The NFL Draft is coming soon, and there's a lot of anticipation around the league. With a couple of high-profile stars still “available” for a trade, there's potential for this draft to be a bombastic affair. Even the teams at the top of the draft order have the potential to make some truly insane moves to shake up the scene.
Every NFL team coming into the Draft has some sort of plan for the next few days of selecting players. Let's take a look at some moves that will force every team in the league to change their approach for the rest of the offseason.
Lamar Jackson trade… to the Jets?!?!
At this point in the offseason, everyone and their mother knows believes that the New York Jets are on their way to acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. The QB has already made his intentions clear, and both sides are working on a deal for the star. There's been a couple of hiccups, though. Despite the mutual interest, Green Bay and New York are not seeing eye-to-eye on the terms of the deal. The threat of this trade suddenly collapsing still looms in the horizon.
If Lamar Jackson is traded to the New York Jets, that would mean that talks of an Aaron Rodgers trade completely collapsed. The Jets get still get the talented QB they so eagerly desire, but it suddenly opens up so many questions for the other teams during the NFL draft. Will the Packers scramble and still try to trade Aaron Rodgers to some other team? Will a different team swoop in and gamble for one year of Aaron Rodgers? Will A-Rod just retire on the spot?
To be clear, this hypothetical Lamar Jackson trade is a massive “if”, even bigger than what the Packers are demanding for Rodgers. A-Rod to the Jets is still the most likely option to happen during or after the NFL Draft, despite the hold-up. However, if we're talking about shock value and how big of an effect a trade will have on the league, Jackson to New York has the most potential. It suddenly screws up one team's plan and opens up avenues for other teams not previously in the mix to improve.
Patrick Mahomes gets a big-time weapon in D-Hop
Last season, Patrick Mahomes proved that he didn't need a superstar wide receiver to be the best in the league. Despite losing Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs star relied on Travis Kelce and their merry band of solid WRs to another Super Bowl win. This year, though, concerns about KC's receiver room are popping up, and these are legitimate issues.
Juju Smith-Schuster (arguably the best WR for the Chiefs last season) bolted for the Patriots. That leaves KC with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney. Toney has WR1 potential, but injuries are a real issue for him in his career. MVS is a good receiver, but is at his best at a supporting role. Yes, Kelce is effectively Mahomes' WR1, but having an elite option from the WR position would be a godsend for the Chiefs.
A DeAndre Hopkins trade to the Chiefs in the NFL Draft would absolutely break the league. Hopkins is being shipped by the Arizona Cardinals as they enter a rebuild. Even at 30 years old, D-Hop is still a top receiver in the league. In just nine games, the WR got over 700 yards for Arizona. Having him on the KC roster would just be absurd.
The King goes to Buffalo in the NFL Draft
Derrick Henry's trade availability has gone under the radar this offseason, which is surprising. Everyone is fixated on Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, and DeAndre Hopkins, after all. However, the Titans star RB would be a massive get for a team desperate for backfield help. With Tennessee looking to enter a rebuild, one team could swing for the King to help out their QB during the NFL Draft.
Despite the hype around the team, the Bills seemed to fall apart towards the end of the year. Some of that can be attributed to their rushing attack. Buffalo's ground game is basically just handing the ball to Josh Allen and praying it works. While it's effective, it also becomes predictable when used too often. There's a reason why this team has tried to find a solution to the RB woes for a long time.
The Bills executing a trade for Derrick Henry during the NFL Draft would be league-breaking, and for good reason. The King will be an instant upgrade for Buffalo at running back, and he'll open up more opportunities for Allen to dissect defenses. Henry's presence alone would be a terrifying sight for any defense: add Allen in the mix, and it wouldn't surprise me if DBs just start to run away when Buffalo goes for a run play.
Follow Us
Subscribe