The draft trades that shape tomorrow’s games are really interesting, especially how they tie in to each other and the Patriots. Imagine how different this weekend would be if the Chiefs hadn’t traded up for Mahomes in 2017.
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In 2017, the Bills held the 10th overall pick. The Saints held the 11th pick and by all accounts were going to draft Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs traded up from 27th to 10th and drafted Mahomes, in exchange for the 27th pick, the 91st pick, and a 2018 first round pick.
The Bills used the 27th pick on Tre’Davious White and next year’s first rounder on Tremaine Edmunds, two star players.
The Saints picked Marshon Lattimore at #11 after missing on Mahomes. This is thought to have nixed their interest in trading for Malcolm Butler. Butler would go on to be benched in SB52, and there’s speculation that game affected Tom Brady’s relationship with the Patriots (but hey, let’s just have fun with this and embrace the dramatic license rather than having an angry debate.) Brady later shocked the sporting world and left the Patriots. (See next.)
Since Mahomes went to the Chiefs, the Saints instead extended and committed to Drew Brees. During the 2020 offseason, Brady and the Saints were heading towards an agreement when Brees decided to play another season. Brady signed with the Bucs instead.
Meanwhile, the Bills had passed on Mahomes and had the 12th pick in the 2018 draft and needed a quarterback. The Bills traded up with the Bucs, to 6th overall, and drafted Josh Allen, in exchange for the #12 overall pick, 53rd, and 55th pick.
The Bucs used the the #12 pick to draft Vita Vea and then Carlton Davis in the second round.
Perhaps regretting missing on Mahomes, the Saints got very aggressive and traded up to obtain the #14 overall pick from the Packers to select Marcus Davenport. The Packers received the #27 overall pick and the Saints 2019 first round pick. The move had a big negative impact on the Saints and positive impact on the Packers.
The Packers packaged the #27 pick obtained from the Saints to move back into the first round and selected Jaire Alexander at #18 and Darnell Savage in the first round in 2019.