2018 NFL Draft order: Blockbuster trade shakes up top ten and could lead to more moves

By Levi Damien@LeviDamien Mar 17, 2018, 8:46am PDT

We’re still a month and a half away from the draft and there’s already been a big trade shaking up the top ten. The Jets have made an aggressive move to jump up from their pick at 6 overall to the third overall pick.

In exchange for the swap, the the Colts will receive the Jets’ picks at 37 and 49 in the second round and the Jets’ 2019 second round pick.

This move is almost certainly so the Jets can ensure they get one of the draft’s top quarterbacks, getting ahead of the Broncos at the 5th pick.

Up this point, the only team that was clearly making moves to get into the top ten for a QB was the Bills who recently swapped first rounders with the Bengals in exchange for left tackle Cordy Glenn. The trade moved the Bills up the 12th overall pick, giving them picks at 12 and 22. That appears like a clear motive to ultimately package picks to get into the top ten, or even the top five.

Ahead of the Jets at number two is the Giants. I would expect the upstate New York team to be working the phones with them leading up to the draft. Even though moving up ten spots would be considerably expensive. That puts the Jets sitting pretty. Either they get the QB they want, or their division rival Bills give up most of their draft to get ahead of them.

With the trade executed, here is what the first round draft order will now look like:

1. Cleveland Browns

2. New York Giants

3. New York Jets (from IND)

4. Cleveland Browns (from HOU)

5. Denver Broncos

6. Indianapolis Colts (from NYJ)

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8. Chicago Bears

9. San Francisco 49ers

10. Oakland Raiders

11. Miami Dolphins