The Buccaneers, Broncos, and Falcons are among the NFL clubs with the most serious interest in trading up in the draft, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Both Tampa Bay and Denver would move up with the intention of selecting an offensive tackle, per Breer. The clubs currently sit back-to-back at picks Nos. 14 and 15, and both could certainly use help along their respective offensive lines. The 2020 draft features a strong class of offensive tackles, with options including Mekhi Becton (Louisville), Jedrick Wills (Alabama), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), and Andrew Thomas (Georgia).
Having added Tom Brady, the Buccaneers will need to keep the veteran quarterback upright — in 2019, Tampa Bay ranked just 22nd in Football Outsiders‘ pass-protection metric. Donovan Smith will line up at left tackle, but the Bucs could add another lineman to compete with free agent signing Joe Haeg on the right side.
The Broncos, meanwhile, would appear to be set at left tackle with Garett Bolles, whom Pro Football Focus grade as the NFL’s No. 18 tackle, and at right tackle with Ja’Wuan James. Bolles, however, has only one year left on his rookie contract (plus a potential fifth-year option in 2021), while injuries limited James to only three games in his first season as a Bronco.
It’s unclear what position the Falcons would target where they able to engineer a trade up from pick No. 16, per Breer. Speculatively, Atlanta’s offense appears mostly set, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if general manager Thomas Dimitroff attempts to target edge or cornerback help in the first round.
Thomas is from Georgia not Stanford just so you know
This is the first I have heard of the Broncos looking to trade up high to get a lineman. Most reports have them trading up only a few spots to make sure they get their pick of the receivers.
I would love for the Broncos to get Wirfs if somehow possible. With Risner already proving to be a stud in the making, pair him and Wirfs for the next 4 years would be very good for Lock’s development. Lock needs some clean pockets for a little longer so he can get through his progressions and make proper reads.
Amen!!
I’d have to imagine any of those teams trading up would be looking at the Jaguars at 9 as a partner to get ahead of the Browns at 10
I’m shocked at how highly rated Bolles was for 2019, the dude looked overmatched nearly every snap and committed so many dumb penalties.
same here…admittedly don’t get to watch many Broncos games but I always hear how bad he gets pushed around.
falcons falcons falcons smh…we had a top 3 pick in the bag when we were at 2-7 and could be staring Chase Young in the face right now…I know players don’t tank but still lol…Chase Young on the Falcons would’ve pried open the contending ‘window’ just a little longer
Same with last year. Had they not won their last three they would have finished 4-12 and been picking at #3 instead of #14. Useless wins that also risked injury to some of their stars (Ryan was also playing gimpy and would have been a good non-start for future health like GB did with Rodgers at one point).
The difference in these useless wins is compounded not just by one round, but multiple, but just the first round alone is a HUGE difference in draft capital. I always hate teams that refuse to fire a coach and instead grade him over the last few weeks. It’s just fodder.
Atlanta might have had Williams of Ferrell last year, as well as better picks in every round thereafter. I like what they did with their first couple of picks, but it’s not even on par with what they could have had.
I do not agree with tanking, but I have no problem with teams that look to build on the future by trading aging vets that will not help in a rebuild, as well as giving younger players more game experience. The Falcons fail that on every front, every year.