Until the dust settles and the picks are announced, there’s going to be more questions than answers about what positions and players teams prioritize heading into the NFL draft.
But hey, that’s what mock drafts are for. In the meantime, let’s dive into some of the most intriguing questions still lingering heading into the draft, which begins April 23.
What will the Redskins do with the No. 2 overall pick?
With LSU quarterback Joe Burrow the presumptive No. 1 overall pick to the Bengals, the Redskins are presented with a few interesting choices: take superstar pass rusher Chase Young, select Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or trade the pick for a haul of assets to kickstart the rebuild under new coach Ron Rivera.
The Dolphins, one of the team’s possibly interested in Tagovailoa, have picks Nos. 5, 18, 26, 39 and 56 in the first two rounds. Washington could demand two first-round picks and a second-round selection for the rights to No. 2, giving the franchise as many as three picks in the top 60. Without a trade, the Redskins would have to wait until No. 66 to make another selection.
With left tackle Trent Williams likely to be traded, cornerback Quinton Dunbar already shipped off to Seattle and a severe lack of weapons around quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Washington has plenty of holes. Young might become the league’s best pass rusher, but he alone can’t fix a woeful secondary or catch passes for an offense that ranked 30th in efficiency last season (as fun as that would be).
In a hypothetical trade with the Dolphins, the Redskins could end up with a plug-and-play tackle at No. 5 (Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills Jr. or Andrew Thomas), a dynamic receiver (Brandon Aiyuk, Jalen Reagor, Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault Jr.) or talented cornerback (Kristian Fulton, Jaylon Johnson, Jeff Gladney, Trevon Diggs, A.J. Terrell) at No. 26 and a pass-catching tight end at No. 56 (Adam Trautman, Cole Kmet, Harrison Bryant, Albert Okwuebunam). That just might be the better path.
Where will the other quarterbacks end up after Burrow goes No. 1?
The answer to that question has a lot to do with what the Redskins, Lions and Giants, teams already invested in their quarterbacks, decide to do with their top-four picks. With Washington likely to take Young, the Lions heavily linked to cornerback Jeff Okudah and the Giants eyeing an offensive tackle or a defensive playmaker, there might not be any drama early in the draft.
If that’s the case, the run on quarterbacks probably begins with the Dolphins at No. 5 and the Chargers at No. 6.
But is there a team lurking in the shadows ready to pounce? The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders each have two first-round picks, enough ammunition to trade up inside the top four, according to the draft value chart. Will that scare the Dolphins and Chargers into trading up a few spots to land their quarterback of choice?
Once the dust settles after any trades, it’s uncertain which quarterbacks come off the board first. Has Tagovailoa done enough to prove he’s fully recovered from his hip injury? Is Justin Herbert’s athleticism and arm strength tantalizing enough for teams to trade up for him? Will teams fall in love with — ahem — Jordan Love’s raw talent?
There’s a good chance four quarterbacks get picked in the top 10, and with the Patriots possibly looking for a young prospect and the Saints, Packers, Colts, Bears and Steelers perhaps considering making a move to land a successor to their quarterbacks, there could be some surprising picks on Day One.
How many receivers come off the board in the first two rounds?
Much has been said about the historic depth of this year’s receiver class, which might have as many as 25 prospects worthy of being picked in the first two rounds. How that shakes out might change what teams decide to do as the draft progresses.
It’s an interesting thought exercise. Will the abundance of talent convince teams to pick a top prospect early for fear of missing out as receivers fly off the board, or will teams be content to wait knowing that a solid receiver will still be available in the third, fourth or even fifth round?
Take a team like the Ravens, for example. With three picks in the top 60, they’re assured of having a chance to pick a highly rated receiver. But with two picks in the third round and another two in the fourth, might it be prudent to stock up on other positions of need or take the best player available before committing to a receiver?
Like in every draft, there are going to be early-round busts and late-round gems. The patient teams might end up regretting missing out on a game-changing talent, but they might also wind up with a receiver just as productive in the later rounds and a few more playmakers on offense and defense to show for it.
How many running backs get picked in the first two rounds?
Say what you want about the value of running backs, but plenty of teams would like to make an upgrade at the position heading into the draft. And with a talented top tier of ball carriers, we might see a few teams invest in the position early.
Assuming the Dolphins keep their three first-round picks, it seems likely that they’ll use one on a running back, considering the lack of depth behind Jordan Howard, who himself got just a two-year deal and is on his third team in five seasons. The Buccaneers might be looking for a pass-catching running back to put next to Tom Brady, while run-heavy teams like the Ravens, Titans and Seahawks might be tempted to bolster their depth in the backfield. Even the Chiefs, who won a Super Bowl with Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, might want an upgrade.
At a certain point, players such as Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins might be undervalued, especially if they slip into the second round. Even someone like LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who won’t impress teams with his physical traits, or Memphis’ Antonio Gibson, who played more slot receiver than running back, could end up being a valuable part of one of the league’s best offenses.
How aggressive will contending teams be in pursuit of immediate upgrades?
No team is ever “a player away” from becoming a Super Bowl contender, but the best teams usually have only a few holes to fill. And when those teams have quarterbacks on rookie deals, the pressure is amplified to improve the roster while the quarterback is still on a cheap contract.
The Ravens, Bills, Texans, Browns and Cowboys fall into this category, though Dallas is paying Dak Prescott $28 million this season on the franchise tag while he awaits a new deal.
The Ravens, with five selections in the top 106, have the most valuable draft picks of that group, and can trade up in the first round for a player they covet without leaving themselves thin. That’s the advantage of picking up third- and fourth-round compensatory picks and trading a backup tight end (Hayden Hurst) for a second-rounder. The Ravens can wait it out and use that treasure trove of picks to bolster an already talented roster, or they could take a swing for a dynamic pass-rusher like LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson or a game-breaking receiver like Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs III. That flexibility puts them in an envious position.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bills and Texans trading back into the first round for a player they like. Even teams with highly paid veteran quarterbacks, such as the Saints, Buccaneers, Packers and Colts, might be motivated to fix their biggest weaknesses with a top prospect outside their range. The 2017 Saints, coming off an 11-5 season and a division title, moved up from No. 27 to No. 14 to pick edge rusher Marcus Davenport, trading away a future first-round pick in the process. More recently, in 2019, the Steelers gave up the No. 20 pick, a second-round pick and a third-rounder to select linebacker Devin Bush at No. 10.
Those types of aggressive deals happen every year. It will be fascinating to see which teams make them.
