NFL Draft 2021: Blockbuster trades that would shake up the first round
Green Bay lands a stud right tackle
Once again, the Green Bay Packers dominated the NFC and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game to be defeated and fall just short of the Super Bowl. It is astounding that Green Bay was able to return to the NFC Championship for the second year in a row (third time since 2016) without any major contribution from their most recent draft class.
The Packers decided to draft for the future in the 2020 NFL Draft. They added Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, Boston College running back A.J. Dillon, and Cincinnati blocking tight end/fullback Josiah Deguara with their first three selections in last year’s NFL Draft. None of them had any major contributions to the Packers as a whole this past season.
If they want to take advantage of the fact that Aaron Rodgers is still in his prime and capable of playing at an MVP level, they need to possibly sacrifice future assets in order to win now. Green Bay should look into trading up in the first round and grabbing one of the tackles that will likely be selected in the middle of the round. After David Bakhtiari’s season-ending injury in Week 17, the Packers’ offensive line had a major drop-off, especially in the NFC Championship game where they gave up five sacks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A discrete need for Green Bay is for a bookend tackle to put on the right side opposite Bakhtiari. Last offseason, Green Bay lost Bryan Bulaga in free agency and relied on Ricky Wagner and Billy Turner to fill the void last season. Wagner was released before the start of the offseason and Turner is better of starting on the interior at right guard moving Elgton Jenkins to center.
The best pure right tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft is Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins. Despite many viewing him as a versatile player who could play guard or either tackle spot, Jenkins prefers to play right tackle. He is a mauler who teams can feel comfortable running behind.
Many believe Jenkins is a boom or bust prospect, but if he hits, he could become one of the best run-blocking right tackles in the league. Solidifying the offensive line would ensure Green Bay is in a position to return to the NFC Championship next season and beyond that. But in order to land Jenkins, Green Bay may have to move up into the late teens or early 20s. The prime position would be to pick before division rival Chicago Bears who also have a need at right tackle.
Green Bay would have to be willing to part with future picks to grab Jenkins. But they should feel more comfortable moving their future draft capital because they will likely trade away Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love to a quarterback-needy team within the next year or two. An Aaron Rodgers blockbuster would likely net Green Bay multiple first-round picks and possibly a few starting players. Even if Green Bay wants to commit to Rodgers and move Love, the 2020 first-round pick would at least earn Green Bay a second-round pick and a Day 3 selection.
Washington is a sneaky team to trade back in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. This is because outside of a long-term answer at quarterback, they have a pretty complete roster. Washington could (and likely will) try to trade up into the top 10 to get their quarterback of the future. However, it is unlikely that a team in the top 10 will be willing to move down to pick No. 19.
By moving back, Washington could add future assets to prepare to make a move for a long-term quarterback next offseason. They are going to need to package a bunch of future assets in order to get their quarterback of the future because they are expected to be competitive and be the favorites to win the NFC East again next year.
Moving back to Green Bay’s pick in the first round, Washington could still address their biggest need for a left tackle by taking Samuel Cosmi out of Texas. He is believed to be a borderline first-round prospect, but Cosmi could be taken in the 20s by a team desperate for a left tackle. Washington would get a solid starter at left tackle and an upgrade over Geron Christian, Saahdiq Charles, and Cornelius Lucas who are expected to compete for the starting left tackle job in training camp.