Five teams the Broncos could call if they want to trade up
Apr 15, 2020, 6:48 AM
The NFL Draft is about a week away, and we should see things heat up over that time. General managers everywhere are trying to find the best value for their picks. That means teams are likely going to move around in the draft, and those moves could come in hot and heavy once the draft begins on Thursday April 23.
The Broncos may be interested in moving up in the draft. They have the No. 15 overall pick, but some of the talent they covet could be gone by that time.
Earlier this week, Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated highlighted that the Broncos are one of three teams who want to move up in the first round the most. He reported that the Broncos, Falcons and Buccaneers are looking to move up for help at offensive tackle.
Moving up for a tackle, inside linebacker or wide receiver is not out of the question for the Broncos. There are going to be runs on talent in this draft before the Broncos pick, and that could dry up the talent pool so much so that Denver’s top target is no longer on the board. This could prompt general manager John Elway to utilize some of the draft capital (five picks in the first three rounds) to move around in the draft.
Here are the five teams the Broncos could most likely trade up with.
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5. San Francisco 49ers | No. 13
I think the 49ers and Broncos would be more likely to deal with the No. 31 overall pick rather than this pick, but let’s consider this move. The 49ers traded the Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner for this pick, and I think they are targeting a wide receiver here in this position. There is going to be a run on the position with the “big three” at the position being Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) and Henry Ruggs III (Alabama). The 49ers are in range for one of these receivers, so trading back may not be something the Broncos could do for a “regular” price.
Per the draft value trade chart, a move from 15 to 13 is worth roughly 100 points – the equivalent of an early fourth-round pick. This seems like a move the Broncos could do, so long as the 49ers believed the player they wanted would still be there two picks later. That likely means the Broncos could not trade up for a wide receiver as the 49ers would not want a potential starter taken by Denver just for a day-three pick. An agreement about who the Broncos would be getting would have to be in place before any such deal could occur.
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4. Detroit Lions | No.3
It would be a huge jump for the Broncos to move up 12 picks. The Lions have been not-so-quietly shopping this pick for some time. When there was a hotter quarterback frenzy, I thought for sure that some QB-needy team would make a move with the Lions. Perhaps that has yet to come to fruition, or perhaps their asking price is just too much. The move to No. 3 overall would be a power move by John Elway and it would mean there’s a player that Denver simply have to have.
This type of move would require multiple premium picks to be exchanged, even moving into next year’s draft. Well, if this move was for someone like Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah or Clemson inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons then the price tag would be worth it.
According to the draft value chart, almost 1,200 points is the difference. That alone is worth the price of a top-10 first-round pick. Since the Broncos would be unlikely to be in the top 10 next year, they’d have to include multiple premium picks this year and perhaps even one or two in future drafts. It’s interesting to consider but at the end of the day, the Broncos are highly unlikely to make this huge move.
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3. Jacksonville Jaguars | No. 9
It’s no secret that the Jaguars want to move out of this pick. The team has a ton of work to do in order to upgrade the roster, and they need as many draft picks as possible to do that. They may be moving forward with second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew and that means the Jaguars will not be in the market for a quarterback with that top-10 pick.
The No. 9 overall pick is worth 1,350 points according to the draft value trade chart. The Broncos pick at 15 is worth 1,050 points, making a difference of 300 points that needs to be made up just to get a deal close. That is the equivalent of a late second-round pick. The Broncos have a mid second-round pick, so that means there would have to be another exchange in order to make this fair.
If there is a bidding war for this pick, something the Jaguars would love, then Denver – or any other team – is going to have to overpay to get this pick.
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2. Arizona Cardinals | No.8
The Cardinals took care of a huge need at the wide receiver position when they traded the Texans for superstar DeAndre Hopkins. Most every mock draft under the sun had the Cardinals selecting one of the top wide receivers with that No. 8 pick. Now, the team can turn their attention to other spots – perhaps on the offensive line which would make them less likely to move back with the Broncos. However, if Denver tossed them an offer they could not refuse then perhaps they’d change their tune.
Moving up that far would cost roughly the price of a second-round pick near the middle – right where the Broncos selection is. To move up to No.8 the Broncos would have to give up the No. 15 overall pick and the No. 46 overall pick. That may sound like a lot, but if the Broncos identify a player they cannot do without then I say go for it.
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1. Cleveland Browns | No.10
The Browns might want to move back in the 2020 NFL Draft. They have had an active offseason and are doing their best to put the best weapons around quarterback Baker Mayfield. They signed the most expensive free agent tight end on the market, Austin Hooper, and the Browns made a strong move to upgrade the offensive line when they signed free agent offensive tackle Jack Conklin.
They could move back because of how active they’ve been in free agency. Adding more draft capital could help them get a stockpile of picks to add more players for depth.
The draft value trade chart ranks the move from 15 up to 10 as worth 250 points. That is the equivalent of an early third-round pick. The Broncos have three third-round picks this year, so surrendering one of those picks is not too far out of the question. A move to No.10 overall could get them someone like Andrew Thomas, offensive tackle from Georgia.
