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2014 NFL Draft: 5 Potential Trade-Down Scenarios for the Houston Texans at 33

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The Houston Texans seem to be in a no-lose situation right now, as they hold all the cards with the first pick in the second day of the 2014 NFL draft. 

There are a ton of talented players remaining on the board. In fact, I count 20 prospects that I gave first-round grades that are still available after the first day of the draft. The big name floating out there is former Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, who many had pegged as a top-20 pick. He was the odd-man out in the late run of quarterbacks last night that included Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.

Would the Texans seriously consider drafting Carr as an eventual starter, especially with their not-so-friendly history with that name? In a vacuum, it makes little sense, but I have a hard time believing the Texans would pass up on Derek Carr because his brother struggled with the franchise years ago.

If Houston does decide to move the pick, there are going to be a ton of teams looking to trade up.

Let’s quickly take a look at a few.

Oakland Raiders: They possess the 36th pick when the draft gets going again tonight. General manager Reggie McKenzie and Co. have been linked to Derek Carr a ton in the past couple months. In fact, it’s likely that he was their No. 1 quarterback heading in. The Raiders could pick up Carr here with the idea of him starting a year or two from now.

Seattle Seahawks: They acquired an additional fourth-round pick by moving back to the second round. The Seahawks could now potentially trade up to the 33rd pick, giving up less than that, depending on what offers Houston receives. Considering that they were said to be targeting Dominique Easley with the 32nd pick, the likeliest option in a trade-up scenario would be defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman. In addition to that, the Seahawks are said to be looking at wide receivers. Could Marqise Lee be an option?

St. Louis Rams: Yet another NFC West team that could be looking to make the jump. St. Louis addressed needs along the offensive and defensive lines in the first round. It now needs to turn its attention to wide receiver and cornerback. This is where the aforementioned Lee as well as small-school cornerback Pierre Desir might come into play.

San Francisco 49ers: With five picks on Day 2 of the draft, San Francisco can do whatever it pleases in terms of moving up and down the board. After going with an all-around defensive back stud in the first round in the form of Jimmie Ward, the 49ers top remaining need is wide receiver. Marqise Lee would definitely be an option in a potential trade-up scenario.

Tennessee Titans: The Titans did not pick up Jake Locker’s fifth-year option for 2015, which means that they could very well be looking at a quarterback this evening. Unfortunately, they don’t have a third-round pick due to a trade with San Francisco during the draft last April. Would Tennessee be okay with not possessing a pick in the third and fourth rounds in order to move up for Carr?

Photo:  Troy Taormina, USA Today

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