Five NFL teams that could trade their first-round pick

The 2023 NFL Draft is just eight days away and there is still plenty of mystery surrounding not only the No. 1 overall pick but which teams could be looking to wheel and deal their picks.

While Carolina and Chicago already pulled off one blockbuster deal, here are five other teams that could potentially shake up the first round of the draft by trading their picks.

Arizona Cardinals, No. 3 overall

While Arizona has plenty of holes to fill, quarterback isn’t one of them. The Cardinals could be primed to benefit from the expected run on quarterbacks in the top five if a QB-needy team like the Colts, Titans (see below), Commanders or Buccaneers entice them with a bounty of picks and players to move back in the first round.

Picking up extra picks in the second or third round, plus perhaps a first rounder next season, could be exactly what first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort needs to jump start Arizona’s rebuild. The Cardinals are likely two or three years away from being competitive again in the NFC West, so they can’t go wrong with stockpiling as much draft capital as possible.

Tennessee Titans, No. 11 overall

Perhaps the hottest rumor going around right now involved the Titans moving up into the top 10 to grab either Anthony Richardson or Will Levis. Ryan Tannehill is in the final year of his contract, so securing a potential franchise QB now makes a lot of sense for Tennessee considering it’s not known if first-year GM Ran Carthon plans to rebuild the roster his way or simply keep adding pieces in hopes of keeping the team’s playoff window open.

If a quarterback isn’t an option, the Titans, who only have six draft picks this year, could also trade out of the No. 11 pick and move back in the first round to acquire more draft capital. Tennessee needs help at receiver, offensive line, cornerback and edge rusher, so turning the No. 11 pick into multiple selections could be Carthon’s end game.

Pittsburgh Steelers, No. 17 overall

The Steelers biggest need is arguably cornerback, and their worst-case scenario would be if there’s a run on the position in the top 15. Devon Witherspoon, Joey Porter Jr. and Christian Gonzalez would all be strong fits in the Pittsburgh defensive backfield, but it’s possible a trade up would have to happen to land one of the three.

A team wanting to trade back for an extra pick or two like Atlanta, Tennessee or Houston would make sense as a willing trade partner considering they would still be picking in the top 20. NBC Sports’ Peter King also hinted the Steelers could trade up if Jalen Carter is still available in the last few picks of the top 10.

Detroit Lions, No. 18 overall

The Lions should get an instant starter with the No. 6 overall pick (likely on the defensive line), and GM Brad Holmes could flip the team’s second first rounder to add more picks in Rounds 2-3 or another first rounder next year for a team looking to move up for one of the top wide receivers or perhaps Texas running back Bijan Robinson.

Detroit could also simply swap the pick to move back in the first round with a team wanting to come up for a player it loves. The Lions are the team best suited to make the draft work for them.

Los Angeles Chargers, No. 21 overall

The Chargers should be all about adding depth at key positions, and what better way to do that then to turn one first-round pick into multiple second or third rounders? L.A. could also grab Robinson and flip running back Austin Ekeler who’s unhappy with his contract situation to acquire more picks as well.

With age and health concerns surrounding Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, I also wouldn’t rule out moving up a few spots to get either Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Jordan Addison either.