For the first time in well over a generation, every NFL team is picking where it should in the NFL Draft. There are no teams having other teams' picks as part of a trade from yesterday. The worst team in the league last year has the No. 1 overall pick in the Tennessee Titans. Thus, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have the No. 32 overall pick. Everybody is picking where they should.
However, there is one team that seems to be more about trading up than anyone. That would be Sean Payton's Denver Broncos. ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote about it in his news and notes in the lead-up to Thursday's draft. There may be other teams who may want to trade up, but none more open about it than Denver picking at No. 20. They must get Bo Nix a weapon, but who is worthy of trading up for?
If the Broncos were to stand pat at No. 20, they could be in position to land someone like running back Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. Tyler Warren falling to them at No. 20 out of Penn State would be a godsend. This could also be around the time when another first-round tight end prospect could be coming off the board in Colston Loveland out of Michigan. Most should be there at No. 20.
As far as who Denver could potentially move up with, I would throw my Atlanta Falcons into the mix.
Sean Payton may have Denver Broncos trying to trade up from No. 20
For the sake of argument, let's say the Broncos are awestruck over either Hampton or Warren. They love this guy, just like they loved Nix coming out of Oregon. They have to have him! If Denver does not believe either will be available at No. 20, then they should look for an NFC team that is inclined to trade back. Atlanta is picking at No. 15 and should recoup draft capital from last year's shenanigans.
The Falcons are likely going to screw up drafting an edge rusher in the first round anyway. To move back from No. 15 to No. 20 and get a pick to offset losing a third-rounder to the New England Patriots in the Matthew Judon trade or their fifth-round pick to the NFL for tampering to land Kirk Cousins could make sense. Another NFC team that needs to get some more picks is the Minnesota Vikings...
Where Minnesota differs from Atlanta is the Vikings are picking after the Broncos at No. 24 overall. They would get more picks by trading out of the first round in a deal with a team that has simply too many picks for its own good in the Jacksonville Jaguars. Finding the right trade partner is paramount for all four teams I have mentioned who I think are probably going to trade before round one is over.
If I were Denver, I would not trade up any higher than No. 13 with the Miami Dolphins. You need to see what the Dallas Cowboys do at No. 12 first. They are not going to trade with Denver, just so the Broncos can draft Hampton instead of them. Miami and the Indianapolis Colts picking at No. 14 could be in play, but both teams play in the AFC with Denver. What about the Arizona Cardinals at No. 16?
Monti Ossenfort is a savvy general manager, and we have seen him trade all over the draft before...