We are just hours away from the 2021 NFL Draft and the rumor mill is hotter than ever. With teams looking to move, and leaks appearing out of nowhere, information about different situations comes up by the minute. It seems that at the moment trades will only be made until the team trading down is on the clock, however, we still have to be ready for some major shakeups tonight. Let’s get into the last-minute rumors of draft day.
New Orleans Saints Looking to Make Big Moves
This report came out early Thursday morning. Ian Rapoport claimed that the Saints have “laid the groundwork” for a trade into the top 10. Sitting at pick 28 tonight, a trade into the top 10 would cost them an absolute fortune. With Drew Brees retiring, people would assume this trade would be for a quarterback but with Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston on the depth chart, it’s challenging to make assumptions on what they’d want in the top 10. If they don’t move into the top-10, the Saints have been linked to cornerback Caleb Farley, and they could look to move up to around pick 20 to select him and establish a true No. 2 corner aside Marshon Lattimore. While nothing has come to fruition yet, keep an eye out for the Saints tonight.
Latest News on the San Francisco 49ers at Pick Three
The 49ers pick tonight is when the draft really starts. We know the Jacksonville Jaguars will take Trevor Lawrence and the New York Jets will take Zach Wilson. This leaves the first unknown to the 49ers at pick three. Multiple reports have come out over the last few days saying the team is down to quarterbacks Trey Lance and Mac Jones. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, however, spoke nothing to these rumors at his press conference Tuesday. There’s no telling on where the 49ers go here but at least we know they are taking a quarterback, so there is less smoke for other teams.
Philadelphia Eagles Looking to Jump Dallas Cowboys; Take Top Cornerback
Two picks in high demand today are the Denver Broncos’ pick number nine and the Carolina Panthers’ pick number eight. The Eagles could look to move up with these teams to take the top cornerback on the board. This does get a little bit tricky, however, if quarterbacks start to fall. Teams behind the Eagles will certainly be willing to give more than what the Eagles are offering for their franchise quarterback. A three to four spot jump does seem very plausible for the Eagles and will fill an immediate need at the cornerback position.
Latest on the Carolina Panthers and Pick Eight
The Panthers sit at a really interesting spot at pick eight. The quarterback situation seems to be down to Sam Darnold at first glance, but after a deeper dive, it may not be. The Panthers gave up a lot of draft capital to acquire Darnold a few months ago and most believed they were out of the quarterback race. However, the Panthers have yet to pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option, so quarterbacks could still be in the cards at pick eight. Otherwise, there’s been a ton of talks about trading down here and it would make some sense. They could go back into the teens and pick up some offensive line help to build around Darnold for at least a year.
Arizona Cardinals Have Shown Their Hand
The Arizona Cardinals screwed up. Someone in their organization leaked that they “love” Zaven Collins and that he will most likely be their pick tonight. The outside linebacker has gotten some late first-round talk but not anything near pick 16 in the last couple of months. The credibility of these reports does seem to be very high and most major outlets are confirming this throughout the league. This pick does make sense for the Cardinals because Collins can come in and replace Hasson Reddick, who departed for the Panthers during the offseason. After months of speculation that pick 16 would be a cornerback, it seems Collins will be the pick here.
New York Giants Looking at Top Receivers
This one is a bit of a surprise. A few weeks ago we heard that the Giants were leaning towards taking an edge rusher like Jaelan Phillips or Kwity Paye at pick 11. Now, it seems they’re headed in the direction of either Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith if either is on the board. A selection of either would mean the Giants have one of if not the best receivers cores in the league. If both are off the board, they will most likely look at edge rusher or even corner for their selection.
The Jimmy Garoppolo Saga
Obviously, the 49ers will be selecting a quarterback tonight. That leaves the question of what they do with Garoppolo. They will certainly be fielding a lot of calls for Garoppolo but the price for him will be interesting. Garoppolo’s salary makes these trades hard and he’ll certainly have to restructure his contract if he’s moved. Reports have come out that teams like the New England Patriots have reached out to the 49ers in hopes for a reunion with Garoppolo. This rumor was picking up some steam Wednesday night but was then shut down rather quickly. The 49ers should look to trade Garoppolo after the draft if that is the route they go in.
Mixed Reports on the New England Patriots
Over the past 48 hours, we’ve heard that the Patriots are going to trade up for a quarterback and that they will trade down in the draft. Whatever they decide to do, it will be surprising if they make a selection at pick number 15. The quarterback situation seems to be setting up perfectly for New England. The Denver Broncos trading for Teddy Bridgewater yesterday seemingly has taken them out of the quarterback race. Now, the Patriots sit on a good amount of draft capital to make a move up. If they don’t trade up for a quarterback, expect them to move back unless cornerback Jaycee Horn or linebacker Micah Parsons falls to them somehow. It only seems they’ll make a selection at 15 if any blue-chip prospect falls.
Offensive Line Going Early
A lot is going around about some offensive lineman going earlier than expected. The main name that has come up is USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker. Teams could also be looking to move up into the top-10 if the top guys like Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater drop a little bit. A move that’s been discussed the most here is the Los Angeles Chargers trading up to pick six or seven to secure Sewell. While there are very solid tackles at pick 13, Sewell is a generational talent, and if he falls to seven, the Chargers may have to pull the trigger and move up.
Value for 2022 Picks Sky-High
Rapoport tweeted out mid-day Thursday that the value for 2022 picks is like “gold.” The evaluations will be cleaner and there will be much more film on prospects. There will almost certainly be a combine next year which will lead to better medicals. Teams were very upset with the medicals they received this year and next year’s combine can get things back on track. This could throw off the trade market for all three days of this year’s draft. If teams aren’t willing to move their future picks, we could see a halt in trades.
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