The NFL Draft is now just two days away and there’s a sense of excitement in the air. This class has an abundance of receiving talent like no other and it has the city of Philadelphia’s full attention. The big question facing the Eagles now is whether or not they will move up for one of the top three talents, or decide to go down a different, less aggressive path.
Whether it’s Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, or Henry Ruggs, securing the services of any of these wideouts will likely require a trade up of at least a few spots. So how does the landscape look?
Teams with a wideout on their radar
Pick 8: Arizona Cardinals
Pick 9: Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick 11: New York Jets
Pick 12: Las Vegas Raiders
Pick 13: San Francisco 49ers
Pick 15: Denver Broncos
Pick 18: Miami Dolphins
Pick 19: Las Vegas Raiders
Pick 20: Jacksonville Jaguars
Ah.
Now Murray may not get his little lamb at pick number 8, but there’s a strong chance that every other team listed has at least contemplated taking one of the top wideouts. It will come down to leapfrogging…something Roseman knows only too well after jumping the Texans for Andre Dillard’s services last year.
Jaguars: Pick 9
Team needs: CB, DL, OL
Depending on how ‘Minshew Mania’ pans out, the Jags are kind of set offensively. Their receiving corps is brimming with young talents like DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook, and Keelan Cole, but that doesn’t mean they’d be opposed to taking another star.
The Jaguars would be an interesting fit for CB Rausl Douglas, who has been shopped by the Eagles and snugly slides into their defensive system. Whether it’s as a sweetener or not, the fact that the Jags have two first-rounders may make them a little more lenient when it comes to parting ways in order to acquire some added value.
Browns: Pick 10
Team needs: OL, S, DL
If OBJ is truly on the trade block, then a WR here wouldn’t be surprising, but there seems to be a Beckham circus at least once a year now. There are plenty of first-round tackles available that will perk their ears, and a drop back to 21 may well rip them of a potential day-one starter so the compensation would need to be good.
Raiders: Pick 12
Team needs: WR, CB, OT
The Raiders also have two first-round picks thanks to the Bears, but they’d be far more likely to draft a corner at 12 than 19. if the Eagles can pip them to the post, they’d be leaping ahead of the Niners, who are also expected to be taking serious looks at wide receivers on the board.
The Eagles do have a flurry of young corners and dare I say receivers who may interest a tougher coach in Gruden, a man whose hard-nosed personality could push some of that talent in the right direction. it also helps that GM Mike Mayock knows that roster very well. He called the team’s preseason games between 2015-2018 and if there’s a player he’s had an eye on, never say never…
Buccaneers: Pick 14
Team needs: OT, RB, DL
Another leapfrog trade. This would see the Eagles jump ahead of the receiver-needy Broncos. Tampa Bay’s offense was fun and flirty (minus Jameis Winston) in 2019 and adding more pieces only helps. The Eagles don’t have much to pry them away from taking a tackle at 14, but perhaps someone like Derek Barnett or Hassan Ridgeway could be seen as pieces who could bolster a defensive front that lost Beau Allen and Carl Nassib to free agency.
Raiders/Dolphins: Pick 19/20
This trade should be much easier to leverage. Both teams have multiple first-round picks and in an ideal world, will have come away with some of the top talent on the board early on. A nudge from 21 to 19 to snatch a receiver is far easier to negotiate than a trade-up of 5+ spots.
Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
