Trades that involve top-five picks do not happen annually, though a few drafts over the past two decades have seen multiple top-five choices change hands. The Chargers and Giants technically completed the most memorable exchange, though 2004’s Eli Manning–Philip Rivers swap occurred after both players were picked. Regarding moves completed before teams made their selections, here are the top-five picks traded during the 21st century:
2000
- As part of 1999’s Ricky Williams trade, Washington acquires Saints‘ No. 2 overall pick (LB LaVar Arrington)
- Washington trades Nos. 12, 24, 119, 154 to 49ers for No. 3 overall (T Chris Samuels)
- During 1999 draft, Ravens acquired 2000 first-rounder (No. 5; RB Jamal Lewis) in exchange for Falcons‘ 1999 second (No. 42).
2001
- Falcons obtain No. 1 overall (QB Michael Vick) from Chargers in exchange for Nos. 5 (RB LaDainian Tomlinson), 67, along with 2002 second-rounder and WR Tim Dwight
2003
- Jets deal Bears Nos. 13, 22, 116 for No. 4 (DT Dewayne Robertson)
2009
- Jets send Browns Nos. 17, 52, along with DE Kenyon Coleman, S Abram Elam, QB Brett Ratliff for No. 5 (QB Mark Sanchez)
2012
- Washington sends Rams Nos. 6, 39, along with 2013, 2014 first-round picks, in exchange for No. 2 (QB Robert Griffin III).
- Browns move to No. 3 for RB Trent Richardson, send Vikings Nos. 4 (T Matt Kalil), 118, 139, 211
- Jaguars send Buccaneers Nos. 7 and 101 for No. 5 (WR Justin Blackmon)
2013
- Dolphins trade Nos. 12 and 42 to Lions for No. 3 (DE Dion Jordan)
2014
- RG3 trade gives Rams No. 2 overall (T Greg Robinson) from Washington
- Bills acquire No. 4 (WR Sammy Watkins) from Browns in exchange for No. 9, along with 2015 first-, fourth-round picks
2016
- Moving to No. 1 (QB Jared Goff), Rams send Titans Nos. 15, 43, 45, 76, 2017 first-, third-round picks in exchange for 2016 fourth-, sixth-rounders
- Eagles acquire No. 2 (QB Carson Wentz), 2017 fourth-rounder from Browns for Nos. 8, 77 and 100, along with 2017 first-rounder, 2018 second
2017
- Bears climb one spot for QB Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2, sending 49ers Nos. 3 (DL Solomon Thomas), 67 and 111, 2018 third-rounder
- As part of Goff trade, Titans obtain No. 5 overall (WR Corey Davis) from Rams
2018
- Jets land No. 3 (QB Sam Darnold) from Colts for Nos. 6, 37 and 49, and 2019 second-rounder
- After Browns sent 2017’s No. 12 pick (QB Deshaun Watson) to Texans, 2018 first-rounder exchanged becomes No. 4 overall (CB Denzel Ward)
2021
- 49ers obtain No. 3 (QB Trey Lance) from Dolphins for No. 12, along with 2022, 2023 first-rounders, 2022 third
2023
- Panthers acquire No. 1 overall from Bears for Nos. 9, 61, along with 2024 first-rounder, 2025 second, and WR D.J. Moore
- Texans obtain Nos. 3 (DE Will Anderson Jr.), 105 from Cardinals for Nos. 12, 33, 2024 first-, third-rounders
- As part of 2022’s Russell Wilson swap, Seahawks acquired Broncos‘ No. 5 overall pick (CB Devon Witherspoon)
Hey, Watson would have been a Brown first then, and I bet they wouldn’t have given him that massive overpay.
Alotta trades for busts on this list.
Was about to say the same thing.Not only busts but then compounding it even further with all the picks given up
I know people say this all the time, and 99.9% of the time it’s an exaggeration, but that’s…not a pretty list.
The Browns moved up one spot to draft a RB, a position the Vikings wouldn’t have drafted, just to trade him away the following year. It’s amazing how incompetent Cleveland’s front office has been.
Browns moving up 1 spot to grab Richardson was done so to prevent someone else from trading up and grabbing him, leapfrogging them. 2012 3 RBs went in the 1st round.
The fact they landed a kings ransom for Mark Sanchez and Sammy Watkins and Julio Jones and Carson Wentz all those times and did nothing is more damning than trading up for Trent Richardson.
Getting a 1st back for Richardson from the Colts was a nice move. Unfortunately they blew it on Manziel I think.
Apparently, it can be quite costly to acquire a world class BuTt FuMbLeR.
Anybody else think the way this was posted was confusing to read?
Sort of seems like a lesson in “what not to do”.
Wow! That was a lot uglier than I anticipated. This is why I wanted my Raiders to trade back several times. Sometimes a perfect guy falls into your lap. If not, trade back and gamble.
Even this year, Gonzalez & Carter are not risk-free, and anyone else at the 7-slot is probably interchangeable with guys being drafted 10 slots further down.
In fact, I’d trade back twice if the opportunity presents itself. There should be a quality TE available in the low 30s, as well as Hooker.
What an awful list of busts. I’m not sure there’s a single trade there which looks like good value for the team trading up. There is really just one which looks okay. T Chris Samuels had a short career for an offensive lineman (nine years) but went to the Pro Bowl for six of them.
Based on this list, it’s better to have more picks in the top twenty than to have top five picks.
2 top 20 picks vs a top 5 pick probably wouldn’t matter. A lot of assistant coaches are simply more interested in advancing their own careers than trying to develop these prospects. They know that with constantly bloating staffs they can always move on to another team and draw a paycheck while producing meagre results.
I suppose the Falcons’ trade for Vick, Eagles’ Wentz trade and the 2018 Browns trade that gave the Texans the Watson pick are the closest (if you ignore what the Browns gave back to Houston to get him themselves)? In that order as well. I don’t know what the 9ers did with the picks from the Samuels trade.
The best trades on here didn’t work out as expected, and the best you can say is “well, at least in this one they both got some decent contribution from the players.”
The Falcons traded a future 1st for a mid-2nd?!