There could be one huge reason why fans will say they saw something they’d never seen before at the 2016 NFL draft.
It’s hard to imagine after 70 years that there could be anything that might happen in a draft that hasn’t before. The 2016 draft may prove that wrong. For all the amazing twists and turns that have happened every spring when teams go on the clock, from the upset picks to the controversial on-air moments, there has somehow never been an instance of this event happening.
Since 1936, there has never been an instance of both the #1 and #2 picks being traded during the NFL draft. Not once in seven decades. The closest it ever came was in 1983 when the Los Angeles Rams traded up from #3 to #2 in order to select SMU star Eric Dickerson. Then after the draft, the then-Baltimore Colts traded the #1 overall pick John Elway to the Denver Broncos.
So the streak remained intact because it didn’t occur during the draft. That, like the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, may finally see it come to end this landmark year given the increasing buzz that both the 1st and 2nd picks are very much up for grabs.
Titans GM: Trade 'interest has increased' for No. 1 pickhttps://t.co/3JKidbjPdA
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 7, 2016
#Browns willing to trade No. 2 overall pick (via @LanceZierlein)
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) April 12, 2016
--> https://t.co/yVMgD1XJGw #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/7PIcvpHvBM
The Tennessee Titans feel they have a stronger roster than their finish in 2015 would indicate. Since they have no need of a quarterback, moving down from #1 with a team that does makes perfect sense. As for the Cleveland Browns, they signed Robert Griffin III in free agency to ease their QB concerns and word is they’re comfortable waiting until the 2nd round to get another one. Given all of their roster holes, one can understand their desire for more picks.
With projections indicating that prices for moving up will be down, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a couple of teams venture the move to go get the best player on their board. Teams like Dallas, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Los Angeles all have a wealth of extra picks at their disposal and key needs that would demand such a maneuver. How much more exciting would things get if this happened?
In a word: lots.