The NFL draft constantly consists of big, headlining trades. These will usually be spoken about for years after and set a precedent for future trades. However, plenty of smaller, yet very impactful trades will be completely underappreciated. The Los Angeles Chargers brand new General Manager, Joe Hortiz did just that.
Reasoning For The Trade
The Los Angeles Chargers were coming off of night one with a brand-new shiny offensive tackle. Joe Alt. However, the glaring need for a wide receiver was something that many fans were begging to be addressed. They were extremely disappointed when it was not addressed in round one. The start of round two had a few very intriguing options left, which consisted of Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Ja’Lynn Polk, and AD Mitchell. The Chargers quickly realized that after the Bills 33rd overall selection of Keon Coleman, wide receivers were going to fly off the board. Waiting until their selection of 37 was not going to be enough.
Joe Hortiz decided to call around for a trade-up in the top of round two, and it was the price was not steep whatsoever for the bolts. Landing their player of choice while not giving up very much capital is exactly what the Chargers/Joe Hortiz wanted and needed.
As for the Patriots side of things, their target was Washington receiver, Ja’Lynn Polk. Polk was looked at as a late second-round prospect, and the Patriots seemed to know that. If they could trade back just a little bit whilst squeezing any sort of value from a team and still get their exact target, this would be a win for them. Then the Chargers came calling about a trade-up. The Patriots got what they wanted as well. That said, what was the exact trade details?
The Trade + Outcome
Joe Hortiz calls the Patriots and eventually pulls off one of the best value trades of the year. This trade was the Chargers giving New England the No. 37 pick and the No. 110 selection (fourth round) in exchange for No. 34 and No. 137 (fifth round).
Moving up three spots in the second round to secure the player you want and doing so by only moving back 27 spots from the fourth to the fifth round is a massive value. The Los Angeles Chargers selected Ladd McConkey at pick 34, and he was considered the best receiver left on the board, as well as a bona fide first round talent. Chargers fans were much happier than they were after night one. Hortiz got Justin Herbert a top-5 talent at offensive tackle, and arguably the safest and best separating receiver of the entire class. Doing so by only moving back 27 selections in the fourth round. The fifth round selection yielded Tarheeb Still, an OTA surprise for the Chargers. Joe Hortiz was hired for a reason.
The Patriots just drafted their Quarterback of the future at pick three in this draft, and knew that giving him a wide receiver to throw too was next on their list. As mentioned before, their target of Ja’Lynn Polk gave them more flexibility to receiver a trade up from a team who needs too. They got some value from the Chargers trading up, and it still landed them their guy. The selection they received from the Chargers ended up being Missouri Wide Receiver, Javon Baker. Many compared Baker to Chargers’ own Joshua Palmer. Another great weapon for the Patriots young Quarterback. A win-win for both teams.
Full Results
Chargers:
- Pick 34: Ladd McConkey
- Pick 137: Tarheeb Still
Patriots:
- Pick 37: Ja’Lynn Polk
- Pick 110: Javon Baker
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
