NY Jets, Denver Broncos could consider first-round swap in NFL Draft

The NY Jets could pull off a first-round swap in the 2020 NFL Draft with the Denver Broncos. Here are all the details and how it could look.

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft we’ve explored several possible avenues for the NY Jets to trade up (full details here), trade down (full details here), and evaluated specific trade opportunities with the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers.

The latest rumor mill has revealed that the Denver Broncos are exploring trade-up opportunities in the first round. Currently, the Broncos hold the 15th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network stated this week that he expects the run on wide receivers “to start around 11 with the NY Jets or 12 with the Las Vegas Raiders.” But he warned that we should watch out for the Denver Broncos “who are looking to move up.”

One wide receiver that the Broncos are reportedly targeting and have been for some time is Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III. NFL/Broncos Insider Benjamin Allbright has confirmed that on social media.

On Thursday afternoon former NFL general manager and current writer for The Athletic, Michael Lombardi reported that the Broncos “are trying to make a deal with Cleveland” to jump up to 10th overall for a wide receiver.

The #Jets Zone w/ @BoyGreen25 feat former #NFL GM @mlombardiNFL:– Takes us inside an #NFLDraft war room on draft day.– Biggest Q w/ Tua Tagovailoa isn't what you think it is.– Does a virtual draft put more pressure on GMs in the league?#TakeFlighthttps://t.co/YIDsknhRB4

— The Jets Zone (@TheJets_Zone) April 15, 2020

A team that sits just one spot behind Cleveland and someone that would be amenable to a potential trade is the NY Jets.

Here’s why that would make sense for the Denver Broncos…

Trading up to 11th overall as opposed to 10th overall is going to be cheaper. Secondly, the Cleveland Browns aren’t taking a wide receiver, they have a surplus as that position. If those two statements are true, why wouldn’t you make a deal with the green and white?

Gang Green has eight selections in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft and in a perfect world would like to add more draft capital for general manager Joe Douglas.

Per the NFL Draft Value Chart, the difference in points between the NY Jets (1250) and the Denver Broncos (1050) is a mere 200 smackers.

If it was simply about adding up points, the Jets could send the 11th overall pick to the Broncos for the 15th overall pick and their best third-rounder (77th overall, worth 205 points).

Although many Jets fans would argue dropping four spots in the first-round and potentially missing out on some of the top receivers and offensive tackles simply wouldn’t be worth the squeeze for just a third-rounder.

With that in mind, here’s a bit more creative of a trade that could make sense…

In this potential scenario, the NY Jets acquire an extremely valuable second-round pick (giving the team four picks in the top-68 featuring: a top-15 pick, a pair of second-rounders, and the team maintains its’ best third-rounder originally from the NY Giants in the Leonard Williams trade which is 68th overall).

In every one of these draft scenarios, the NY Jets have to think long and hard about what they’d potentially be giving up by trading back in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In this case that could mean Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb.