NFL Draft Rumors: Could the Harbaugh Brothers Make a Draft Day Trade?
Ah, manufactured intrigue at its finest.
Those marketing geniuses over at the NFL have preempted the turkey-induced comas we’re contractually obligated to fall into this Thanksgiving with an advanced promise of a little sibling rivalry.
Ravens. Niners. Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh—What more could we ask for?
So after our closest of kin battle over that last drumstick at the dining room table, John and Jim Harbaugh will treat us to a fraternal feud of unprecedented professional pigskin proportions.
This marks the first time in NFL history two brothers have held head coaching positions at the same time, and we have no idea what to expect. How will their intimate knowledge of one another affect the strategies they employ? Will they make a side bet? Will they ease up off the gas or floor it if the game gets out of hand?
We all want to know these things.
What is more, we want to know how 47 years of shared history will affect their interactions even now, months before that much-anticipated matchup. Could the 49ers and Ravens do business in some other way, perhaps even in advance of this weekend’s NFL draft?
Let’s explore whether the brothers Harbaugh have the bargaining chips to pull off a mutually beneficial draft-day deal—or if, to add another chapter to a sibling rivalry, one can rip off the other.
49ers' Draft Situation
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Jim Harbaugh will be looking to make a good first impression on his new team this Thursday.
With the seventh overall pick, however, the 49ers are in a bit of a precarious spot. High enough that Harbaugh will feel the pressure to pick an impact player, low enough that he cannot rest assured that a budding superstar will fall to him.
Now, the Niners' quarterback situation has been nothing short of a disaster the last several years, and QB is obviously their new coach's MO. In spite of all that, don't expect Harbaugh, in a weak year for field generals, to be rushing to the podium to draft Jake Locker.
So what else is out there for San Francisco?
They're in desperate need of some help at outside linebacker, but it appears unlikely that touted-prospect Von Miller will slip that far. Draft Robert Quinn and convert him to OLB, you say? An intriguing idea, to be sure, but is it really intriguing enough to use the seventh overall pick on a project that may never pan out?
The only way in which Harbaugh optimizes this selection is if cornerback Patrick Peterson falls into his lap there. Judged by many experts to be the best athlete and top overall defensive prospect in the draft, Peterson would go a long way to improving the Niners' pockmarked defensive corps.
More and more mock drafts have Peterson slipping to San Francisco, but nothing is guaranteed. I can picture Jim Harbaugh sweating in the war room already.
Ravens' Draft Situation
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Over in Baltimore, John Harbaugh's situation is a little more dicey.
The Ravens appear to be leaning towards drafting either CB Jimmy Smith or DE Cameron Heyward with the 26th overall pick. But as Mike Preston of the Herald-Mail reports, both guys come with major flaws:
"With Smith, there are some serious issues surrounding him like there were with outside linebacker Sergio Kindle, the Ravens' second-round pick out of Texas in 2010. But with defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and his background as a defensive backs coach, the tension isn't as great.
Cameron Heyward?There are fewer questions surrounding him, but more with the Ravens in developing a top pass rusher. The Ravens keep striking out. So if the Ravens take Heyward, they ought to make it a package deal and bring in a pass-rushing specialist as well.
"
Baltimore seems fed up drafting unfulfilled upside year after year—a necessary evil brought on by steady success. Nevertheless, Harbaugh would love the opportunity to trade up and increase his odds of snatching up somebody with a little more staying power on the defensive side.
The question remains...
Will the Harbaugh Brothers Trade?
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On the surface, the pieces may seem like they match up pretty well.
John Harbaugh faces ample uncertainty in Baltimore, while brother Jim deals with not only uncertainty but also the added pressure of handling a top-10 pick in his first ever draft as an NFL head coach. Both appear poised to use their first-round picks towards making defensive strides, but the 49ers—being the less complete team—have many more holes to fill.
So will Jim Harbaugh relinquish control of that higher pick for the opportunity to add some depth with one or two late-round selections? And is John Harbaugh confident enough in the overall depth of his squad to gamble away a pick on Friday and/or Saturday for a bit of prime placement in prime time on Thursday?
Look, the bottom line is these are both smart football men.
John already has the head-coaching credentials to understand that nothing in the draft is a sure thing. If anything, you hedge your bets and stockpile on talent as the draft wears on rather than put all your eggs in one basket.
Jim, despite being the fledgling brother, has already proved during his college coaching career that he's no pushover. He stood up to former big, bad USC head coach Pete Carroll while at Stanford, and he certainly won't let his brother walk all over him. As enticing as a few extra picks may be, the 49ers' faithful want to see their new coach make a bold first impression by drafting an impact player.
So it seems very likely that both men will be keeping their first-round picks. The brotherly intrigue of the football variety may have to wait until Turkey Day—but at least we can revel in the buildup until then.
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