5 potential trade-up targets in the 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is nearly upon us, and phones are heating up across the league. Wheeling and dealing is already well underway with more moves to come.

Draft night rarely goes according to plan and to believe things would be any different this year would be foolish. We can expect a slew of trades throughout the first round and beyond, but especially over the top 15 picks.

Here’s a look at five players we consider to be the most likely trade targets for teams in this year’s draft.

5. Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Having Trey Lance start off this list should come as very little surprise. Knowing several other quarterbacks will soon follow should also not come as a surprise. Heck, it’s the NFL Draft, and that’s simply how it works year after year — teams want their franchise quarterback. The only reason Lance is not higher on this list is because he’s the only one coming out of the Football Championship Subdivision and the only one who didn’t play a competitive season in 2020. Still, some view him as a top-5 pick, and his two pro days likely helped solidify that. The only question left is: who drafts him? Rumors have begun to swirl that the Washington Football Team may trade up for him, but it’s possible the San Francisco 49ers traded up to No. 3 to get him.

4. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Mac Jones is arguably the most intriguing name on this list because no one is entirely sure what’s going to happen with him. Entering the new year, Jones was widely projected as a second-round pick. Then things began to change in early March. Suddenly, there were rampant rumors about teams making a run on the top quarterbacks over the first 10 picks. That was followed by speculation that the San Francisco 49ers traded up to select him. Whether all of that was true or not, it will force the hand of those teams targeting quarterbacks early in the first round. Even if Jones ends up being the last of the top five quarterbacks to go, it will likely come after a team trades up to get him (New England perhaps?).

3. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

The value of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts continues to skyrocket. Arguably the most talented all-around player in the draft, Pitts will be the target of many teams (and one in particular supposedly loves him). And while most will simply hold their breath and hope he slides to them, others will be trying to move up and get him. Which teams might those be? That’s anyone’s guess right now, but there’s not a single organization in the league that wouldn’t benefit from Pitts’ addition. It’s not entirely common to see teams angling for a tight end over the first five picks of the draft, but that speaks to Pitts’ game-changing talent. Whoever ends up with the Philadelphia native will have a guaranteed offensive mismatch for years and years to come.

2. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

There is absolutely no doubt a team will trade up while targeting Justin Fields. It’s a guarantee. More than one team is likely to target him and attempt to trade up, but how hard they make that push is the real question. Fields is undeniably talented and has the potential to make something of himself in the NFL, but he does come with some questions. The 22-year-old has informed teams during meetings that he was diagnosed with epilepsy. The good news is Fields is expected to outgrow the condition if he hasn’t already. Epilepsy is not something that impacted him on the field throughout college. Still, when weighing the value of a potential top-10 pick, the condition is something general managers must consider. That’s the only reason why Fields didn’t top this list and why the trade war to acquire him may — may — be less fierce than originally expected.

1. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

The top spot on lists like these are usually reserved for quarterbacks, but not this year. Instead, we’re giving the nod to Patrick Surtain despite the lack of speculation and rumors surrounding him in recent months. For the better part of this year, many just assumed Surtain would go when he goes — somewhere over the first 10 picks. However, as the 2021 NFL Draft draws nearer, the dead sea of rumors has sprung to life and suddenly, multiple teams are rumored to be discussing a trade up for the cornerback. That’s how it was always going to play out, because Surtain projects as a legitimate lockdown cornerback who could become a No. 1 for the next decade-plus. He’s a rare breed of talent, and teams who have dire needs in the secondary are going to take their swings.