The end of Thursday night's first round of the NFL draft could be more fascinating than the top. That's when teams desperate for some hope at quarterback could look to deal back into the first round.
SI.com's Peter King reports that multiple teams in the high second round have started testing the waters with teams drafting from No. 25 through No. 32 in the first round. This is where players like Ryan Nassib (Syracuse), EJ Manuel (Florida State) and Matt Barkley (USC) could come off the board. (Or West Virginia's Geno Smith if he slips Thursday night, which I still expect to happen.) Let's break this down.
Teams that could look to trade back into first round
Jacksonville Jaguars: NFL.com's Ian Rapoport said Wednesday the Jaguars would grab Nassib if he's still on the board at No. 33. If they felt that strongly about Nassib, perhaps they could move up to grab him.
Buffalo Bills: The value just isn't there for Barkley or Nassib at No. 8. The Bills have the ninth pick in the second round (No. 41), but no extra picks to play around with.
Philadelphia Eagles: If Chip Kelly wanted to draft a quarterback high this year -- which we doubt -- the Eagles would have to jump Jacksonville at No. 33.
New York Jets: Could the Jets wind up with three first-round picks? They might wait a year -- and another coach -- before drafting their quarterback of the future. They can't feel good about their second-round position (No. 39) if they want a quarterback this year, as they're behind the Jaguars, Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona Cardinals: They pick at No. 38, and my guess is they feel good about Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton for this year. They are more likely to wait.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are a wild card in this process. There's no question coach Greg Schiano is not fully sold on Josh Freeman.
Teams that could trade down
Minnesota Vikings: They have two first-round picks (No. 23 and No. 25) and have been rumored to be in the mix for a lot of deals.
St. Louis Rams: A team that wanted to make sure it got "their guy" could move up to St. Louis' No. 22 spot. The Rams also hold the No. 16 overall pick.
New England Patriots: They are short on mid-round picks, and head coach Bill Belichick always is looking to deal. They sit at No. 29 overall.
Atlanta Falcons: It seems more likely that they will move up in the draft, but general manager Thomas Dimitroff is going to look for value in all forms.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
