As NFL teams increasingly reach the conclusion that the most valuable asset in football is a starting quarterback on his rookie contract, it’s getting more important than ever to draft the right quarterback. And teams are more eager than ever before to trade up and get the quarterback they want.
In fact, 10 of the last 11 first-round quarterbacks have been drafted by a team that traded up to get him.
Last year the Browns had the first overall pick and used it on Baker Mayfield, but the other four quarterbacks were all acquired through trading up in the draft: The Jets traded up for Sam Darnold, the Bills traded up for Josh Allen, the Cardinals traded up for Josh Rosen and the Ravens traded up from the second round into the first round for Lamar Jackson.
In 2017 the Bears traded up for Mitchell Trubisky, the Chiefs traded up for Patrick Mahomes and the Texans traded up for Deshaun Watson.
In 2016 the Rams traded up for Jared Goff, the Eagles traded up for Carson Wentz and the Broncos traded up for Paxton Lynch.
This year the Cardinals are widely believed to be leaning toward quarterback Kyler Murray first overall. If that happens, it seems likely that the 49ers (picking second) and the Jets (picking third) will get trade offers from teams looking for Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins or Missouri quarterback Drew Lock. In today’s NFL, teams don’t sit and wait and hope the quarterback they like falls to them. They go up and get him.
