The 2017 NFL Draft Trade That Makes The Most Sense
By Erik Lambert
The 2017 NFL draft is a weird beast. No, seriously it is a raging torrent of unknowns. Normally by now the #1 pick seems set, but even that is questionable.
People can thank the Cleveland Browns for this. Though defensive end Myles Garrett looks like he’s head and shoulders above other prospects in terms of talent, there are rumors of a rift in the Browns hierarchy regarding whether they should take him or a the best quarterback on their board. QB is easily their biggest need, but can they really justify passing on a once-in-a-decade talent like Garrett? This is a big reason why draft trade rumors have intensified.
Peter King of the MMQB believes that that the San Francisco 49ers are the most active team in the top five trying to trade down. GM John Lynch even said they’re “open for business.” The tricky part for them is finding an interested team willing to move up. King and others only see one team standing out the most as a potential taker, and that’s the Cleveland Browns.
"“Teams that want to trade back up. Cleveland at 12, if the Browns take Garrett number one (most likely scenario) and want to use their treasure trove of picks (12, 33, 52, 65, 108 this year, with a first- and three second-round picks next year) to move up from 12 to, say, 2, to ensure getting the quarterback they want. Spitballing only: But Cleveland from 12 to two makes a lot of sense. This would allow the Niners to still get a good player at 12 (Solomon Thomas? Christian McCaffrey? Mike Williams?), as well as Cleveland’s one next year and at least one other prominent pick.”"
This maneuver makes more sense than any other trade scenario in the draft. Not only does Cleveland have the extra picks to make such a deal, they also have the need. They would be able to get the franchise pass rusher at #1, something they haven’t had in decades. Then they could jump right back up at an affordable price to be guaranteed their quarterback of choice rather than settling for who’s available were they to stay at #12.
Related Story: The Root Cause of Cleveland Browns Hierarchy Rift Is Obvious
What spurs this rumor further is the growing belief that the Chicago Bears, who sit at #3 overall, are eyeing quarterbacks heavily. Word is they’re likely to take one with Mitch Trubisky and Deshaun Watson being the two names that pop up most. This lingering threat is impossible to ignore. The only way the Browns can be sure their preferred QB doesn’t end up a Bear is by jumping ahead of them at #2. Hence why this scenario has the most believability.