NFL Draft Sleeper Comparison: Quarterback

By Chase Petersen

The draft is just two days away, holy hell that sounds crazy. However, we all know that the first round never goes without trades, and there already have been many. Today, I have 5 trades, varying in realism, for you guys to check out! The trade value was based off the 2022 NFL Trade Value Chart, so if one of these looks majorly unrealistic, yell at them, not me!

1: Seattle sends DK Metcalf to New Orleans for the 19th and 98th overall picks

Credit: Seahawks.com

Davante Adams was moved to the Oakland Raiders for the 22nd and 53rd overall picks. On the trade value chart that is 780 + 370 points, equalling 1,150 points, or equivalent to the 13th overall pick. In this trade, the ultra-aggressive Saints pounce on a WR that has been considered available by many. For context, the 19th and 98th overall picks equal out to 983 trade value points.

This trade gives the Saints a dominant vertical weapon that we know Jameis Winston would love, and pairs him with Michael Thomas, who day by day is looking more and more affordable. MT and DK would prove to be possibly the best WR duo in the league and give Jameis a group of weapons that he has never had before. This of course kills the plan to possibly move up for a QB, but also wouldn’t hinder them from getting one completely – it is more than feasible in this class that the QB2 doesn’t come off the board until pick 16.

On the flip side, this deal gives Seattle a ton of flexibility moving forward. After trading Russell Wilson, the Seahawks aren’t going to compete anyways, so they might as well go full rebuild. Starting this year with picks 9 and 19, they also have two first round picks next year. Four top 32 picks over the next two seasons, and it’s likely their pick next year is top 10 – that puts them in a very good situation to get Bryce Young or CJ Stroud if they fall in love with one of them.

2: Jets send picks 35 and 111 to the Chiefs for the 30th overall pick

Credit: NewYorkJets.com

The Jets have the ammo to move back up into the 1st round for a player they love that’s falling. 35th overall, plus 111 overall, is worth 622 points on the trade value chart. 30th overall is worth 620, so the trade is even from a value perspective. 

This move for the Jets means they have their eye on a player that’s sliding down the board. They have two high second round picks, and two fourth round picks, so they use one of each to move up and select a higher valued prospect. Three first round picks, a high second, and a high third, gives the Jets a ton of chances to put a respectable roster around Zach Wilson. 

For the Chiefs this move makes sense because they need to load up on cheap, young talent. They traded Tyreek Hill away because they didn’t want to pay him, so the Chiefs would be best off to load up on as many picks as they can get to fill out a rather thin roster. The beginning of the second round has been a hotspot for stud WR’s in recent history, and the Chiefs would hope that repeats itself.

3: Pittsburgh sends Seattle picks 20, 138 and a 2023 1st to move up to 9

Credit: Steelers.com

On the trade value chart the 9th overall pick is worth 1,350 points. The 20th overall pick comes out to 850 points. Generally, next year’s 1st round pick is valued as this year’s 2nd, so that comes out to 420 points. Add in 138 overall’s 37 points, and the package comes out to 1307 points.

This move for Pittsburgh means there’s a QB that they’re moving up for. We’ve heard the talk that they love Malik Willis, so perhaps this is the move they make to go snatch him up. This roster was able to succeed last year with horrible QB play, so Mike Tomlin knows he needs to get someone back there that can light it up. I do not think they make this move for anything other than a quarterback.

This move for Seattle is similar to the first, in that they need to rebuild, and need more picks to do it. In this hypothetical trade they get two first round picks, regaining that Jamal Adams capital, just at the expense of Russell Wilson. The more shots at getting young stars for Seattle, the better; their roster is simply all-round short on talent.

4: Kansas City trades picks 29, 62, 121, and a 2023 1st rounder to Minnesota for picks 12 and 77

The 12th pick comes out to a value of 1,200 points for the Vikings, and the 29th pick comes out to 640 for the Chiefs. Throw in the 62nd pick and 121st pick, and you get 336 more points bringing the Chiefs to 976. Again the ’23 first gets scored as a ’22 second, so we add 420 points, bringing the chiefs total package to 1396 points. Add together the Vikings’ picks and they equal out to 1405 points.

This move for the Chiefs means they have a player, whether it be a CB, EDGE, or WR that they love falling far enough for them to think a move up is worth it. Possible players being Jameson Williams, Kyle Hamilton, or perhaps they’re besotted with with a Jermaine Johnson or Jordan Davis. This trade gives the Chiefs a potential blue chipper from this class, and allows them to keep their other first rounder as well.

I think this move makes a lot of sense for the Vikings, as the roster is very talented, but also very top heavy. The place where the holes in their roster lay are also where the draft is deep; they could move back and feasibly land an Andrew Booth, Kaiir Elam, George Karlaftis, or even a Tyler Linderbaum. It also allows Minnesota to move back up into the 2nd round, and maybe that’s where they shoot for a wide receiver.

5: Baltimore sends Carolina picks 14, 45, and 128 to move up to number 6

Ravens.com

For Carolina, the sixth pick is valued at 1600 points. The Baltimore package comes out to 1100 + 450 + 44, to equal out to 1594 total points. 

Carolina is a roster in desperate need of talent across the board. They also are completely dry on day two draft picks, so this move back gives them a round 2 pick that they need. They perhaps lose out on a chance at Kayvon Thibodeaux, Derek Stingley, or Ikem Ekwonu; it still leaves them in range for Kenny Pickett, Jermaine Johnson, and Trent McDuffie. At 45, the Panthers could fall into a Bernhard Raimann, David Ojabo, or Sam Howell.

For the Ravens, this is a move up to get in front of the Giants for either an OT or CB. Possible players are Derek Stingley, Evan Neal, or Ikem Ekwonu. This organization does too good a job at winning, so they won’t often be this high in the draft with a chance to get a true blue chipper. They have EIGHT picks in rounds 2-4, so they have the capital to move around as they please.

CHASE PETERSEN

NFL DRaft ANALYST

From just outside Kansas City Missouri, Chase has been obsessed with the NFL Draft for as long as he can remember. An avid Minnesota Vikings and Texas Longhorns fan, connect with Chase on Twitter @SportsTalkCenter

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