With the NFL Draft looming April 25-27 in Detroit, entrance workplaces are busy fine-tuning methods for the most important three days of the league’s offseason.
Ought to a crew commerce up, commerce down or stand pat? Yardbarker NFL writers weigh in how NFC groups ought to strategy the primary spherical.
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS (First-round choose: twenty fourth) | Commerce down | With slightly below $5M in cap house and the twenty fourth choose, Dallas wants as many cost-efficient gamers as it may get. With extra second-round picks, the crew may discover the following Trevon Diggs (CB), Leighton Vander Esch (LB) and even QB Dak Prescott’s alternative if Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is obtainable.
NEW YORK GIANTS (First-round choose: sixth) | Commerce down | Assuming the top-four quarterbacks are off the board, New York may get sufficient draft capital for the No. 6 choose to draft subsequent yr’s Caleb Williams. Except the crew believes one participant can flip across the crew’s Twenty ninth-ranked offense or Twenty seventh-ranked protection, the Giants ought to search for 2025 property.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (First-round choose: twenty second) | Commerce up | Clearly in “win-now” mode with the additions of RB Saquon Barkley and DE Bryce Huff, the crew merely can’t afford to stick with James Bradberry at cornerback. Transferring up from No. 22 to draft Iowa CB Cooper DeJean or Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell would do wonders for a crew (and metropolis) nonetheless reeling from a disastrous 1-6 end in 2023.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (First-round choose: second) | Stand pat | Don’t get cute, Washington. Draft a franchise quarterback at No. 2 and construct round him. With two second-round picks (36, 40) and three third-round alternatives (67, 78, 100), new basic supervisor Adam Peters doesn’t want to bop across the draft board. — Bruce Ewing
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS (First-round choose: fourth) | Commerce down | The Cardinals are determined for broad receiver assist and this yr’s class is loaded with high-end playmakers, together with LSU’s Malik Nabers, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., and Washington’s Rome Odunze. The even higher information is that quarterback-needy groups will look to maneuver up, so the Cardinals can in all probability get a haul of draft picks and nonetheless find yourself with an affect broad receiver.
LOS ANGELES RAMS (First-round choose: nineteenth) | Stand pat | That is the primary yr the Rams have had a first-round choose since choosing Jared Goff No. 1 general in 2016. They’ve addressed many wants in free company, particularly within the secondary, and are nicely positioned to let the board come to them, so Los Angeles shouldn’t really feel pressured to maneuver up or down.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (First-round choose: thirty first) | Commerce up | Not solely do the 49ers have one of many NFL’s greatest rosters, additionally they have 10 draft picks in 2024, together with six throughout the first 4 rounds. There isn’t any approach that many rookies could make their roster, so this may be a terrific yr to bundle picks for a transfer up within the first spherical to get offensive and line of defense assist.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (First-round choose: sixteenth) | Commerce up | The Seahawks should assume lengthy and onerous about transferring as much as get into the quarterback recreation in what is perhaps the most effective courses on the place in years. Geno Smith could be effective this season, however he isn’t a long-term reply and subsequent yr’s quarterback class is extraordinarily skinny. — Adam Gretz
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS (First-round picks: first and ninth) | Stand pat | After dealing QB Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bears aren’t buying and selling the No. 1 choose, which they will presumably use to pick out USC’s Caleb Williams. In the meantime, as tempting because it is perhaps to commerce again from No. 9 with solely 4 picks whole this yr, Chicago ought to stand pat there, too, particularly if it means giving Williams a weapon at broad receiver similar to Nabers or Odunze.
DETROIT LIONS (First-round choose: Twenty ninth) | Stand pat | The Lions may transfer up or down from No. 29, however the first choice is pricey and with out ensures, whereas the second might not yield a worthy sufficient return. By staying put, Detroit may nonetheless fill a place of want if cornerback Kool-Assist McKinistry (Alabama), edge-rusher Demeioun “Chop” Robinson (Penn State) or offensive lineman Graham Barton (Duke) are nonetheless on the board.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (First-round choose: twenty fifth) | Commerce up | The Packers have 11 picks, nevertheless it’s uncertain they will depart Detroit having chosen a participant at every spot. It is extra possible they will use a number of of these picks to maneuver up in some unspecified time in the future within the draft — why not bounce from No. 25 within the first spherical to focus on a cornerback similar to DeJean, Nate Wiggins (Clemson) or McKinstry?
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (First-round picks: eleventh and twenty third) | Commerce up | The Vikings maintain the No. 11 choose within the first spherical, however which may not be excessive sufficient to nab one of many high QBs within the draft. Nevertheless, additionally armed with the No. 23 choose and 9 picks general, Minnesota has sufficient ammunition to maneuver as much as seize QB Jayden Daniels (LSU) or J.J. McCarthy (Michigan). — Mike Santa Barbara
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS (First-round choose: eighth) | Stand pat: The Falcons bought their quarterback, Kirk Cousins, in free company, so there’s no want to maneuver up. With the No. 8 choose, Atlanta needs to be in a superb place to draft at an space of want, significantly edge-rusher.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (First-round choose: none) | Stand pat: The Panthers is perhaps tempted to maneuver up into the primary spherical, however the depth of this yr’s broad receiver class is powerful sufficient for Carolina to seek out one at No. 33. Plus, after buying and selling draft capital final yr to pick out QB Bryce Younger, the Panthers ought to maintain on to as many picks as potential.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (First-round choose: 14th) | Stand pat: The Saints want an offensive deal with with the profession of Ryan Ramczyk (knee damage) unsure and 2022 first-round choose Trevor Penning struggling. The Saints may discover a plug-and-play starter at No. 14 for the O-line, making this determination straightforward.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (First-round choose: twenty sixth) | Commerce up: The Bucs spent huge on retaining their very own free brokers this offseason, re-signing quarterback Baker Mayfield, broad receiver Mike Evans and security Antoine Winfield Jr. Tampa Bay owes it to its core to push for a fourth consecutive division crown and will transfer up to make sure it doesn’t miss out on one of many draft’s high inside offensive linemen. — Eric Smithling
