The 2020 NFL draft officially begins at 8 p.m. ET on April 23. But in reality, it will begin around 8:20 p.m., when the third overall pick is scheduled to occur.
That's where the dominos will start to fall. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow could have begun paying rent in Cincinnati in January, while Ohio State defensive end Chase Young to the Redskins at No. 2 makes too much sense given his rare upside and the team's need for even more pass-rushers. But then it gets fun.
The Detroit Lions, holders of the third pick, are seemingly in a spot of leverage. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa is the No. 2 quarterback in the class, and one whom NFL evaluators view as a cut above the rest, health concerns aside. And as has been the case for, well, forever, a franchise QB is an exceedingly valuable roster piece. The Lions have theirs already in Matthew Stafford. So the implication to others: Ante up for the third pick. A handful of teams likely looking for a QB are stacked up in or around the top 10, so positioning will be key. And obviously that third pick is the spot of all the power.
Let's dig into some deals that would make sense for the Lions to consider and, of course, the teams that would be moving up. Here is my ranking of the best potential deals each of the QB-needy teams could offer Detroit for the No. 3 pick, starting with the pick-rich Dolphins.
Note: We'll rely on the draft value chart that legendary coach Jimmy Johnson brought to prominence to help navigate some of these suggestions.
1. Miami Dolphins
The hypothetical offer: Miami trades No. 5 and No. 39 in exchange for No. 3 overall