The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, and the only thing we can expect is the unexpected. Some prospects will go higher than expected, and there should be plenty of trades on opening night that will absolutely tear apart any mock draft.
Last year, the Houston Texans moved up to No. 3 overall, where they selected eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., right after selecting eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud. We also saw the Chicago Bears skip the selection of defensive tackle Jalen Carter to grab a future fourth-round pick and move down one spot, where they selected offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
Which teams will be looking to travel next week? Let’s take a look at the five teams most likely to trade in the 2024 NFL Draft.
When the Vikings I made an exchange with the Texans a month ago, the conclusion everyone seemingly came to was that Minnesota was going to be aggressive when it came to acquiring a quarterback on opening night.
Minnesota acquired the No. 23 overall pick and the No. 232 pick, while sending the No. 42 and No. 188 overall picks to Houston in addition to another second-round pick in 2025. The Vikings now have two first-round picks, but none. pick in the second or third round. But they are expected to make progress on their quarterback. In fact, every one of our CBS Sports NFL Draft Expert Mocks currently has the Vikings trading for a quarterback, whether it’s Michigan’s JJ McCarthy or North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
The Giants are in a fascinating position. At No. 6 overall, they could draft a quarterback or stud to help Daniel Jones.
Giants owner John Mara said he still has “a lot of confidence” in Jones, but he I’m not going to stop his front office to take a quarterback or even trade one if they absolutely fall in love with said quarterback. Whether the top three picks are set in stone or not, it appears the Giants will have to trade for one of the top four quarterbacks. Caleb Williams, Maye and Jayden Daniels could go in some 1-2-3 order, and then the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers could trade up, allowing another team in need to take, say, McCarthy. If the Giants have indeed fallen in love with one of these quarterbacks, it appears they will have to trade up.
The Raiders are another team that would like to bring in their new franchise quarterback. Remember, Antonio Pierce has known Daniels since their days together at Arizona State. It’s going to be tough to trade with three quarterback-needy teams heading into the draft, and the Vikings hold that extra first-round pick to use. But that doesn’t mean the Raiders are out of the picture.
It’s unclear how much the Vikings or Raiders like McCarthy, for example. We also don’t know how willing the Raiders are to mortgage the future of a new quarterback. It’s also not ideal for Vegas to select right behind rival Denver, who could also draft a quarterback. Could the Raiders make a small trade for someone like Michael Penix Jr.?
Let’s bring a team here that doesn’t need a quarterback. Von Miller recently posted a video on social media stating that he would like general manager Brandon Beane trade and draft wide receiver. After all, Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs to Houston earlier this offseason. We can’t necessarily envision Buffalo taking a first-round move, but if they want to, a trade up from No. 28 is very possible if the Bills want someone like Brian Thomas Jr. instead of Adonai Mitchell or Xavier Worthy.
Here’s another quarterback team in need. Russell Wilson’s investment hasn’t paid off, and Sean Payton will only succeed in Denver if he can find a quarterback he feels comfortable running his system. Who will it be? Will Jarrett Stidham have a chance to fight for the QB1 spot? Will Denver add a veteran like Ryan Tannehill? Or maybe the Broncos get aggressive and find a way to trade for their new starting quarterback.
Denver, at 12th overall, has absolutely no need to trade for a quarterback. It could take Penix or Bo Nix. Although it doesn’t seem like many experts consider these two players to be top 12 picks. The Broncos could trade up and play for one of these players later in the first round, but general manager George Paton and Payton could also get aggressive and trade for a signal-caller like McCarthy or Maye.