A common phrase this offseason has been, the draft begins at pick No. 3 with the Detroit Lions.
General manager Bob Quinn has added fuel to that fire suggesting the Lions are keeping an open mind with regards to their first-round pick and has gone on record saying they are open to a trade down possibility.
With a wealth of picks in this draft, including the No. 5 overall, the Dolphins have been repeatedly linked to the Lions as a trade partner, and recent rumors have suggested conversations about a potential trade have already begun.
But there is another team that is very much in the mix: the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers have a lot of uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position, after announcing they are moving on from Phillip Rivers after 16 seasons as their signal-caller. Add in the fact that they hold the No. 6 overall draft pick in this draft, they have a chance to get their quarterback of the future.
On his recent Move the Sticks podcast, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was discussing his latest mock draft, and when he got to the pick No. 3 — where he gave them Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah — he suggested the Lions would likely trade back.
“I think (the Lions) trade back to No. 5 or No. 6,” Jeremiah said. “I think it’s either the Dolphins or the Chargers. My money is on the Chargers trading up to get this pick and take Tua (Tagovailoa) because I believe the Miami Dolphins have a comfort level with either (Justin) Herbert or with Tua.”
If we squint our eyes, read the tea leaves, and the draft plays out as Jeremiah is suggesting with his mock and trade thoughts here, Joe Burrow would land with the Bengals at pick No. 1, Chase Young to Washington at No. 2, Chargers take Tagovailoa at No. 3, Giants take a Tristan Wirfs at No. 4, and with Tagovailoa gone the Dolphins would take Herbert at No. 5, that would leave Okudah still on the board at No. 6 for the Lions.
There’s still a long way to go, and plenty more speculation to be had, but if the draft played out like this, the Lions would surely be very happy.
