Finally, NFL Draft week is upon us.
Soon we'll have answers to all those burning questions about where a new crop of NFL talent will call home.
As with last year, when the Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young first overall, there is near certainty that the Bears will tab Caleb Williams to be their signal-caller of the future.
After that, things appear to be very much up in the air.
In fact, with a handful of quarterbacks projected to go in the first round, a flurry of trade activity is expected roughly in the range of picks No. 2 through 10 -- which of course would make things very interesting.
Which brings us to our exercise in draft-day trade forecasting. It's nearly impossible to get predict these type of things correctly, but that's what makes it fun.
Oh, the anticipation. The possibilities. The chance that we could witness the type of blockbusters that will change multiple franchises' fortunes for years to come.
Here are five such moves that we think would be a hoot if they were to go down on the big day.
Would the Broncos be willing to move Patrick Surtain Jr. in order to acquire their quarterback of the future?
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1. Eagles acquire cornerback Patrick Surtain from Broncos in exchange for picks No. 22, 50 and 53
Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman has a lengthy track record of aggressively moving up, so we're keeping with that theme here. Only, he's not acquiring picks, but rather an elite cornerback to anchor a defensive backfield that was torched last season. Surtain is about to get expensive as he enters his fourth season in the league, with an All-Pro nod and two Pro Bowl nods on his resume. But he's among the best in the league at his position, and for the Eagles this is both a win-now move and one they can build around for the long term.
For the rebuilding Broncos and head coach Sean Payton, surrendering Surtain is a steep price to pay, but in fact it's a prelude to something bigger ...
Drake Maye was the ACC Player of the Year in 2022
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2. Broncos acquire pick no. 3 from Patriots in exchange for picks No. 12, 22 and 50
Despite their recent acquisition of former Jets QB Zach Wilson, it's safe to assume the Broncos are still looking for a franchise signal-caller. With the third overall pick at their disposal, they would have their choice of one of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy.
Of course, it's worth mentioning that it's far from a given that the Patriots are looking or even willing to trade this pick. But they already have a competent QB on the roster Jacoby Brissett, and if they don't love their options among the draft prospects, it would make sense to sell the pick to a team that's willing to pay a premium. As well, Mayo has a defensive pedigree, so there's some degree of risk in pairing him with a rookie QB who needs to be coached up. In some rare cases it works, such as DeMeco Ryans with C.J. Stroud. In others, such as Robert Saleh with Zach Wilson, not so much.
J.J. McCarthy led Michigan to the national title in 2023.
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3. Vikings acquire fourth overall pick from the Cardinals in exchange for picks No. 11 and 23
And the run on quarterbacks continues unabated. The Vikings, now in need of a QB after seeing Kirk Cousins walk in free agency, make the jump up to nab their next quarterback, potentially J.J. McCarthy.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are set at quarterback with Kyler Murray, so while they could take a projected generational talent at wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., they could just as easily take advantage of the apparent premium being placed on the early picks by QB-needy teams. By acquiring two additional first-rounders from the Vikings, the Cardinals would now have three total, including their own (27th overall).
Troy Fautanu was first-team All-Pac-12 in 2023
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4. Packers acquire the 14th overall pick from the Saints in exchange for picks No. 25 and 41
The Packers are in an enviable position heading into this draft, the relatively rare team that is both rich in draft capital while coming off a playoff berth. With so many picks -- 11 overall, including five in the top 100 -- there's no reason not to go bold here and make a move for a potential Day 1 starter. Among their positions need are offensive of tackle, where they may still be in search of a long-term replacement for oft-injured David Bakhtiari, inside linebacker and cornerback.
The Saints, by comparison, are light on draft capital, with no picks in the third and fourth rounds. This swap would allow them to stay in the first round while picking up a second-rounder to pair with their own (45th overall), giving them three in the top 45.
Rome Odunze
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5. The Colts acquire the ninth overall pick from the Bears in exchange for picks No. 15 and 46
With the Bears all but certain to select Caleb Williams first overall, there's been much discussion about what they'll do with their other first-round selection, the ninth overall pick. It's an interesting dilemma, because while Chicago holds a lot of value in this draft, the great majority of it is tied up in those two top-10 picks.
In this scenario, the Bears would essentially be turning one pick into two, dropping down six spots from ninth to 15th in order to pick up a second-round selection. Chicago doesn't currently have a second-round selection, so a move like this could help bridge the gap until their next pick, which doesn't come until the third round (75th overall).
For the Colts, moving up might get them a crack at a top-10 prospect, including one of the big three wide receivers -- Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze -- to build around budding star quarterback Anthony Richardson. Other options would be an offensive tackle or tight end Brock Bowers, or cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to anchor what was one of the weakest defensive secondaries in the league last season.
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