NFL Draft 2021: Blockbuster trades that would shake up the first round
Tampa Bay takes a chance on a top 10 talent
One of the hardest teams to figure out when creating mock drafts are the reigning Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That is because they are the first team in NFL history to retain all 22 of their starters on offense and defense after winning the Super Bowl. This allows Tampa Bay to look ahead towards needs that could come up in the future or take the best player available. But what if Tampa Bay traded up in order to add a near-elite talent whose stock fell due to health issues?
The player that Tampa Bay should trade up to grab is Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. Once considered a likely top 10 pick, Farley’s draft stock fell after it was announced that he would be unable to perform at his pro day due to his second back surgery in two seasons.
Since Tampa Bay does not have any major needs, they could afford to take a chance on a player like Farley. The Buccaneers do not need to add a cornerback early in the draft after how Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, and Sean Murphy-Buting played last season. But next offseason, Davis will be a free agent along with multiple star players on this team. Getting Farley could allow the team to let Davis walk in free agency if they could not afford to retain him.
Many feel they should take an edge rusher with pick No. 32, but they do not have a pressing need at the position either after Shaquil Barrett resigned long term and Jason Pierre-Paul will be with the team for at least another season. Also, the Buccaneers do have a slight need at wide receiver since Antonio Brown has not been re-signed (yet) and Chris Godwin will be playing next season on the franchise tag. But the Buccaneers could wait till the middle rounds of the draft to take a receiver because of the depth of the position in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers should risk trading their first two selections for Farley because he has a much higher upside than any player that will be available at pick No. 32. Farley can become a much better pro than Elijah Moore or Joe Tryon who could likely be the best players available at the Buccaneers position of need.
The Colts would be a perfect trade partner for Tampa Bay for a few reasons. The first reason is that the Colts have not selected in the first round since they took Quenton Nelson sixth overall in 2018 because they have traded out of the first round every year since. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has accumulated five second-round picks over the last two drafts. If Indianapolis trades out of the first round this year, it could be four straight seasons that the team doesn’t pick in the first round as long as Carson Wetz plays 75% of the team’s snaps (or 70% of the team’s snaps and the Colts make the playoffs.
Secondly, the Colts would be a great trade partner for the Buccaneers because there likely will not be great value at the team’s number one need left tackle. Indianapolis lost Anthony Costanzo due to retirement and has signed Sam Tevi and Julien Davenport to fill the void. Chris Ballard has addressed that the team would like to address left tackle during the NFL Draft, but will not force a pick at that position.
If Christian Darrisaw is off the board by pick No. 21, the Colts should move back. Even if they wanted to address their need for an edge rusher in the first round, they could get similar value at the end of the first round or beginning of the second round.
If Indianapolis trades back with Tampa Bay and acquires Tampa Bay’s first two selections, two players they could target are Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon and Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo. Tryon could be selected between the late first round and early second round depending on the preference of edge rushers the teams in that range like. He would be a better fit in a 3-4 scheme coming off the edge, but he is capable of playing 4-3 defensive end much like Justin Houston did when he arrived in Indianapolis two seasons ago.
Adebo could have been a first-round pick this year if he didn’t opt-out. But since he only has 22 games of college football playing time under his belt, he will likely drop to Day 2, despite playing very well during his time at Stanford.
Both Tryon and Adebo feel like prospects Chris Ballard would covet. Tryon and Adebo can contribute right away for the Colts defense, but are also viewed as raw players who have room to grow to become high-quality starters for them. Tryon could see a majority of the snaps at right defensive end for the Colts this season while Adebo pushes Xavier Rhodes for his starting job and could eventually replace him when his contract is up the following season.