As is common in the lead-up to the NFL Draft, there is no shortage of speculation about what teams at the top could do with their picks. One of the most common topics to speculate about is the potential for a trade up to land a valued player. This season, the talk surrounds quarterback Marcus Mariota. After a strong combine performance, Jameis Winston appears likely to go No. 1 overall, meaning any team in the market for a quarterback may need to move up in order to grab Mariota.
Cue the Oakland Raiders, who have the fourth overall pick and could be a potential trade partner for teams looking to move up. One of the teams many believe will be looking for such a trade are the Philadelphia Eagles. Their coach, Chip Kelly, is from Oregon and Mariota ran an offense that was based on similar principles to the offense that Kelly is running in Philly. The problem: the Eagles do not have a pick high enough in the draft to get the deal done, as they currently sit at No. 20 in the first round. As a result, there is speculation that a deal to move up and get Mariota could include this year’s first round pick, next year’s first round pick and a player like running back LeSean McCoy.
While the Raiders could certainly use a talent like McCoy, running back is far from being their biggest need. Plus, dropping out of the top 10 normally means a decently large drop-off in terms of expected results. Typically, the top ten guys in a draft class are seen as significant difference makers. Obviously, history has shown that great players can be found throughout the draft, but the risk of failure typically goes up with each pick that passes.
McCoy would easily become the most dynamic player on Oakland’s entire offense, but I believe the Raiders have too many holes for this deal to work out the way it has been suggested. I could see them moving back as far as No. 20, but only if they got a guy like McCoy, another first rounder in 2016 AND another mid to high pick in 2015. It’s doubtful the Eagles would also surrender their 2015 second round pick, but their third is not out of the question. If the Eagles were to offer McCoy, a 2015 first and third and a 2016 first, then I could see the deal getting done.
