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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Draft day has finally arrived, football fans! The NFL’s annual rookie selection process is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET, and plenty of excitement will follow.
This year’s edition of the draft is going to be wild—and not just because of its unique “virtual” format. There is a ton of unpredictability surrounding the first round. It’s impossible to know who will be selected after the first couple of picks, which teams will be doing the selecting or which veteran players could be part of trade packages.
Jacksonville Jaguars pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, for example, has practically been begging to be traded and could be part of a draft-day deal.
Yannick Ngakoue @YannickNgakoue
To my new future team whomever it may be. I can’t wait to bring great discipline, integrity, and work ethic to that new city. Wherever I may land your going to get the hardest working defensive end in the league !🏁
The four-year veteran was given the franchise tag this offseason and has made it clear that he isn’t happy with the situation. As a young and productive pass-rusher—he’s just 25 and has 37.5 sacks in four seasons—Ngakoue should be able to net Jacksonville some real value in a draft-day trade.
According to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com, Jacksonville may have a trade lined up with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have offered the 19th pick in the draft, while the Jaguars are seeking the 12th overall selection.
Jacksonville would be wise to take what it can get.
“Sources say they don’t believe the Jaguars will get a better offer than a late top-20 pick, as Ngakoue has already stated that he won’t sign an extension with Jacksonville,” Campbell wrote. “Those team staffers feel that the Jaguars could come around to doing the trade for the 19th pick because Ngakoue has painted them into a corner.”
The 12th pick is probably too rich for the Raiders, who may be after one of the top wide receivers in this year’s draft. If they can secure that wideout, then the 19th pick would be reasonable. Las Vegas needs to bolster its pass rush, and Ngakoue is a proven commodity.
Dolphins Looking to Move Up
Another trade we could see on opening night will involve the Miami Dolphins. Miami owns three first-round selections, including the fifth overall pick, but is looking to move up.
On the surface, it might feel like the Dolphins are leveraging for a quarterback, either Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
However, they’re actually looking to grab the top offensive tackle in the draft, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport:
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
Sources: The #Dolphins have called the teams in front of them for a possible trade up from No. 5 and are gauging the price to come up to No. 3 to potentially take an offensive tackle. We could see a run on tackles in the Top 10 like never before.
For this move to make sense, Miami would have to be convinced that its tackle of choice will be off the board before the fifth pick. With Joe Burrow and Chase Young widely expected to go one and two, this means that either the Detroit Lions or New York Giants would have to take said tackle—at three and four, respectively.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are looking to get Detroit’s No. 3 pick without giving up the fifth overall selection.
Theoretically, this is possible, as Miami could package the 18th and 26th picks with perhaps some more compensation included. However, the Lions are planning on moving down to the No. 5 pick, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald:
Armando Salguero @ArmandoSalguero
One final thing on the Dolphins-Detroit trade situation. I’ve been told tonight by person familiar with what Lions are thinking that they are making plans for having the No. 5 overall selection tomorrow night — Miami’s first scheduled pick of the draft tomorrow.
It appears that some sort of deal involving the Lions and the Dolphins will get done. The question is whether Miami is really seeking an offensive tackle or is playing coy about its plans for a quarterback.
Giants Could Be a Wild Card
If the Dolphins are sneakily targeting a quarterback—their “interest” in a tackle could be a ploy to keep quarterback-needy teams from approaching the Lions—they could be worried about the Giants dealing their selection.
By moving to three, Miami should have its choice of players not named Burrow or Young.
However, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has a history of not trading down in the first round. In fact, he’s never done it. While that may hold true in 2020, it won’t be for a lack of trying.
“They desperately want someone to trade up, but the interest just isn’t there,” one NFL talent evaluator said, per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.
New York could also be the wild card of the early first round because it may take a player no one is expecting.
“If I know anything about Dave Gettleman, it is that he’s very tight-lipped,” the one general manager said, per Lombardo. “I’m fully expecting him to take someone nobody expects him to.”
Expect the top of Round 1 to be dripping with drama on draft night.
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