Tony Schultz’s NFL Draft Shockers
The best thing about the draft is the complete unknown. All the mock drafts on NFL Network, ESPN, and several people’s basements can be thrown into a spin with one surprise pick or trade.
Tony Schultz’s NFL Draft Shockers
Some drafts go smoother than others and stay pretty on par with the picks that folks suspect, but this week is starting to heat up with trade rumors and players picked unexpectedly bubbling to the surface. I will give a stab at some shockers that may happen this weekend that will have our tongues wagging until the season kicks off.
Chicago Trades Up in Round 1
Chicago and Las Vegas have been mentioned as landing spots for Ashton Jeanty, the best running back in this year’s draft. He would immediately make either team better.
The Raiders need him to team up with Geno Smith in the backfield and take pressure off him so he can distribute the ball to Brock Bowers et al. Pete Carroll loves his premier running backs, too, and with him coaching, I feel like Smith is a temporary placeholder until they can draft their quarterback of the future. Having a solid run game will make that team a comfortable landing spot. With the Bears, though, he would be more effective joining a team with a strengthened offensive line and a young quarterback in Caleb Williams.
Add in new Head Coach Ben Johnson, who has a highly creative offensive mind. The Bears trade up with the Jaguars and give them their extra 2nd round pick to do it and add Jeanty to their backfield. The Jaguars still get Mason Graham, and everyone looks smart.
Shedeur Sanders Falls to the 20s
While Sanders is one of the top quarterbacks in this draft, he is not necessarily a lock to make it in the top 5. There seems to be a ton of discussions around him with his skills and how he was treated while in college.
Most say he is more of a pocket passer than an athletic escape artist who can create on the run. Add to that, he doesn’t have an elite arm strength-wise. While a few teams near the top could snag him, like the Giants, they added players in free agency and may feel comfortable drafting another position and waiting until the 2nd round to snag a QB. He also might not fit team schemes as much as other prospects.
There’s also talk that some teams like Jaxson Dart a little more than him. If he falls past the Steelers at 21, look for the trade calls to the Chargers, Packers, and Vikings to heat up beyond “feeling them out”. Expect the Browns, Giants, Raiders, and Saints on the phones trying to get up in that range. They all have ample draft capital to make that move without giving up their entire draft, and those teams they target are not looking for a young quarterback to draft.
In fact, none of the teams at the end of the draft need a quarterback, so the scramble could end up happening anywhere in the twenties, but there’s a reason they have to get up to at least 25. Why?
The Rams Will Target QB at No. 26
Yes, Matthew Stafford is still playing very well at 37 years old, and when given time, he can take a team apart. He has a strong offensive line that gives him time to throw from a clean pocket with dangerous receivers at every level.
But a quarterback at that age is more susceptible to injury and has Father Time catch up with him. With Sanders projecting closer to the type of player Stafford is, he could be the best guy to step into the position and learn from Stafford before he hangs up the cleats. Stafford also has nothing to prove since he has a Super Bowl win under his belt. So, if he feels it’s time to retire for any reason, they have a starter ready to go in Sanders with a year on the bench to learn the ins and outs of the offense.
You could also argue that if those teams also covet Jaxson Dart, that may also be a reason to move up to those spots to leapfrog the Rams again. If Sanders goes before that, then they need to jump up to get Dart.
The Vikings could be in the best position to benefit from this by either trading for a bunch of picks from teams early in the 2nd round or by getting the Rams to give them 26 and their 4th rounder at the least. Maybe – since it’s for a quarterback, they can get their late 2nd rounder while using some of next year’s draft picks to maneuver.
The Browns, Giants, Raiders, or Saints would need to give up their 2nd rounder and a combination of their 3rd and/or 4th rounders. This is a pick target that no one seems to be talking about, and it could change a ton of things in this draft.
Kirk Cousins, Jalen Ramsey, and a QB to the Vikings Won’t Happen
The hottest trade rumors for players to be traded during the draft ain’t happenin’. Over the years, players getting traded during the draft dropped off quite a bit. Then, a few years ago, wide receivers seemed to be traded willy-nilly as the position was looking to blow up salary-wise, and players on the last year of their contracts were on the move.
Things trended back to not as many players getting traded, and I think that holds again this year. Let’s start with the Vikings and the trade for a backup quarterback: it won’t happen because they don’t have to do it. After the draft, there will be plenty of guys to pick up who can be a veteran mentor like Carson Wentz or Ryan Tannehill off the couch. Players mentioned as trade options like Sam Howell and Aidan O’Connell might just be released outright after the draft or near training camp.
The Vikings just don’t have enough picks even to justify giving up a late-rounder. Jalen Ramsey is still good, but is 31 years old and has a high cap hit. There is already an issue with the team needing to decide either way since they stated Ramsey didn’t demand a trade. Teams will wait to see if he gets released outright. Cousins is in a similar situation in that most teams would take him as a backup, but he has starter money due to him.
Until he rescinds his no-trade clause and a team becomes desperate enough to take on his salary and possible distraction as a highly capable backup, he either stays put or gets released in June. Trading for most teams doesn’t really become a reward at this point.
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