Trades are typically a key component of the NFL draft. They can also be very tricky to predict when doing mock drafts.
For the most part, mock drafts are done without trades. But every now and then, you'll have mocks with all trades. That was an exercise recently done at Sports Illustrated by Matt Verderame, where every pick was traded in some fashion. We'll discuss the Cincinnati Bengals ' trade and pick.
In this mock, the Bengals swing a deal with the Atlanta Falcons to move up two spots, from No. 17 to No. 15. The Bengals make the move for Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart to bolster their pass-rush.
The deal sees the Bengals acquire picks 15 and 218 for 17 and 115.
"Stewart might be the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect in the first round. He ran a 4.59 40-yard-dash at 267 pounds," wrote Verderame. "Still, he wasn’t particularly dominant with the Aggies, totaling 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons at College Station. That said, if he hits his ceiling, he could be a steal for Cincinnati."
Stewart has become a polarizing prospect in this draft. It's become about how teams and analysts value his upside compared to his usage and lack of elite production while at Texas A&M. There are mocks where he's in the top ten, there are mocks where he falls out of the first round. Ultimately, it only takes one team to fall in love with Stewart. Maybe that team is the Bengals, who need help alongside Trey Hendrickson -- if the team even keeps Hendrickson.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals mock draft features a Cincy trade up for star prospect