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3 teams that should trade comp picks to move up in the draft

Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports

The NFL awarded 32 compensatory draft picks to 16 teams Friday, including 11 selections at the end of the third round.

This year, for the first time ever, compensatory picks can be traded. This should allow teams to be more agile within the draft, trading away packages of picks as they move up to target certain players.

Which teams are best positioned to use their compensatory picks to move up the draft board?

Cleveland Browns

The Browns were awarded the maximum of four compensatory picks Friday, but will only get to keep two of them. Their third-round compensatory pick will go to the New England Patriots as part of the Jamie Collins trade, and their first of two fourth-round compensatory picks will go to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the trade that landed the Eagles Carson Wentz.

That leaves the Browns with a fourth-round compensatory pick and a fifth-rounder to add to the 10 picks they already owned, giving them an NFL-high 12 selections.

A year ago, the Browns made 14 draft picks in a clear effort to add young talent to every corner of their roster. Whether it paid off remains to be seen, but it certainly didn't lead to wins.

This year, the Browns should consider making fewer picks and instead using their dozen selections to get aggressive and trade up for elite talents in the early rounds. If a player they like is on the board 10 spots before they pick at No. 51 overall in the second round, why not package a fourth and a fifth to move up for him?

The Browns need to improve their talent at all positions, but more than anything they need to build a core of five or six high-end talents. This could be the draft to make that happen.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals took a big step back in 2016, finishing with a 6-9 record after five straight playoff berths (and five straight wild-card losses). It's clear that the status quo won't be good enough in Cincinnati, but we know the coach and overall philosophy won't change.

But the team's draft strategy can.

Like their in-state rivals the Browns, the Bengals received four compensatory picks (in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds). Their 11 total picks will tie for most in the Marvin Lewis era.

Now is the time for the Bengals to go hunting for impact players. The team's first-round selections in recent seasons haven't provided the returns they hoped for, but that's no reason for the Bengals not to consider moving up in this draft to make multiple early selections.

Is it crazy to think the Bengals could come out of the draft with Leonard Fournette (at No. 9) and Corey Davis later in the first round (after packaging their second-round pick and multiple picks later in the draft to move up)? Those two picks could instantly transform the Bengals' offense into one of the NFL's best.

Kansas City Chiefs

Another team receiving four picks, including a third-rounder, the Chiefs should look to move up in the draft because it could be the only way for them to get over the hump in the AFC.

We know Andy Reid's Chiefs are a perennial playoff contender, but does anyone believe this team can win a Super Bowl? Not without adding difference-makers to an offense that is far too often stale.

That probably won't happen in free agency, where the Chiefs are pressed very tight against the salary cap and will have to work to retain one of Eric Berry and Dontari Poe.

Rookie contracts are cheap, however, and if the Chiefs can move up the draft board to snag a few rookies capable of having the same kind of impact Tyreek Hill did in 2016, they could position themselves for a successful run to the Super Bowl.

Another option for the Chiefs is to trade up for a quarterback. If the team determines Alex Smith just isn't good enough, like many in the media believe, the Chiefs could trade away the 27th overall pick and a bounty of selections later in the draft to move into the top 10 to draft the passing prospect they like most.

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