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Some buzz on Round 2:
— Among the players the #Bengals like at No. 33 are Ross Blocklock & Denzel Mims.
— #Colts (34) & #Dolphins (39) open to moving out.
— #Saints (CB? LB?), #Jets (CB?), #Jaguars (OT?), #Falcons among the teams who have made calls to move up.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2020
The second round of the 2020 NFL Draft is going to be filled with intrigue, if the latest reports are any indication. The New Orleans Saints were among several teams actively working to trade up and secure a pick early on Friday night, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport rattling them off in a list that included the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Atlanta Falcons. Each of those teams could end up arranging a deal to climb up in the second round, but the Saints would be making the biggest jump. Right now, they don’t even own a second-round pick.
Rapoport also speculated that the Saints could be targeting a cornerback or linebacker with this move. While he didn’t specify which position the Saints might want to address so badly, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer also reported that the Saints are busily working the phones to try and find a trade partner before the second round kicks off.
But which teams might be interested in trading down? The Dolphins were one possibility suggested by Rapoport, as were the Indianapolis Colts (at No. 34). Miami owns multiple picks in the second round at Nos. 39 and 56, ironically because the Saints traded with them last year, targeting Erik McCoy. The Dolphins have a history of cutting deals with New Orleans, going back to the Kenny Stills-Dannell Ellerbe trade way back in 2015. Maybe they can work something out again.
Other options to watch would be the Baltimore Ravens (picking at Nos. 55 and 60) and the Chicago Bears (with selections at Nos. 43 and 50). But if the Saints are really wanting to get ahead of their competition, they might need to put a ton of chips on the table and aim even higher. Don’t sleep on another trade with the New England Patriots, who the Saints have often traded with in the past (remember the Brandin Cooks deal?). The Patriots traded down and out of the first round, acquiring the Los Angeles Chargers pick at No. 37.
Whichever direction the Saints end up going, they won’t have lacked for options.
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