3 teams that make sense to trade up to No. 2 in 2020 NFL Draft
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is on Thursday night and there’s a lot of buzz about the second overall pick – currently held by the Washington Redskins. Will the Redskins stay there or will a trade occur?
The most popular reason for why a team would want to jump up to pick number two in Thursday’s NFL Draft is to ensure they get Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Most mock drafts have had Joe Burrow going number one to Cincinnati and the Redskins staying put at number two and taking Chase Young, who is potentially the best player in the draft. That would be a great scenario for the Redskins if it happens, as their defense needs help and Young could immediately come in and help out.
However, if a team is willing to dish out several draft picks in exchange for pick number two, and a chance to draft Tagavailoa, that’s something Washington can’t really scoff at.
Here are three teams who should call Washington to chat about the second overall pick.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Dolphins are probably hoping nothing crazy happens in the first few minutes of the draft, so that they can stay put at five, take Tua (or Justin Herbert if that’s their plan) and not have to give up anything in exchange.
That being said, a “trade up to pick two” piece wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Dolphins. For one, they’ve been linked to Tua the most over draft season and they’re also armed with three first round picks (their own, Pittsburgh’s, and Houston’s) that they could use to negotiate a trade up.
If Miami wants to move to the second overall spot, they’d probably have to give Washington all three first rounders, which seems costly, but if it gets them the quarterback they’ve been dreaming of all offseason, then it’s worth it for the Fins to trade up.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
If Tua to the Dolphins is one connection we’ve heard beaten to death this offseason, then Justin Herbert to the Chargers is right up there as well. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that the Dolphins will take whichever quarterback they want at pick five and then Los Angeles will get whoever Miami didn’t want.
If the Chargers want a quarterback in the first round, then they don’t have to settle for who Miami didn’t think was good enough for them. No, the Chargers should trade up and get the guy they want.
LA doesn’t have the draft capital that Miami has — at least not for this year — but the Chargers could trade their 2021 first round pick to move up, which would obviously be enticing for Washington if offered to them.
If the Chargers truly are content with Tyrod Taylor as their starter this year, then moving up might not be worth it, but Taylor appears to be nothing more than a backup and as a result drafting Tua or Herbert second overall might be best for the Bolts.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The best way to make a splash when a team is moving to a new city is to trade up and draft a quarterback. The Rams did this when they moved to Los Angeles, giving up a lot to move up to the number one overall pick and taking Jared Goff.
The Raiders are headed to Las Vegas starting in 2020 and the biggest move they could make — other than moving up to number one — would be moving up from number 12 to number two. Las Vegas is armed with two first round picks — one at 12 and the other at 19 thanks to the Bears — so Washington would definitely listen if they were gifted two first rounders in exchange for pick number two.
The Raiders have two quarterbacks on their roster capable of starting right now in Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota, but it’s never felt like Jon Gruden wants to work with Carr long-term and he’s not the quarterback who is going to excite Las Vegas like Tua would.
This certainly would have been an old school Raiders move, but Mike Mayock probably won’t pull the trigger and go for broke in round one, but instead using his two draft picks to build around Carr for at least another year.
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The Washington Redskins can’t lose no matter what happens in round one. If no one calls them for pick two, then they get to take the best player in the 2020 NFL Draft. If teams do call, however, a team that won just three games in 2019 has a chance to build for the future based on what they’d receive in exchange for the second overall pick.
Will the Redskins stay put or will they be moving down?