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Sports Illustrated

Sport

Albert Breer

Albert Breer's Latest NFL Draft Buzz: Which Teams Could Trade Out of Their Picks

Albert Breer NFL Rueben Bain Jr Kadyn Proctor Cowboys Arvell Reese Caleb Banks Dallas (Organization) Dillon Thieneman Fernando Mendoza

Get NFL prospect scouting reports and team breakdowns in SI’s draft tracker.

Sorting through all the info, with a little over 24 hours left until Day 1 of the draft. Here’s what I’m hearing …

Potential trades

We’ve talked about the teams looking to move down.

Four that have at least explored moving up (with a caveat coming), in order of where they’re picking: the Chiefs, Cowboys, Rams and Eagles. And, yes, I could see a scenario where each of them moves, which we did mention in Tuesday’s notes column. But the twist to it is that I’ve heard that all four have also made calls on the idea of trading down.

The reality is that the best teams, the ones that go into the draft with flexibility, generally make calls both ways, and that’s what GMs (or de facto GMs) Brett Veach, Will McClay, Les Snead and Howie Roseman are doing in this case. Which is what they should be doing.

But we can have some fun with this.

So what do I think those teams would be dealing for? I think for the Chiefs, it would be Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese or one of the top two receivers (Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson). For the Cowboys, it would definitely be a defensive player, and because I think their move up might be a shorter one (they don’t want to give up the 20th pick), my guess would be Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles would be the guy. For the Rams, my guess would be a skill guy, like Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love or Tyson. And for Philadelphia, I think it would be a short hop for a tackle.

Or, again, they could slide down a few slots—all of which I’ll cover in my mock draft on the site early Thursday morning.

Fernando Mendoza

The more I’ve dug into Fernando Mendoza with coaches and scouts, the more the fit with the Raiders really makes sense. You have the work ethic and maniacal drive and all that stuff, which will appeal to minority owner Tom Brady. But more specifically, his discipline with his footwork and his three-level accuracy should make him ideal for Klint Kubiak’s offense, which puts a premium on timing and rhythm.

Also, beyond just what Kubiak and his staff bring to the table, Kirk Cousins should be a pretty good teacher for Mendoza as he adjusts to the NFL.

Rueben Bain Jr.

My guess is Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr. will go somewhere just inside or just outside the top 10, as the third edge rusher taken (if we’re counting Reese as one). But his arm length is an issue, and particularly with analytically driven teams that have had trouble finding a successful historical comp for him. And it’s not about passing downs. It’s about how he fits into a team’s base defense, which dictates whether he’s a part-time or full-time player.

Bain, for a team like, say, the Saints, might be a tougher fit than he would be in other places.

Veteran trade targets

Some veteran names could be moved over the next couple of days, and one to watch is Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who’s shown promise through three years, with 76 catches for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns in 29 games over the past two years. New England’s looking for a Day 3 pick for the 23-year-old, who is entering a contract year.

He’s played most often as New England’s “X” receiver. That’s the position A.J. Brown plays.

George Pickens

While we’re on veteran guys, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones did say on Wednesday that Dallas will not extend George Pickens after putting the franchise tag on him—and the reality is that was always the likely conclusion. And I can’t blame the team on this one. Pickens had maturity questions going into the 2023 draft, and only validated those through a bumpy three-year run in Pittsburgh. So that Dallas would want to get a longer look to be sure he’s truly changed before committing more than $40 million per year to him makes sense.

Dillon Thieneman

I’d say Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman is pretty locked in now, after going through the predraft process, as the class’s second-best safety. If I had to guess, I’d say he’ll probably go somewhere between Nos. 18 and 20, to the Vikings, Panthers or Cowboys. Would Dallas take him at 12 rather than 20? I’m not there at this point, but I think Thieneman will be gone within the top 20.

Maturity questions

There are a few talented guys where teams have had to dig through questions on maturity, and three would be Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor, Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion and Florida DT Caleb Banks. All three are immensely talented. Proctor is probably the most talented lineman in the draft. Concepcion’s combination of run-after-the-catch ability, explosiveness and return value is unique among those in his draft class. And Banks is a nimble 327-pounder who can be very disruptive in the middle of a defense.

I think all three will go in the first round—and Proctor probably in the top 20—and we’ll see if the teams taking them get the growth from those guys that they’d hope for.

Jeremiyah Love

I’m gonna wind up mocking Love to the Cardinals in the morning. One strong reason for it? I’ve heard the new coaching staff in Arizona absolutely loves him.