With it only being the sixth week of games in the NFL, the team picking first in the 2012 NFL Draft remains highly debatable.
2012 NFL Draft: Andrew Luck’s trade value
As such, it's impossible to be certain which team will be able to secure Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck at No. 1. As we know, the winless Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins have the best chance at picking first. But with so many games left to play, it's not unreasonable to think a scenario could unfold where both teams win some games and the St. Louis Rams secures the first overall pick in the draft.
Since the Rams just took quarterback Sam Bradford first overall in 2010, they're one of the teams not in need of Luck. That could lead to innumerable trade offers for the top pick.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated, along with veteran NFL personnel man Ernie Accorsi, came up what it might take to trade up for Luck.
I think three first-round picks for the first selection in the 2012 draft is more than fair if the team that earns that right is in a dealing mood. One of those picks would have to be in the top 10 of the 2012 draft. “If he’s as good as everyone says he is, absolutely it’s a realistic price,” Accorsi said.
As King points out, Accorsi essentially gave up two firsts, a third- and a fifth-round pick to trade for Eli Manning. With Luck considered to be in a higher class than Manning, the cost could be as high as three first-round picks.
That again is why it's reasonable to come up with a team more suitable than the Cleveland Browns to trade up for Luck. Right now, the Browns currently have the 10th pick in the first round, and the 17th which comes from the Atlanta Falcons from the Julio Jones trade. If current Browns quarterback Colt McCoy continues to play as he has this season, that 10th pick could end up being much higher.
The trade would be attractive for the Rams because they could double dip in the first round and theoretically get an extra pick in 2013. The Browns also have an extra fourth-round pick in 2012 that could sweeten up the deal. The Rams could parlay the two first-round picks into an offensive tackle and cornerback.
As King notes, a team like the Dolphins (or really any with one first-round pick) would likely have to offer more than simply a first in 2012 and 2013, a third- and a fifth-round pick. It would be hard to see a team mortgaging the future of its youth for one player, no matter how good Luck is expected to be.
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