TEAMS WHO MAY BE LOOKING TO TRADE ON DRAFT DAY

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There will be plenty of trade interest when the first round is officially opened! The first round of the NFL Draft is always full of intrigue and excitement and when trades are made that excitement only heats up.

We have already seen a blockbuster trade deal occur in this draft cycle. With the 49ers trading up with Miami for #3 overall, before Miami themselves traded up with the Eagles to take the #6 spot.

As always, we will have all your draft content covered. Go check out our deepest big board to date which includes 200 prospects!

There will inevitably be trades that happen on draft night and it only adds to the excitement. Here we take a look at some of the teams who will be looking to trade up or down in the first round.

This Broncos roster is almost ready to go. With an extremely talented offence and a much improved defence, the front office in Denver must be getting itchy.

If the Broncos were to trade up, it would of course be for a quarterback. Is Drew Lock the answer? Probably not. Are Justin Fields or Trey Lance and upgrade? Absolutely. 

With it being widely speculated that we will have a run of quarterbacks at the top of the first round, Denver may well have to trade up to get in on the action. This of course is dependent on what the Falcons plan to do at #4 overall. With Atlanta playing their cards very close to their chest, it could be costly for the Broncos to make the move.

It will come down to the fact that the staff in Denver will have to ask themselves whether giving Drew Lock another year is the best thing for their franchise. He currently has not shown that he is or will become a championship winning quarterback. If Denver are to pull the trigger. Now is a better time than any.

The Lions are fooling no one. Neither are they trying to. A complete rebuild is going on in Detroit right now and armed with some decent draft capital after trading away quarterback Matthew Stafford, they will be happy with the business they have done. 

The fact remains though that the Lions need help everywhere. On both sides of the ball. This is not going to be an easy fix. What will make the rebuild easier though, is more picks. 

If a quarterback falls then there will be plenty of suitors for the Lions to negotiate with. Whether or not there is a QB on the board, there may still be offers available. If there is a decent offer on the table the Lions would be wise to take it as they collect picks and start to piece together what their future looks like. 

The Lions aren’t going to be good next year. Let’s not beat around the bush. But, collecting some more picks, whether that is in this year’s draft or in the future, will only help the rebuild which is taking place.

One thing is for certain, the Patriots are in win now mode. AT ALL COSTS. After spending money like it was burning a hole in their pockets in free agency, Bill Belichick and the Patriots front office do not envision drafting in the top 15 in the near future. 

Drafting at #15, they may well have a top prospect fall in their laps if we see the run on quarterbacks and receivers that many analysts expect. But, does Belichick continue his uber aggressive approach? 

If he does it will likely be for a quarterback, and with Cam Newton under contract for another year, does Mac Jones really make sense in New England? It would mean running a completely different offence to the scheme fit for Cam Newton.

If the Patriots go the QB route than a trade up will have to happen. None of the big 4 quarterbacks will make it out of the top 10.

Many see Atlanta at #4 as the likely trade up candidate. But, that will be extremely expensive and the Falcons won’t want to drop that far. The Lions at #7 or Carolina at #8 are more sensible options. 

It would of course come at a cost, and the Patriots would have to mortgage their future capital on this move. But, they have drafted horrendously for a number of years now, and all indications are that the Pats are happy to forget about the future to focus on today. 

You could argue that in recent years, no one has drafted better than the Indianapolis Colts. But, in his 4 years as general manager, Chris Ballard has only picked twice in the first round. On the other hand, they have picked 10 times (yes, you read that right!) In the second round. 

The Colts, however, do have some pressing needs. They have a big hole to fill at tackle and they have a glaring need for pass rushers. Weighing up what will be available for the Colts, who currently hold the 21st pick, there will be tackles available and they may well have their pick of the pass rushing group.

But, if the right offer is on the table, I would expect the Colts to trade back, pick up some extra 2nd or 3rd round picks and play the draft board as they have done so well over recent years.

The Packers are a real enigma when it comes to first round picks; especially after drafting Jordan Love a year ago with other glaring needs. Really, nothing is off the table.

Saying that, the Packers have moved up in the first round in each of the last 3 drafts and who says they don’t do it again!?

Green Bay has a desperate need at wide receiver. But the Packers don’t draft receivers in the first round, never mind trade up for one! The other obvious need is at cornerback. When you look at who is drafting around them (notably the Saints), do the Packers move up to get their guy?

If there’s one they really like they may have to. There are multiple teams around them who may have interest and jumping above them makes perfect sense.

What the Falcons do at #4 overall is a real mystery. With so many options on the table and so many differences of opinion, it’s safe to say no one really knows in what direction Atlanta go. And that includes Atlanta themselves. 

With new personnel in head coach Arthur Smith and GM Terry Fontenot, (who will be drafting for the first time) we really have no previous to go on. 

Stuck between playing for the now or planning for the future, the situation is a real quandary for the Falcons. They will need a quarterback in a couple of years time. Yes. Do they need help on defence also? Absolutely. 

Kyle Pitts. Penei Sewell. Quarterback. Trade down. So many options. 

If Atlanta decide to not draft a quarterback, it makes sense for them to trade out of this pick. A team will club together a load of picks that will include some future draft capital and Atlanta will still be in a great position. The sticking point? Atlanta don’t want to drop to far and if reports are correct, they want to stay in the top 10. 

Unfortunately for Atlanta, you can’t have it all ways, and what the #4 pick holds will not fix their problems. Juggling wanting to compete now but looking to the future is not easy. A real dilemma is occurring in Flowery Branch right now and it would be made a lot easier by a reasonable trade offer for the #4 pick. 

Who do you think will be looking to trade in the first round? Let us know over on Twitter @NinetynineYards and @Owain_Jones_ 

Ferature Image credit: @NFL