NFL NationApr 29, 2026, 06:00 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.Multiple Authors
play2:29What If?: Imagine these legends with one more year of eligibilityMarty & McGee imagine which stars would dominate with another year of eligibility, led by Tennessee legend Heath Shuler and a list that spans Randy Moss to Michael Jordan.
play2:03The story of how Eli learned he was traded at 2004 draftJac Collinsworth meets with Dylan Sherwyn, who in 2004 yelled to Eli Manning that he was traded to the Giants on draft day.
play1:52Stephen A. calls Cutler ‘the worst QB in the NFL’Stephen A. Smith calls Bears QB Jay Cutler “an absolute joke” and “a football abomination,” believing that the sooner Chicago cuts ties with him the better.
Schefter not convinced Simpson would have been 1st-rounder if not for Rams (2:39)Adam Schefter reflects on the Rams selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the NFL draft. (2:39)
What If?: Imagine these legends with one more year of eligibilityMarty & McGee imagine which stars would dominate with another year of eligibility, led by Tennessee legend Heath Shuler and a list that spans Randy Moss to Michael Jordan.
Marty & McGee imagine which stars would dominate with another year of eligibility, led by Tennessee legend Heath Shuler and a list that spans Randy Moss to Michael Jordan.
The story of how Eli learned he was traded at 2004 draftJac Collinsworth meets with Dylan Sherwyn, who in 2004 yelled to Eli Manning that he was traded to the Giants on draft day.
Jac Collinsworth meets with Dylan Sherwyn, who in 2004 yelled to Eli Manning that he was traded to the Giants on draft day.
Stephen A. calls Cutler ‘the worst QB in the NFL’Stephen A. Smith calls Bears QB Jay Cutler “an absolute joke” and “a football abomination,” believing that the sooner Chicago cuts ties with him the better.
Stephen A. Smith calls Bears QB Jay Cutler “an absolute joke” and “a football abomination,” believing that the sooner Chicago cuts ties with him the better.
There are also the trades that yielded first-round picks, such as the Los Angeles Rams trading picks in 2025 that resulted in the franchise drafting quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 in the 2026 NFL draft.
We asked our NFL Nation reporters to look back at each team’s most meaningful swap of picks, focused on draft weekend primarily but including big-time moves for first-round picks. Some trades have brought Super Bowl titles, and others brought mediocrity or regret. Either way, all have been unforgettable.
The trade: The Bills traded up to the No. 7 pick in 2018 to select QB Josh Allen, sending selection No. 12 and two second-round picks (Nos. 53 and 56) to the Buccaneers. The Bills also received pick No. 255.
The trade: In 2001, Miami sent picks Nos. 56 and 122 to the Cowboys in exchange for No. 52, which it used to draft a speedy wide receiver out of Wisconsin, Chris Chambers.
The 5-foot-11, 210 pound Chambers set a franchise rookie record with 883 receiving yards and tied the franchise rookie touchdown record with seven. He was a mainstay for Miami during his seven seasons there, notching 5,688 yards and 43 touchdowns before he was traded to the San Diego Chargers midway through the 2007 season. Chambers finished his Dolphins career as the franchise’s fourth-leading receiver, with the lone Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2005. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
The trade: New England acquired wide receiver Randy Moss from the Raiders for a fourth-round pick during the 2007 draft.
Moss had been looking for a change of scenery and the Patriots’ ultracompetitive environment proved to be the right fit. He set the NFL record for most touchdown receptions in a season (23) in his first year in New England. The Patriots posted a 16-0 regular-season record before their magical season ended by being upset by the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. — Mike Reiss
What If?: Imagine these legends with one more year of eligibility
The trade: The Jets made a 2007 draft-day trade with the Panthers, dealing the 25th pick, a second-round pick (59th) and a fifth-round pick (164th) to move up 11 spots in the first round and acquire a sixth-round pick (191st).
New York then drafted cornerback Darrelle Revis with the No. 14 pick, and he went on to become arguably the greatest defensive player in franchise history. He was a four-time, first-team All-Pro selection (three times with the Jets, once with the Patriots) and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2023. Thanks to his lockdown play at cornerback, “Revis Island” became part of the football lexicon. — Rich Cimini
The trade: In 2018, the Ravens traded back into the first round, sending two 2018 picks (a second- and fourth-rounder), as well as a second-round selection in 2019, to the Eagles in exchange for the No. 32 pick and a fourth-rounder in 2018. Baltimore then drafted QB Lamar Jackson at No. 32.
