What Went Down?
What Went Down
Five years ago, we saw two trades in a matter of six days in which we saw the first and second overall picks get traded just weeks before the NFL Draft. Today, while it wasn’t the very top of the Draft, we saw two trades involving top 6 picks in less than an hour.
First, the Miami Dolphins traded pick #3 to the San Francisco 49ers for pick #12, 1st and 3rd round picks in 2022, and a 1st round pick in 2023. The pick that Miami traded away was the pick they acquired in the Laremy Tunsil trade to the Houston Texans. They turned one player into four 1st round and one 3rd round selections.
San Francisco has been very upfront about being happy with Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback this fall. This move feels like the type of move a team makes when they are making a move for a quarterback. Trevor Lawrence is the presumed first overall pick to Jacksonville. The Jets have been rumored to be interested in a quarterback at #2. Which meant the 49ers felt they had to jump teams like Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Carolina to secure the signal caller they desire.
It turns out that Miami wasn’t done trading. They packaged the #12 pick they just acquired from San Francisco with their 4th round pick and their own 1st round pick in 2022 to the Philadelphia Eagles for the #6 pick and a 5th rounder. There’s now an increased chance that quarterbacks will now go 1-4. Cincinnati will most likely lock up top offensive tackle Penei Sewell. Which means the Dolphins will have their choice at which wide receiver they have atop their board. Most draftniks have LSU wideout Ja’marr Chase linked to Miami. The idea of reuniting QB Tua Tagovailoa with Alabama teammates Devonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle are certainly on the table.
Word is that Philadelphia was trying to trade up to #3 to select a quarterback. But after San Francisco made the deal the Eagles weren’t ready to make, Philly decided that trading back and acquiring future picks was the right move for the franchise.
Initial Reaction
With all the craziness, the Draft is still in the hands of the Jets. Though, to me, San Francisco moving up to #3 means that they are comfortable with either Zach Wilson or Justin Fields eventually taking over the reigns in Silicon Valley. Fields has been linked to the Atlanta Falcons, who play in his backyard. Though with Matt Ryan still at the helm, bringing in someone like Trey Lance, who may be the furthest from starting, might be their best plan of action. This is also the best case scenario for the Bengals who have been clamoring over Penei Sewell for quite some time. My gut reaction top 6:
- Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence
- Jets – Zach Wilson
- 49ers – Justin Fields
- Falcons – Trey Lance
- Bengals – Penei Sewell
- Dolphins – Ja’marr Chase
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