The 2024 NFL Draft is about to happen. It is a glorious day when all our models are completely erased and all our preconceptions overturned. The draft is unpredictable, and one of the main reasons it is unpredictable is what movement will take place in the first round.
There will be exchanges in the first round. We just don’t know where and who will be involved. Many teams see the Minnesota Vikings trading up to sign a quarterback since they traded with the Houston Texans last month to acquire an additional first-round pick, but which teams could be looking to move down the draft board ? Let’s take a look at the five teams most likely to go down in the first round when the draft begins April 25 in Detroit.
I’ve been saying for a month now that the Chargers are the most fascinating team in the draft. You have to respect what Jim Harbaugh did throughout the preliminary process. He told everyone about his former quarterback JJ McCathy, declaring him the best signal-caller in this class. He also has riffed on the value of the offensive line at the league’s annual meeting, highlighting the fact that it is the only position group that does not depend on any other position group to be good, while all other position groups rely on it to be successful. In my mind, Harbaugh and the Chargers would like to move up from No. 5 overall.
It’s always difficult to decipher what’s true and what’s not when it comes to draft rumors, but perhaps McCarthy’s stock is soaring. If so, his college head coach could help ease his eventual landing spot.
The Chargers are the most “mocked” team to trade, but it could be the Cardinals who make the first trade of the night at No. 4 overall. Arizona could select a wideout to pair with Kyler Murray, but remember the Cards traded up last year from third overall. During a recent appearance on Arizona Sports’ “Bickley & Marotta,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is looking for a “Trey Lance” package to go down. There is no guarantee that Ossenfort will receive this offer, but it would be ideal.
“No. 4 is probably the pivot point because you want to get ahead of the New York Giants (No. 6) and you have to worry about the Denver Broncos (No. 12) and the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13), ” Miller said, via Arizona Sports. “You’re not just trading to get ahead of the Giants, you’re trading to make sure no one beats you in the draft.”
The Bears have the first pick in the draft, which they will surely use on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, but they also hold the 9th overall selection. Take into account that Chicago only has FOUR selections in the entire draft, meaning it would be wise to move up from No. 9 overall to acquire some additional ammunition. Still, that could depend on how the selection committee falls. If one or two of the Bears’ top targets are taken out by the No. 9 overall pick and Chicago considers the No. 9 selection too high to select one of the available offensive linemen, a trade could happen.
Here’s an interesting one. The Titans are certainly in the market for a left tackle, but if Joe Alt is selected ahead of their No. 7 pick, could Tennessee move down? The Titans don’t have a third-round pick, and already traded one of his seventh-round selections to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Leroy Watson. They currently hold just two selections in the top 105 picks. The Titans could be a potential destination for Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner, but depending on how the board falls early, Tennessee could consider moving down.
The Seahawks are expected to pick right in the middle of the first round at No. 16 overall. Depending on how the draft pans out with available offensive and defensive linemen at this point, Seattle could move down. The Seahawks only have two selections in the top 100 picks, so general manager John Schneider may be considering the possibility of acquiring more.