The day before the 2017 NFL Draft, we unveiled a list of 10 possible trades that we could see in the first round Thursday night. Several of those deals featured teams trading up to grab the No. 5 overall pick, a highly coveted selection.
This appears to be fairly prescient (perhaps you prefer obvious?) because, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, there have been multiple teams who have contacted the Titans and made offers for No. 5. And, according to Schefter, a year after moving down from No. 1 to let the Rams take Jared Goff, Tennessee is contemplating another trade down in the draft.
First, let's remember that Titans GM Jon Robinson comes from New England, where trading down isn't just an approach, it's a lifestyle.
Second, let's consider that there isn't a more tradeable piece in this draft than the No. 5 pick. We all know Myles Garrett is going No. 1 overall. The 49ers (2) and Bears (3) want to trade out, but there might not be anyone willing to pay the price required to move up to either spot. In my last 2017 NFL Mock Draft, I floated a trade for the Browns to get to No. 2, but it is an expensive proposition for Cleveland.
It would be much more palatable for the Browns to make a swap with the Titans. Another swap, actually, since the two teams engaged in flipping picks during the first round of last year's draft; the Titans traded down to 15 with the Rams, while the Browns traded down to No. 8 with the Eagles. They then flipped those two picks in a deal that included many selections, including No. 52 in this year's draft. Whew.
And Cleveland isn't the only team that might want to make a move up to No. 5. Let's examine a few of the prospects for trading up.
Cleveland Browns
The most obvious team, because they want to make a move up and get Mitchell Trubisky if he falls through the 49ers, Bears and Jaguars. Cleveland wants a quarterback and coming away from the first half of the first round with Garrett and Trubisky would be considered a home run for the front office. If they can pull it off without giving up a future first-round pick or even without giving up No. 33 overall (possible in this particular scenario) it would be a grand slam.
Buffalo Bills
Both Sean McDermott and Terry Pegula were spotted hanging out in Chapel Hill for a workout involving Trubisky. They have a good situation for the North Carolina quarterback, as Tyrod Taylor can start in 2017 and they can ease Trubisky in beginning in 2018. The Bills are also keenly aware -- just like everyone else -- of the Browns' interest, meaning they cannot expect Trubisky simply to fall to them at No. 11. Cleveland has too much capital not to make a trade up work at some point from picks 6-10. This is the best way for the Titans to extract a future first-round pick, by leveraging the Browns against the Bills and demanding next year's first.
Everyone is fully aware the Browns will be trying to trade up.
New York Jets
This one is a little less likely because the Jets are at No. 6 overall. But the Jets could potentially be staring down a quarterback they really want and call the Titans and say "hey we'll buy these other teams out and you won't have to drop as far." Again, a little bit of a longer shot for these teams to flip one spot, but if the Jets wanted to ensure they get a quarterback (either Trubisky or Deshaun Watson), it would be entirely possible that they ask Tennessee to drop one spot. The offers from other teams would need to be pretty low if the Titans were willing to do that.
Carolina Panthers
A very unlikely scenario as well, but imagine for a second that the Titans are on the clock and not only is Trubisky there, but so is Solomon Thomas after the Jaguars took Leonard Fournette at No. 4 (in a hypothetical). The Panthers like the idea of Christian McCaffrey, sure, but getting Thomas would dramatically improve the defense. I don't think Dave Gettleman is a candidate to move up, but I also don't think Thomas will be sitting there at No. 5. If he is, things could change.