With less than 24 hours to go now until the 2014 NFL Draft gets underway, the annual pre selection meeting buzz machine is in full gear. Here’s a look at what’s being put our there Wednesday evening.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, sources around the league are insisting that the Miami Dolphins are looking to trade out of the No. 19 overall spot.
If the Dolphins move up in round one, Salguero thinks Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin could be their target. However, the Dolphins beat writer is against such a move and hopes they are looking to trade down instead.
If Martin is still on the board come time for the Steelers to pick, this might be something to watch for. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert indicated on Monday that he’s not opposed to trading down in the first round if he believes he can still secure one of 19 or so players. A move up four spots by the Dolphins would easily cost them their third-round pick, which is the 81st overall.
In addition to the Dolphins potentially wanting to trade up or down in round one, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports on Wednesday that the Denver Broncos are also “talking about” trading up. The Broncos, who own the 31st overall pick in the first round, are rumored to be looking for an inside linebacker and that could mean that either Alabama’s C.J. Mosley or Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier could be in their crosshairs.
A move up by the Broncos to secure either of those two players would at least cost them their second round pick and potentially another pick as well. Would the Dolphins be willing to go down 12 spots for a second round pick? That adds up on the trade value chart.
To round out the Wednesday evening buzz, Ed Werder of ESPN reports that nobody in the league will be surprised if LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is picked before Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans.
Evans has been considered by many to be the second-best wide receiver in this year’s draft class for most of the offseason, but there’s no denying that Beckham is a first-round talent as well. Regardless of which one is drafted first, there’s a good chance both are off the board by the time the Steelers pick rolls around.
