If I'm Trent Baalke, I wanna prove everyone wrong and show them I actually do know what I'm doing. That means not screwing up the first pick. I don't believe I'm getting any trade offers, so that is likely off the table, even though it would be my preference. I have the two "safest" players at the top of my board, Hutchinson and Gardner. On one hand, Hutchinson fills a huge void and has a very high floor. He has an excellent motor and if I draft him I believe he can be a centerpiece of the team going forward. I will face very little criticism, because most people view him as one of the top 2-3 players in the draft.

On the other hand, I have "Sauce" Gardner who may very well be the best overall player in the draft. My gut tells me to select him, but we already have 3 very good starting CB's, so I will likely face a ton of backlash if he is the choice. If anything at all goes wrong, like if he gets injured and is out for a significant period of time his rookie season, I could lose my job before he has a chance to prove that he is the best overall player. On top of that, I would likely have to trade one of my current CB's. We would save a ton of cap money after the 2022 season if we cut or trade Shaquill Griffin, so Gardner could be his immediate replacement in 2023. That is enticing, but with optics being what they are, Gardner likely would get limited playing time in 2022 and given he would be the #1 overall pick, fans might view that as him being not as good as what he actually is. Again, my job might be at risk.

With all things being equal, I probably select Hutchinson #1 due to the need, his very high floor and the view that he is a very safe pick with a very low "bust" factor, even though I really want Gardner. Taking Hutchinson will make the team better and should let me keep my job.

With the first pick out of the way, I package several of our picks/players to trade up into the 16-20 range to make sure I get my #1 receiver. IMO, this should be the first priority. Our offense was non-existent last season and much of that had to do with the lack of a running game and the complete lack of talent at WR. We've done very little to improve this area other than over-paying for a average slot receiver. We have to find a WR who can create big plays and the very best ones in this draft should be gone fairly early in the first round. If I could come out of this draft with a premier pass rusher and a very good #1 receiver, not only should I add 3-4 wins to next year's total, but I would definitely improve my standing with the fans and media.

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