Ravens OLB Matt Judon a draft-weekend trade candidate? ESPN’s Dan Graziano thinks so

While the talk of the country is laser-focused on the main story—the NFL Draft, the side-stories of Trent Williams, Yannick Ngakoue and Jamal Adams are increasing with few hours until the draft begins. But they aren’t the only ones who could be on the move as ESPN’s Dan Graziano includes the Ravens OLB Matt Judon as a trade possibility during draft weekend in his most-recent article, 10 NFL players who could get traded this week: Yannick Ngakoue, Jamal Adams, more.

Matthew Judon, OLB, Baltimore Ravens

Judon is another franchise player who doesn’t seem likely to get a long-term deal with his current team. His situation hasn’t carried the outward acrimony that the Ngakoue and Williams situations have, but he would like to get a long-term deal with the Ravens or a trade to a team that will give him one.

Judon will turn 28 in August, and he has 24.5 sacks over the past three season. His franchise tag is $16.3 million, lower than Ngakoue’s because of the inane franchise designation formula that differentiates between 3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends. But any team acquiring him likely would have to factor in the cost of a long-term deal.

Though it is up-in-the-air as to whether the Ravens keep Judon past 2020, I don’t see it as likely they will trade him this weekend. The Ravens are blatantly all-in for a 2020 championship run with their unanimously voted league MVP and stalwart defense. Trading their best pass rusher on the roster would be a negative unless they receive a better player at the position in the process. The Ravens struggled to get after their opponent’s quarterbacks’ in 2019 and Judon was the best among them.