5 potential trade-up targets in the 2017 NFL Draft

Each year, thousands upon thousands of mock drafts are compiled leading up to the NFL Draft. And similarly to NCAA tournament brackets, very rarely do any even come close to being correct. The reason for that is simple: there’s no possible way to accurately predict trade scenarios.

Trades during the draft are far more prevalent than at any other point throughout the year, and the skake-ups they create are substantial. And while it’s nearly impossible to predict when they’ll happen or which teams will be involved, it’s a bit easier to predict who might be the targets.

With that in mind, here’s a look at five potential trade-up targets in the 2017 NFL Draft.

5. Leonard Fournette (RB, LSU)

In a league where the spread offense has taken control, the value placed on running backs in the draft has decreased substantially in recent years. In fact, only four running backs have been drafted in the first round over the previous four years and none of them came following a trade up.

That’s poised to change this year because of a few high-profile prospects who have the potential to bring an entire offensive unit together on the field. And right at the top of that list is Leonard Fournette out of LSU.

Fournette is considered to be a top-10 pick, and most mock drafts have him slipping no further than No. 6 to the New York Jets. With value like that, it should come as no surprise that he’s a very realistic trade-up target for a number of teams.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Jets each make some sense for Fournette, but there are several other teams around the league who would like to procure his services as well. As a result, some phones will most certainly be ringing — possibly even between the Jets and Jaguars regarding a first-round swap.

4. Malik Hooker (S, Ohio State)

Although there’s likely significant interest in Jamal Adams out of LSU and Jabrill Peppers out of Michigan, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to grade them higher than Ohio State safety Malik Hooker.

Even after surgeries to repair a hernia and labrum injury prevented Hooker from working at the NFL Combine, his draft stock hasn’t taken much of a hit. And as the draft itself nears, the general consensus is that Hooker will be off the board sometime over the first 15 picks.

It gets tricky for Hooker because, had he not been injured, there’d be no doubt about teams jockeying to trade up for him. Now teams might be less willing to drop an additional investment on him, but it won’t preclude those in desperate need of a safety from doing so.

The Cleveland Browns, who own two picks in the first round, including No. 12 overall, have been repeatedly linked to Hooker and even had him in for a visit. So if a team is willing to trade up for him, it’s that Browns pick at No. 12 that could facilitate such a trade — either with a team making a deal with Cleveland or moving up ahead of them.

3. Mitch Trubisky (QB, North Carolina)

This spot could have just as easily gone to Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes or Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, but it’s North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky who has been trending upward for quite some time.

The reality? One if not more of these quarterbacks will be targeted in a trade up. It’s one of the few things about the upcoming draft that is close to a guarantee. So why not go with Trubisky, who has met with nearly every single quarterback-needy team in the NFL and even some that aren’t quite as needy?

Depending on how teams have these quarterbacks ranked on their big board, it could actually create a flurry of trades beginning with Trubisky, who has been projected to go as high as No. 6 to the New York Jets. Of course, the Cleveland Browns, who won’t use their first overall pick on a quarterback, and Houston Texans are all in the market for a gunslinger. Even the New York Giants have been projected as a potential landing spot for Trubisky.

So will it be Trubisky who is the target of a trade up? Maybe, maybe not. But the odds are better than even and at some point in time, the trades will fly for a quarterback.

2. Jonathan Allen (DE, Alabama)

Defensive end is going to be a real popular position in the 2017 NFL Draft, beginning with Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett, who is undoubtedly going No. 1 overall to the Browns. After Garrett, Solomon Thomas is poised to be the next pass-rusher off the board, and that’s where the trades could begin.

We’ll get to Thomas in a moment, but another potential trade target is likely to be Alabama’s Jonathan Allen.

Some experts, including Charley Casserly, believe defensive ends could represent the first three players taken off the board. And whenever you have a stockpile of talent at a single position like this draft will, trades are generally not far behind.

Assuming Garrett and Thomas are off the board over the first two picks, any remaining defensive end-needy teams — especially those who run a 3-4 — will be watching any hope for an impact player slowly slipping away. Accordingly, there’s a strong chance they target Allen beginning as early as No. 3.

The Chicago Bears, who hold the No. 3 pick, could go for a player like Allen, but they may be in more desperate need of a starting cornerback. And if that’s how their draft board is set up, they’d be in prime position to field offers from teams looking to snag Allen before the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers (who use a multiple front) or Indianapolis Colts are on the clock.

1. Solomon Thomas (DE, Stanford)

As noted above, Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is almost certainly going off the board first to the Browns. After that, Stanford’s Solomon Thomas steps in and that could result in the draft’s very first trade.

For the very same reasons Jonathan Allen is a potential trade-up target, so to is Thomas. Specifically, however, Thomas would be more of a target for teams in need of a 4-3 defensive end as opposed to a 3-4 defensive end.

In several recent mock drafts, including Lance Zierlein’s, just such a trade has been factored in. He had the Panthers moving up in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to snag Thomas, and that’s a very realistic possibility. It’s also possible teams like the Bengals, New Orleans Saints (multiple fronts), Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Detroit Lions aim to move up.

Thomas may not have been considered such a sought-after prospect initially, but his performance at the NFL Combine dramatically increased his draft stock. As a result, there could be more than a handful of teams vying for his services beginning as early as the No. 2 overall pick.