26Apr
NFL SUMMARY-UPDATE:
Draft-day chaos can leave a lasting impression, and trades can provide it. There are several reasons we could see multiple first-round trades next week.
For one, teams have become more comfortable with moving around in the first round. We saw nine trades during the first round of the 2022 draft and six draft-day trades last year. We've already seen one trade of draft picks, as the Vikings acquired the 23rd pick and a 2024 seventh-rounder from the Houston Texans for 2024 second- and sixth-round picks and a 2025 second-round selection.
We could see other teams look to move out of the first round because there isn't a huge difference in the talent level of late-first-round prospects and Day 2 players this year—which might explain Houston's willingness to trade out.
"The Houston Texans took note and said, 'Let's get a free future second-rounder and still land the same caliber of prospect this year,'" Brent Sobleski of the XQT - Simplified Sports scouting Department posted on X after the Texans-Vikings trade.
Additionally, with a shortage of legitimate first-round-caliber defenders, we might see teams maneuvering to fill needs on that side of the ball. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles or Baltimore Ravens, for example, might be willing to jump another team for a prospect like Alabama corner Terrion Arnold or UCLA edge-rusher Laiatu Latu.
We could also see teams move up for pass-catchers like Harrison, LSU's Malik Nabers or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, depending on how their individual boards align.
All of this is on top of the aforementioned quarterback market, which could see teams trading both at the top and the bottom of Round 1. Tracking all the movement could become a dizzying affair, one that leaves an enduring memory for draft-day diehards.
As previously noted, Day 2 is likely to feature a lot of quality talent this year. According to the Scouting Department, the grade range for potential starters and potential impact players (grades of 7.0-7.9) runs from the 23rd-ranked prospect (Georgia OT Amarius Mims) to the 87th (Kansas edge Austin Booker).
There are a couple of reasons this is noteworthy. For one, it means we could see a ton of future stars come out of the 2024 class. That includes quarterbacks like Williams and receivers like Harrison but also Day 2 prospects like Texas running back Jonathon Brooks and Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
That aforementioned '83 draft featured a lot of talent after Round 1, including Pro Bowlers like Wes Hopkins, Roger Craig, Bill Pickel and Albert Lewis. The large number of quality players combined with 1983's Hall of Famers created arguably the most impactful draft in league history.
While the 2024 draft might not yield 40-plus Pro Bowlers, it might have a substantial impact on the not-too-distant future of the NFL and this year could set a new bench mark.
