2024 NFL Draft: Five teams most likely to trade up in first round, including Vikings and Giants

2024 NFL Draft: Five teams most likely to trade up in first round, including Vikings and Giants

The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, and the only thing we can expect is the unexpected. Some prospects will go higher than anticipated, and there should be plenty of opening-night trades that will absolutely tear any and every mock draft apart.

Last year, the Houston Texans traded up to No. 3 overall, where they selected eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., right after they selected eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. We also saw the Chicago Bears skip out on selecting defensive tackle Jalen Carter to collect a future fourth-round pick and move back one spot, where they selected offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

Which teams will be looking to move around next week? Let’s take a look at the five teams most likely to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft.

1. Minnesota Vikings

When the Vikings swung a trade with the Texans a month ago, the conclusion seemingly everyone came to was that Minnesota was going to be aggressive when it came to acquiring a quarterback on opening night.

Minnesota acquired the No. 23 overall pick and the No. 232 pick, while sending No. 42 and No. 188 overall to Houston on top of another second-round pick in 2025. The Vikings now have two first-round picks, but zero picks in the second or third rounds. But they are expected to move up for their quarterback. In fact, every one of our CBS Sports NFL Draft expert mock drafts currently have the Vikings trading up for a quarterback, whether that be Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

2. New York Giants

The Giants are in a fascinating position. At No. 6 overall, they could draft a quarterback, or a stud wideout to help Daniel Jones.

Giants owner John Mara has said that he still has “a lot of confidence” in Jones, but that he’s not going to stop his front office from taking a quarterback or even trading up for one if they absolutely fall in love with said quarterback. Whether the top three picks are set in stone or not, it does appear the Giants will have to trade up for one of the top four quarterbacks. Caleb Williams, Maye and Jayden Daniels could go in some order 1-2-3, then the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers could trade down, allowing another quarterback-needy team to take, let’s say, McCarthy. If the Giants have indeed fallen in love with one of these quarterbacks, it appears they will need to trade up.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are another team that would like to draft its new franchise quarterback. Remember that Antonio Pierce has familiarity with Daniels from their days together at Arizona State. It’s going to be tough to trade up with three quarterback-needy teams kicking off the draft, and the Vikings hold that extra first-round pick to utilize. But that doesn’t mean the Raiders are out of the mix.

We don’t know how much the Vikings or Raiders like McCarthy, for example. We also don’t know how willing the Raiders are to mortgage the future for a new quarterback. It’s also not ideal that Vegas selects right behind rival Denver, which could draft a quarterback as well. Could the Raiders make a small trade up the board for someone like Michael Penix Jr.?

4. Buffalo Bills

Let’s get a non-quarterback-needy team in here. Von Miller recently posted a video on social media indicating he would like general manager Brandon Beane to trade up and draft a wide receiver. After all, Buffalo did trade Stefon Diggs to Houston earlier this offseason. We can’t necessarily pencil in Buffalo taking a wideout in the first round, but if it wants to, a trade up from No. 28 is very possible if the Bills want someone like Brian Thomas Jr. instead of Adonai Mitchell or Xavier Worthy.

5. Denver Broncos

Here is another quarterback-needy team. The Russell Wilson investment did not pan out, and Sean Payton is only going to find success in Denver if he can find a quarterback he feels comfortable running his system through. Who is that going to be? Is Jarrett Stidham going to have a shot to battle for the QB1 spot? Is Denver going to add a veteran like Ryan Tannehill? Or maybe the Broncos get aggressive and find a way to trade up for their new starting quarterback.

Denver at No. 12 overall does not absolutely have to trade up for a quarterback. It could take Penix or Bo Nix. Although it doesn’t appear many pundits view those two players as top-12 picks. The Broncos could trade back and make a play for one of these players later in the first round, but GM George Paton and Payton could also get aggressive and trade up for a signal-caller like McCarthy or Maye.