The Case Against Trading Up For The No. 1 Pick

There has been a lot of talk as of late about teams who could potentially trade up with the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 overall pick. While trading up for the No. 1 overall pick may seem enticing, it isn’t a wise idea for any team to trade up to that spot in this particular draft.

One reason a team shouldn’t trade up that high is that what they would have to give up wouldn’t be worth what they are getting back. In this draft class, there isn’t a quarterback who should be considered worthy of a trade up. Carson Wentz appears to be the No. 1 quarterback in this class by most teams, but he doesn’t have the mental processing or accuracy to warrant a trade up. Goff is the best talent in this draft, but he can be had with a trade up to around the No. 4 overall pick, which would require a lot less capital.

Furthermore, there isn’t another position that is worthy of giving up the assets necessary to get to the No. 1 overall pick. Laremy Tunsil is the best player in this draft, but it is not smart to give up a ton of capital to move up for a left tackle. They just don’t affect the game enough. For example, Joe Thomas is the best left tackle in football and the Cleveland Browns haven’t been successful for the entirety of his career. If you are going to trade up to the No. 1 overall pick, it better be for a player who can significantly improve your ability to win games.

Underrated Prospect Of The Week: Tyrone Holmes, Montana

While this draft class is devoid of a lot of elite pass-rushing talent at the top, there are a few good pass-rushers who can be had in the mid-rounds at a great value. One of those players is Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes. The Montana product is an elite athlete at a position that puts a premium on athletic ability.

At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Holmes is a little light, but he has a get off that is elite. His quickness off the line puts a ton of stress on opposing offensive tackles, which allowed him to put up a ton of production at Montana. Holmes utilizes great bend, power and a nifty inside move to become a catalytic presence on the defensive line.

The speedy defensive end has the ability to play as a defensive end in an even front or an outside linebacker in an odd front. Against the run, Holmes utilizes great knee bend and hip snap to press offensive lineman off his body, which allows him to shed and get to the ball quickly.

One negative about Holmes is that he has short arms, which inhibits his ability to stack and shed against offensive tackles in the run game. Holmes knows how to stack and shed well, but his physical dimensions inhibit his ability to do it consistently.

Overall, Holmes has the ability to be a steal in this draft class with a little technical refinement and patient coaching.

Looking Ahead

At this point in the pre-draft process, most of the evaluations are over with, which makes in enticing to take a look ahead to next year’s draft class. While it may seem early, let’s take a glance at the elite talent that could be available in the 2017 draft.

The early favorite for the No. 1 overall pick is Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. While he has been hampered by injuries at times in his career, Watson has the athleticism and arm talent to be an elite quarterback prospect.

There are two positions that appear to be stacked at this early stage of the 2017 NFL Draft. Running back and edge defender are two positions that should have a ton of talent declaring. At running back you have players such as Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffery, Royce Freeman, Dalvin Cook, Nick Chubb and Samaje Perine. This may be one of the most talented running back classes in NFL history.

The edge defender position isn’t far behind with elite talents like Myles Garrett, Tim Williams, Jonathan Allen, Derek Barnett, Maquis Haynes and Charles Harris.

It is still really early, but the 2017 draft class looks like it could be a very good one.