USA Today

It's been a week since the NFL free agent market unofficially opened, and it didn’t take long for most of the prominent players on expiring contracts to signal where they’d be playing in 2024 (and, likely, beyond). Those decisions, and others that have trickled down since, have drastically reshaped the direction of next month’s draft – some clubs filling apparent needs, while new ones opened elsewhere. Friday, a development directly impacting the first round emerged, the Vikings acquiring a second Round 1 choice from the Texans – though that could be a precursor to another move given Minnesota now has a long-term issue at quarterback following Kirk Cousins’ departure. Moving forward, there are still a handful of significant free agents who could further shift draft strategies. And, if history is any indicator, another pre-draft trade or two – whether involving players and/or high-end picks – will further alter the landscape. But here’s the latest prognostication with the league’s signature offseason event just five weeks away: