Penei Sewell vs Ja'Marr Chase: One Team May Have Tipped Their Hand

Every draft board is different, but Chase may be ahead of Sewell in Philadelphia

All Bengals Staff | Mar 29, 2021

CINCINNATI — While most fans have spent the past few days debating about what the Bengals should do with the fifth overall pick, one team NFL might've given us some insight about their draft board.

The Eagles traded down six spots in the 2021 NFL Draft on Friday. They move from No. 6 to No. 12 in a deal with Miami.

One of the reasons Philadelphia made the move is because they believe Cincinnati is going to take former LSU star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth pick according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"With a pretty good chance the Bengals will take LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase at five (we mentioned in our mock this week that that Joe Burrow has given Cincinnati’s brass a glowing recommendation), Philly felt comfortable with the difference in talent between six and 12—and also operated with the knowledge that it’d be hard to get a future first (this being Miami’s slotted No. 1 in 2022) in exchange for moving down closer to the draft, particularly if it looked like the top four picks would be QBs."

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The Eagles, much like the Bengals, could use help at offensive tackle. If they truly believe Cincinnati is going to take Chase, then they'd be able to draft Oregon tackle Penei Sewell with the sixth pick.

Instead of staying put and addressing a big need, general manager Howie Roseman opted to move back in the draft.

This gives everyone an idea of how Philadelphia views Sewell and Chase. If they thought Chase was going to be available, then they would've stayed put and took him.

Instead, when faced with taking Sewell or a different wide receiver at No. 6, the Eagles traded down.

It's an interesting nugget with the draft just one month away.

Grades vary from team to team, but if you read between the lines, it's clear the Eagles have Chase ahead of Sewell on their board. Are the Bengals in the same boat?

That's a question only they can answer. The NFL Draft begins on April 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

For the latest free agency news and NFL Draft coverage, bookmark AllBengals and check out some of our other articles below.

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