Draft Day Trades That Could and Should Happen

Day one of the NFL draft is truly a spectacle unlike any other.

In no other sport is there such massive buzz around their respective draft, and it’s gotten to a point now where it’s almost as big of an event as the Super Bowl.

With the show-stopping excitement and unpredictability comes the always wild, and usually unexpected, first round trades that cause every mock draft to be tossed in the garbage.

Rumors fly and smokescreen season is in full effect each year in regards to potential moves that teams are hoping to make to move up or down to select player X or Y, with very few of them actually coming to fruition.

These four trades though are ones that these respective teams could — and absolutely should — make.

4. Rams trade into the teens or 20’s to select Corey Davis or John Ross

This might be a tough one to swing given the Rams’ lack of significant draft capital, but it’s one they should attempt to make nonetheless. Los Angeles needs playmakers to help out Todd Gurley and young QB Jared Goff — Tavon Austin and Robert Woods just aren’t going to cut it.

Trading into the first would cause the Rams to give up a multitude of their few mid-round picks, but getting a talent like Corey Davis or John Ross would immediately give LA a dynamic, young pass catcher for Goff to grow with and for new head coach Sean McVay to play around with offensively. Sure, the Rams have plenty of needs to address, but this would go a long way in putting a competitive team back on the field.

3. Seahawks trade Richard Sherman and 3 (90) to the Colts for 1 (15) and 4 (121)

Apparently the Richard Sherman trade talks are all but moot now, but don’t let that kind of draft chatter fool you. Once Thursday hits all bets are off, and this would be a whopper of a deal where Seattle moves up to the mid-teens and unloads Sherman to Indy.

The move makes sense for both sides. Seattle would rid themselves of the Sherman contract and leap frog the plethora of tackle and cornerback needy teams to essentially have their pick of players like Garrett Boles, Cam Robinson and Marlon Humphrey. For Indianapolis, they get a lockdown corner to help out the oft-injured Vontae Davis and immediately boost a defense that needs help everywhere. The throw-in compensation and picks might be up in the air, but the crux of this deal is certainly plausible.

2. Panthers trade back to 10–15 range, then back into the first round

The Panthers have been an interesting team to follow in this year’s draft process. With the eighth overall pick, they have a chance to add an immediate playmaker to an already rather talented roster. Much of the attention on Carolina has revolved around running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey and at this point, signs and reports are pointing to one or the other being the pick if they stand pat at eight.

But what they could do instead is try to gamble that one of these players will still be available if they move back a couple slots. In doing so, the Panthers could gain an extra pick or two and still secure a player they have high on their board. They then could — and should — use the multitude of top 100 picks they have to trade back into the first round and either grab another offensive threat like tight end David Njoku or a pass rusher of the future like Takkarist McKinley. Whatever direction things go, a move back then another one up would be a solid move for the Panthers.

1. Browns trade 1 (12), 2 (52), 4 (142) & a 1 in 2018 to the 49ers for 1 (2) and 5 (161).

This move has to happen. It just has to. For the longest time, the Browns were essentially locked in on Myles Garrett with the first overall pick but the last few weeks have seen reports fly that they are debating using that selection on North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky. So instead of making a decision that would likely end in total Browns-ian fashion, Cleveland should throw the kitchen sink and any of their million draft picks at San Fran to grab the number two pick and get both players back-to-back.

The Browns can absolutely afford the move with the draft capital they have, and neither player is really one they can stand to lose out on; especially if Hue Jackson thinks as highly of Trubisky as has been reported. This way, Cleveland gets both a generational pass rusher and the (possible) QB of the future they so desperately need. Somehow the Browns would find a way to screw this up so instead of overthinking it and trying to draft and keep a dozen players, they need to do whatever they can to make this trade happen and get their top two.