With little more than 24 hours until the NFL Draft, the rumor mill is swirling, particularly around potential trades that could happen in the first round Thursday night.
The most recent report, from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, has the Washington Redskins exploring moving into the top five.
There are plenty of teams in the top five that might be interested in trading down, as well as other teams that have incentive to trade up.
Here are 10 teams most likely to move up or down in this year’s draft:
Arizona Cardinals
They may have the No. 1 overall pick, but there is no certainty they will hold onto that pick. Many expect the Cardinals to take Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray, but there is also some doubt because they traded up to select Josh Rosen as their quarterback last year.
If the Cardinals are confident in Rosen as their quarterback and a quarterback-needy team gives them a ring with a haul they just cannot refuse, it is possible the Cardinals trade down from No. 1.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been linked heavily to pass rusher Nick Bosa, but if the Cardinals select Bosa instead of Murray, things could get interesting with the No. 2 pick. The 49ers have traded out of this spot before, in 2017, down to No. 3 along with several other picks so the Chicago Bears could draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but how far and for how much would they be willing to trade back again?
New York Jets
The team most likely to trade out of the top five. Gang Green has just six picks in this year’s draft and do not own a second-rounder after using it to trade up for Sam Darnold last year. Even if Murray is off the board already, teams interested in Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock could call the Jets to make a move up.
Oakland Raiders
Do not sleep on Jon Gruden's Raiders doing something drastic on draft day. They have three first-round picks, making them the team that could provide the best return if they wanted to move up to No. 1 to draft Murray. The question is: How serious are they about Murray? They have Derek Carr at QB and other pressing needs, particularly on defense.
They could, however, trade one of their first-round picks to collect more picks and address those other needs, as ESPN's Dan Graziano noted.
New York Giants
The Giants own two picks this year — No. 6 pick and No. 17 (from the Odell Beckham trade) — and seem to be interested in drafting a quarterback to learn under Eli Manning before eventually replacing the two-time Super Bowl winner.
Though many believe the Giants will stay put at No. 6, but they could have incentive to move up from No. 17 if they do not want to risk losing out on Haskins or Lock. They have 12 total picks in the draft, plenty of capital to move up.
Detroit Lions
The Lions have been mentioned as a potential trade partner for the Redskins if Washington cannot crack the top five. Detroit GM Bob Quinn has not been shy about seeking depth in this draft, and he could try and stack up on picks instead of using his at No. 8.
Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton has two years left on his contract and has a new head coach in Zac Taylor who may want his own quarterback at the helm. The Bengals have 11 draft picks and if they like a quarterback who may not be there at No. 11, it is possible they could trade up.
On the flip side, if they are not interested in any of the quarterbacks, they could trade down and collect even more draft capital. The Bengals do have a lot of needs.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have been tipped to draft a quarterback, but they may actually be better suited as a team to trade down. The Dolphins are not expected to be competitive in 2019 and if they are committed to tanking (and drafting No. 1 in 2020), they may leverage the No. 13 pick into additional and future picks for the rebuild.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins suddenly have a lot buzz as we head into draft day. They are in the market for a quarterback, and even if they do not trade all the way up into the top five, they still could move out of the No. 15 pick. Could they leapfrog the Denver Broncos, Dolphins and Bengals into the top 10?
New England Patriots
Normally, the Patriots are trading back, but this year it could be the other way around. The team lost its tight end, left tackle and best pass rusher, and have a 41-year-old quarterback who cannot play forever, despite what Tom Brady says. They have 12 picks, six of which are in the first three rounds (starting with No. 32 overall), which would be attractive for any team trying to stockpile picks. A trade up could get the Patriots a potential heir to Brady or a pass rusher who can make an immediate impact.
By John Healy