The 25 Biggest Draft-Day Trades in NFL History

The trade that built a dynasty and defined what "fleecing" means in the NFL. The Cowboys, coming off a 1-15 season under new coach Jimmy Johnson, sent Walker to the Vikings in an 18-player blockbuster. Dallas used the haul to draft Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson and Russell Maryland, and to make additional trades that landed them Alvin Harper and others. The Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four years. The Vikings went 10-6, 6-10 and 8-8 with Walker and lost 41-13 in their only playoff game with him.

The Chiefs leaped 17 spots to grab the Texas Tech gunslinger, paying two first-round picks and a third-rounder. Nine other teams passed on Mahomes, including the Bears who took Mitchell Trubisky at #2. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for one year, then proceeded to win three Super Bowls, two MVPs and redefine quarterback play for a generation. He is already in the conversation for the greatest QB of all time.

Bill Walsh identified a relatively unknown receiver from Mississippi Valley State and traded up 12 spots to get him. The result? The most accomplished wide receiver in NFL history - 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards, 197 touchdowns, three Super Bowl rings and 13 Pro Bowl selections. Every record Rice set has barely been approached, let alone broken. Walsh called it the most important personnel move of his coaching career.

Pure draft-night theater. The Chargers took Manning #1 despite knowing he didn't want to play in San Diego. The Giants took Rivers at #4. Then they swapped, with the Chargers also receiving a 3rd-round pick and 2005 first and fifth-rounders. Manning delivered two Super Bowl victories and two Super Bowl MVPs to New York. Rivers put up Hall of Fame career numbers - 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns across 17 seasons - but never won the big one. The Chargers also landed Shawne Merriman with the extra first-rounder.

Dallas moved up just four spots for the cost of a third-round pick - one of the best value trades in NFL history. Smith became the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards, won three Super Bowls, four rushing titles and an MVP. After narrowly missing the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie, he posted 1,000+ rushing yards in 11 consecutive seasons from age 22 to age 32. The Cowboys were already building through the Walker trade haul, and Smith was the final piece of the dynasty puzzle.

Mike Ditka traded his team's entire 1999 draft - plus a 2000 first and third-rounder - to move up for Ricky Williams. He compared Williams to Walter Payton. He posed in a wedding dress for ESPN The Magazine. The Saints went 3-13. Ditka was fired. Williams lasted three years in New Orleans. Washington used the picks to draft future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey and starting OT Jon Jansen, among others.

Carolina sent a massive package to Chicago for the right to take Bryce Young first overall. The Bears turned it into a franchise-reshaping haul, using the 2024 first-rounder to take Caleb Williams - who may end up being the better QB. Young struggled immediately, was benched in his second season and has become one of the most scrutinized #1 picks in recent memory. Chicago, meanwhile, got a proven WR1 in DJ Moore AND their own franchise quarterback.

Three first-round picks and a second-rounder for one player. RG3's rookie season was electric - Offensive Rookie of the Year, first division title since 1999 - but it ended with a devastating ACL tear against Seattle in the playoffs. He was never the same. By 2015 he was gone from Washington, and out of the NFL entirely by 2021. The Rams used those picks to acquire Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins and additional capital.

The original "refuse to play for the team that drafts you" move. The Colts selected Elway first overall, but the Stanford QB - backed by his father Jack, a college coach - threatened to play baseball for the Yankees instead. Baltimore relented and traded him to Denver for the #4 pick (which became OL Chris Hinton), backup QB Mark Herrmann and a 1984 first-rounder. Elway went on to five Super Bowl appearances and two championships, cementing himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. The Colts relocated to Indianapolis a year later and wouldn't reach a Super Bowl until the Peyton Manning era two decades later.

Six picks - including two first-rounders - for the right to take Goff first overall. Tennessee hit on several of those picks, landing Derrick Henry, Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith. The Rams got a QB who took them to a Super Bowl before eventually being traded for Matthew Stafford, who then won them a different Super Bowl. A complex legacy on both sides.

Five draft picks for one wide receiver. Bill Belichick reportedly told Atlanta's GM not to do it. Atlanta ignored him. Jones topped 1,000 yards in seven of his first ten seasons, earned five All-Pro nods and was the centerpiece of a Falcons offense that reached Super Bowl LI. The Browns, being the Browns, turned those five picks into largely forgettable players.

