Despite the rumors of the Washington Redskins trading up to the No. 2 pick to draft Blaine Gabbert, the Missouri quarterback may not be the hottest player for teams to seek in a trade up.
Patrick Peterson will be hot commodity Thursday
That could be LSU's Patrick Peterson. The cornerback is regarded by many to be the best player in this year's draft. There are also a few teams that could be interested in giving up extra picks to go after him.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has long been rumored to be infatuated with Peterson thanks to his blend of size and playmaking ability. The trouble for the Cowboys is that they don't have many picks in this year's draft. Because of that, they may also look to trade down, acquire more picks and get value out of taking an offensive tackle.
The Texans, who currently hold the 11th pick, may also be a suitor for Peterson. The team's biggest needs are cornerback, safety and pass rusher. If the team thinks it can get a pass rusher in free agency, it would make sense for them to trade their first and second round picks to obtain Peterson.
In a weak safety class, Houston may not target the position until the third round or later. If that’s the case, they would instantly upgrade the back four with Peterson and a safety.
Philadelphia may also be in the mix for a trade up to take Peterson. Adding a No. 1 cornerback would allow the Eagles to use Asante Samuel to work in his more proper spot on opposing teams No. 2 receiver. The Eagles have also shown in the past that they're not afraid to deal picks.
The issue is figuring out where Houston or Dallas would have to trade up to. It seems likely the Cleveland Browns would draft Peterson if he's available and A.J. Green and Marcell Dareus aren't available.
Anyone wanting Peterson may have to figure out a deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Considering Arizona has many holes to fill, adding extra picks and getting either the ninth or 11th pick overall might be too good to pass up.
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