Trades represent one of the most exciting parts of professional sports. In the NFL, those deals most often go down during the draft, as teams try to target certain prospects while others look to increase their number of selections.
The Ravens, currently owners of the No. 6 overall pick, could find themselves in a number of trade scenarios come late April. While not all encompassing, presented below are three such situations where Baltimore could move out of its original draft slot.
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1. Ravens field offers from teams looking to jump 49ers
While Colin Kaepernick remains on the 49ers roster at the moment and may stay in San Francisco for another season, it has become clear that the team doesn’t envision the quarterback sticking around for the long term. As such, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke could use the No. 7 overall selection on a signal-caller if one of the top guys goes unselected to that point.
The Ravens, currently slotted one pick ahead of San Francisco, can use that perception to their advantage. Teams picking later in the draft that covet California’s Jared Goff or North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz have plenty of incentive to swing a trade. Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome may not garner RGIII-trade type of compensation, but he could still clean up in a deal with a desperate front office.
2. Let overzealous GMs make mistakes
When the Falcons acquired Julio Jones for the price of five draft picks — a package that included two first-rounders, a second-rounder and two selections in the fourth round — they landed one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. They also busted their chance to capitalize on the momentum they had built since selecting Matt Ryan in 2008. Jones has become a monster along the boundaries and deep down the field, but Atlanta’s roster became so paper-thin that they have struggled to compete for most of Jones’ career.
And yet, the Falcons could repeat that mistake again this year.
Could ATL make a Julio-type trade up for Myles Jack? https://t.co/mGAFylLTu3
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 7, 2016
If Atlanta or another franchise wants to send a king’s random of picks for the Ravens’ top selection, Newsome may as well let them do it. Perhaps Baltimore misses on an elite prospect this year, but they can build faster and better by doing so.
3. Ravens may not value the prospects available at No. 6
Many assume that NFL teams give out the same number of first-round grades as picks in the round. However, front offices usually have far fewer players rated so highly. On a micro level, teams often determine that the prospects available at their selection don’t match the value of the pick, and in those instances they look to trade down.
The Ravens may feel that way come draft day.
Newsome and company may deem less than six players as worthy of their top pick. If none of those top-tier options remain come pick No. 6, the Ravens could look to trade down to a point where the value makes more sense for them. Given how earlier they select, finding a willing trade partner doesn’t pose as many obstacles as it might otherwise, especially if one of the top quarterbacks has yet to hear his name called as discussed earlier. Fans may not love that scenario, but it usually leads to better draft classes, something Baltimore badly needs.
Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.