s undeniable that the big games against the best college competition should hold more weight in your process when projecting performance to the next level, and Newton stepped up in a major way against the powerhouses of the Big Ten.
Click here to see Johnny Newton’s 2024 NFL Draft profile.
GREEN BAY PACKERS TRADE UP TO NO. 21 WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS FOR IOWA CB COOPER DEJEAN
Trade terms: Packers receive Pick No. 21; Dolphins receive Pick Nos. 25 and 169 and a 2025 third-round pick
The Packers leapfrog some defensive back-needy teams in the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 22, the Minnesota Vikings (who currently hold the No. 23 overall pick) and the Dallas Cowboys at No. 24.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has traded up in the first round for defensive backs twice already in his young career, adding cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Darnell Savage. Here, Green Bay acquires arguably the most versatile defensive back in the class. DeJean could step in and push for the starting outside cornerback job opposite Jaire Alexander with health questions surrounding 2021 first-round cornerback Eric Stokes. He could also provide insurance if Alexander pushes for a trade elsewhere, which doesn’t seem like an impossibility, or he could line up at safety next to free-agent splash acquisition safety Xavier McKinney.
DeJean is a tier-one athlete, with Iowa entrusting him with some return duties in 2023. DeJean had a beautiful punt return for a touchdown against Minnesotafielding the ball off a bounce, spinning out of a tackler’s grasp and taking off for what would’ve been a walk-off game-winner if not for a penalty. As a defender, DeJean allowed completion percentages below 50% and passer ratings when targeted below 50.0 in each of the last two seasons, with seven total interceptions.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TRADE UP TO NO. 28 WITH THE DETROIT LIONS FOR BYU T KINGSLEY SUAMATAIA
Trade terms: Chiefs receive Pick Nos. 29 and 164; Lions receive Pick Nos. 32 and 95
The Chiefs are sitting in a very familiar spot with the No. 32 overall pick, and the last two teams they defeated en route to a Super Bowl in the Baltimore Ravens at No. 30 and the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31 also need reinforcements at tackle. Kansas City added a Day 3 pick and a 2025 third-rounder in the L’Jarius Sneed trade with the Tennessee Titans, and general manager Brett Veach has never been afraid to move up at the bottom of the first round for a player he covets, most recently landing All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Suamataia earned an 86.1 pass-blocking grade in 2023 with just six pressures allowed, and he moves fairly well for his size. He may not be a plug-and-play starter, in need of development with perhaps another stopgap veteran like Donovan Smith in 2023, but the upside potential for the 21-year-old is very enticing.
2024-03-27 10:15:31
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