Denver Broncos should trade down in 2021 draft for hidden reason
Nearly every scenario for the Denver Broncos in the 2021 NFL Draft has been discussed, but one reason hasn’t gotten much attention.
I’ll be the first to say how sick I am of the quarterback conundrum plaguing Broncos Country. The debates make for fresh content, but after a while, it becomes stale and overdone.
As the draft quickly approaches, rumors are beginning to swirl as to who certain teams will pick. Still, no one will know for sure until Roger Goodell walks out onto the stage to a chorus of boo’s and announces the picks.
The Denver Broncos, like clockwork, have been lumped into the quarterback rumors yet again. Will it be Trey Lance? Justin Fields? Will George Paton trade for Teddy Bridgewater or Gardner Minshew? Truthfully, I’m not sure the rookie GM Paton knows.
One of the more interesting options for the Denver Broncos to consider in the draft is trade down and out of the 9th overall spot. What makes this an even more enticing option is that a team who would want to trade up to the 9th spot won’t necessarily be taking a quarterback.
I do believe the Broncos will have multiple trade offers on the table for the 9th pick if they don’t trade up themselves. If that does become the case, the Broncos should try and find the best offer available for a couple of reasons.
First, this class is loaded with talent. The mid-late first round all the way into the third round is rich with immediate impact players. The Denver Broncos trading down, let’s say, into the teens allows for them to target a guy like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Or, if they’re feeling frisky, they could realistically trade down again to acquire more picks.
The day two value in this draft is high, and the Broncos should look to trade down to acquire more picks this year, and in years to come.
The second reason why the Broncos should consider trading down can be found in Seattle, Washington, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Acquiring more picks in future drafts can help the Broncos chase both Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers next offseason.
Stay with me here.
After the 2020 season concluded, the always candid and Jeopardy guest host Aaron Rodgers had some interesting words where he questioned his own future with the team.
Not only that, the CEO of the Packers appeared to be noncommittal with the future HOF quarterback. Rodgers and the Packers have always seemed to have an uneasy relationship at best, further exacerbated by the Packers drafting Jordan Love in the first round last year instead of a much-needed pass-catcher to pair with Davante Adams.
Rodgers responded by winning the NFL MVP, but it’s clear that the offense is missing a piece.
The Packers got blown out in the 2019 NFC Championship game and lost a close game in the 2020 NFC Championship game. To me, it’s borderline criminal that a team as talented as the Packers with a quarterback as talented as Aaron Rodgers only has one Super Bowl appearance to show for it.
I think both Green Bay and Rodgers know the writing is on the wall for an eventual divorce, and to me, it’s Super Bowl or bust for them. They may very well make a run to the NFCCG again, but what good does it do Rodgers for his own legacy if they fall short of winning for the third year in a row?
I would put money on the Tompa Bay Buccaneers being the NFC representative in the Super Bowl next year, so I think it is a real possibility that Rodgers formally requests a trade. If that happens, the Broncos could use some of the picks they acquired from trading down in this year’s draft to bring Rodgers to Mile High.
There’s a similar scenario for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. They haven’t been relevant in the playoffs since 2014 and have largely underperformed with a HOF coach and QB. Wilson did come out and say he was tired of being hit earlier in the offseason, and the Seahawks were answering the phone regarding a trade, although they never officially made him available.
Not only that, his preferred destinations outside of Seattle were leaked, making it seem like he actively wanted out.
The Seahawks actually have quite a few holes where Mr. Unlimited can mask with his play, but another early-round playoff exit for the Seahawks might yield Russ wanting a trade.
Both situations above I think can end a lot like the Matthew Stafford-Lions situation. The Stafford-led Lions largely underachieve to no fault of his own.
Like the Seahawks and Packers, their underachieving is no fault of either of their QBs, so I think there are valid similarities between both situations, and since we saw one end with the QB asking for a trade, I think the others can end the same way.
The Broncos trading down in 2021 and acquiring draft capital for the 2022 draft and maybe beyond is a forward-thinking move that George Paton to consider.
Between the value in this draft and the solid chance that either QB becomes available, it makes too much sense for the Denver Broncos to not pick at 9 in the 2021 NFL Draft.