The 2021 NFL Draft could be one for the history books. Right now, it looks like quarterbacks will be selected with the first three selections in the draft, as the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets look locked into Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. The San Francisco 49ers traded a haul away to the Miami Dolphins to land the No. 3 pick, presumably for a quarterback.
There is a chance that a quarterback goes No. 4 as well, whether that is to the Atlanta Falcons or a team that wants to trade up to select their quarterback of the future.
There are always rumors swirling about teams looking to move up in the draft for specific prospects. However, there needs to be two to tango. For a team looking to move up, there has to be a team looking to move down.
Who could fit that bill? Here are five teams that could trade down in the 2021 NFL Draft.
5. New York Giants
David Gettleman does not have a history of trading down, as he has never done it in his career as a general manager. However, this could be the year depending on how the first 10 picks shake out.
If there is a quarterback available when the Giants come on the clock, they have to seriously consider moving back. Teams are willing to pay a premium to select a quarterback they like and there will be no shortage of suitors looking to move up to acquire one.
The New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Football Team could all be in the market for a quarterback should one begin sliding down the board. Handing Washington, a division rival, a chance at a franchise quarterback seems unlikely, but could Joe Judge use his ties to New England to help facilitate a deal?
The Giants need help in the trenches, but there isn’t much value that matches their current spot. Trading back could be the way to go unless one of the pass catchers, such as DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle, is available and New York wants to add another weapon for Daniel Jones to throw to.
4. Dallas Cowboys
Much like the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys are in a prime position to trade back if a quarterback slips to No. 10. They have no need for a quarterback with Dak Prescott now locked into a long-term deal.
The Cowboys have needs, but the chance to acquire more draft capital could be too much to pass up. Numerous teams would love to jump into the top-10 if it meant landing a potential franchise quarterback.
There have been rumors that the Cowboys would love to land Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. If he somehow fell to No. 10, which is almost as likely as the Jaguars passing on Trevor Lawrence, there is no way that Dallas would trade out of this spot.
If Dallas is focused on improving their defense, namely the defensive backfield, they could still land one of the top prospects at the position even trading back into the middle of the first round.
3. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have plenty of directions they can go with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After landing Sam Darnold in a trade with the New York Jets, quarterback is no longer as pressing of a need. He should be their guy for at least the next two seasons.
As a result, the Panthers are in a prime position to help surround Darnold with more weapons. Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore, and Christian McCaffrey are already a massive improvement over what he saw with Gang Green, but Carolina could add another impact pass catcher at No. 8.
Trading up to acquire the No. 8 pick would be costly. Carolina wants to make sure they can still add an impact player this year to help take steps forward. They would have to receive a serious package to pass on the chance to land one of the Alabama star pass catchers or Pitts.
2. Detroit Lions
In a similar boat to the Panthers, the Lions are set at the quarterback position for the next season or two with Jared Goff. Detroit could select a quarterback of the future if they like any of the prospects available. If not, they could also be open for business.
Landing a player such as Ja’Marr Chase out of LSU would help the offense immediately, as Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. both moved on free agency. Tyrell Williams, who missed all of 2020 and Breshad Perriman are currently atop the depth chart, so a wide receiver is a need.
However, this is just the beginning of the rebuild for the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes era in Detroit. The opportunity to add more draft capital in the future to continue molding this roster in their vision would be an appealing route to take.
Seeing some of the other packages that have been agreed upon to move in the top-10, Detroit could end up shopping this pick pretty aggressively if non-quarterbacks are selected in picks 4-6.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The No. 4 pick owned by the Atlanta Falcons is where business will pick up. Any team that missed out on landing the No. 3 pick from the Miami Dolphins is now calling the Falcons about possibly moving up.
The Falcons have a new head coach in Arthur Smith and general manager in Terry Fontenot. They are reportedly on the same page now about Matt Ryan and the future of the quarterback position, which should make things easier.
Even if they fall in love with one of the prospects that are expected to be available, whether that is Trey Lance or Justin Fields, the Falcons have to trade this pick. After seeing what the Dolphins landed for the No. 3 pick, Atlanta has to be licking their chops at the potential to land multiple future, high-round NFL Draft picks.
Depending on how far down the board they go, they could still land a prospect they have a lot of interest in. Maybe a team such as the Dolphins or Cowboys trade up to select a non-quarterback. There is a chance that the Falcons trade down and still land a quarterback in this year’s draft class. That would be the biggest win for the Falcons in recent history.