Tennessee wouldn't pay Brown. Philly swooped in on draft night, acquired him and immediately signed him to a $100 million deal. Brown paired with DeVonta Smith to give Jalen Hurts an elite receiver duo that helped carry the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. A rare case of trading for a proven commodity on draft day paying off immediately.

A fourth-round pick. That's what New England paid for one of the most talented receivers ever. Moss responded with an NFL-record 23 touchdowns in 2007, helping the Patriots go 16-0 in the regular season. Oakland used the pick on CB John Bowie, who managed two tackles in five games before disappearing from the league.

Pittsburgh jumped 11 spots to grab the USC safety who became one of the most dynamic defenders in NFL history. Twelve years, 32 interceptions, eight Pro Bowls, a DPOY award and two Super Bowl rings. Polamalu set the tone for Pittsburgh's defense throughout their 2000s dynasty.

The Chiefs moved up five spots for the Cal tight end who would redefine the position. Gonzalez retired with 1,325 receptions (still the TE record), 15,127 yards and 111 touchdowns. He earned 14 Pro Bowl nods and nine All-Pro selections. A no-doubt, first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Chicago traded up one spot to take Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. It's widely considered one of the worst draft-day decisions in modern history. Trubisky lasted four seasons as the Bears starter, made one Pro Bowl, and was replaced by the very franchise that would later fleece Carolina for the #1 pick.

The Eagles gave up a significant package for the North Dakota State QB. Wentz was an MVP candidate in 2017 before tearing his ACL - but Nick Foles stepped in and won the Super Bowl. Wentz was eventually traded to the Colts after his play declined. Cleveland used the extra picks on mostly forgettable players, though they did eventually parlayed them into additional capital.

Houston jumped 13 spots for the Clemson national champion. Watson was electric on the field - three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons. But his tenure in Houston ended amid off-field legal issues and a trade demand. He was eventually dealt to Cleveland in a separate blockbuster. The football legacy of this trade is impressive; the full story is far more complicated.

The Chargers couldn't agree on a contract with Michael Vick and traded the #1 pick to Atlanta. They used the assets to draft LaDainian Tomlinson at #5 - who became one of the most prolific backs in history with an MVP award and the single-season TD record (31 in 2006). Vick was a dynamic but inconsistent star whose Atlanta career ended abruptly due to off-field issues.

Three first-round picks for a quarterback who made just four career starts before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 of 2022. Lance was eventually traded to Dallas for a fourth-rounder. The 49ers went back to Jimmy Garoppolo, then pivoted to Brock Purdy - a seventh-round pick - to reach the Super Bowl. Miami used the extra firsts on Jaylen Waddle's class and beyond.

The Rams moved up to draft the Ohio State tackle who anchored their offensive line for 12 seasons, including the "Greatest Show on Turf" era. Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who protected Kurt Warner during the Rams' Super Bowl run. A Hall of Famer drafted with the trade-up pick.

Green Bay traded five high draft picks for a veteran QB thinking they were one piece away from contention. They weren't. Hadl struggled, the Packers suffered through a decade-plus of futility, and the Rams used the picks to become a powerhouse of the late 1970s. A devastating overpay that set Green Bay back for years.

Denver traded up to draft the polarizing Florida Heisman winner. Tebow delivered one magical season in 2011 - including a legendary overtime playoff win over the Steelers - but became expendable the moment Peyton Manning signed in 2012. Baltimore used those picks to draft Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, both members of their Super Bowl XLVII championship team.

Part of the cascade that followed the Walker trade, Dallas used acquired capital to trade up for the first overall pick and took Maryland, a rock-solid defensive tackle who started for three Super Bowl champions. It wasn't the flashiest pick, but Maryland was exactly what the Cowboys needed to anchor their defensive line through the dynasty years.

Tampa Bay moved up to grab the Florida State linebacker who would become one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history. Brooks spent 14 seasons with the Bucs, earned 11 Pro Bowl selections, won Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 and was the heart of the defense that won Super Bowl XXXVII. A first-ballot Hall of Famer.