The trade: In 1995, the Bengals moved up from No. 5 to No. 1 to select former Penn State RB Ki-Jana Carter. Cincinnati traded two picks to the Panthers, which then selected QB Kerry Collins with the No. 5 pick.
The trade: Last year, the Browns traded the No. 2 pick and the Nos. 104 and 200 picks to the Jaguars for a haul that included the No. 5 pick, No. 36 and No. 126 and a 2026 first-round selection.
The trade: The Steelers sent their 27th, 92nd and 200th picks to the Chiefs in exchange for No. 16 in 2003.
The trade: In 2023, the Texans traded up nine spots to select pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 pick.
The trade: In a 2018 draft-day trade with the Jets, the Colts moved back from No. 3 to No. 6 to select Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson.
The trade: In 2008, the Jaguars gave up their first-round pick (No. 26), two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick — all of which were in the first 125 selections — to Baltimore for the No. 8 pick, which they used on defensive end Derrick Harvey.
The Jaguars watched QB Tom Brady go 26-for-28 in a divisional playoff loss the previous season and believed improving their pass rush was the key to a Super Bowl run. Harvey held out for 38 days, had 3.5 sacks as a rookie and totaled just 8.0 sacks and 21 QB hits in three seasons before being cut with two years remaining on his contract to go down as one of the biggest busts in franchise history. — Michael DiRocco
The trade: Tennessee sent the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NFL draft, along with its fourth- (No. 113) and sixth-round (No. 177) picks to the Rams in exchange for Los Angeles’ first-round pick (No. 15), two second-round selections (Nos. 43 and 45) and a third-round pick (No. 76) in 2016. The Titans also picked up the Rams’ first- and third-round picks in 2017.
The trade: The Broncos moved up twice — once as the first round unfolded — to get from the No. 29 pick to No. 11 where they selected quarterback Jay Cutler in the 2006 draft.
The trade: The Chargers traded quarterback Eli Manning in 2004 to the Giants for quarterback Philip Rivers, a 2004 third-round pick (kicker Nate Kaeding) and the 2005 first-round (linebacker Shawne Merriman) and fifth-round pick (tackle Roman Oben).
This trade gave the Chargers perhaps the greatest quarterback in franchise history in Rivers, who led the Chargers to four straight AFC West titles from 2006 to 2009. Merriman quickly became one of the league’s best linebackers, winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and earning All-Pro honors in his second and third seasons. This move was a franchise-altering trade that resulted in some of the most successful years in team history. — Kris Rhim
The story of how Eli learned he was traded at 2004 draft
The trade: In 2018, the Raiders traded away their No. 10 pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for picks No. 15, a third-round pick (No. 79) and a fifth-round pick (No. 152). The Raiders used the No. 15 pick to select left tackle Kolton Miller.
The trade: In 1990, Dallas traded its first- and third-round picks to the Steelers to move up four spots to No. 17 to take Emmitt Smith.
The trade: As mentioned for the Chargers, the most impactful trade for the Giants includes their trading of Philip Rivers, a third-round pick in 2004, and first- and fifth-round picks in 2005 to the San Diego Chargers for Eli Manning.
The trade: The Eagles acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the 18th and 101st picks.
The trade: Washington traded the No. 5 pick to New Orleans in 1999 in exchange for the 12th selection, third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round choices in 1999, and first- and third-round picks in 2000.
While the Saints mortgaged their entire draft for running back Ricky Williams, Washington used its extra picks to maneuver and set itself up for 2000 as well. Washington traded back into the top 10, acquiring Chicago’s pick at No. 7 where it drafted future Hall of Fame corner Champ Bailey. Then, thanks to New Orleans having a bad season, Washington got the No. 2 pick in the draft and selected linebacker LaVar Arrington in 2000. — John Keim
The trade: In 2017, the Bears sent the Nos. 3, 67 and 111th picks, plus a 2018 third-rounder, to the 49ers to move up one spot to No. 2 to draft North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
The trade: The Lions traded down from the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft to land running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick and tight end Sam LaPorta at No. 34.
At the time, even Gibbs admitted he was “shocked” to be selected at No. 12, but GM Brad Holmes brushed off critics while bringing in a cornerstone player, who is off to a record-breaking start to his career with an NFL record 49 total touchdowns through the first three seasons. LaPorta is also a one-time Pro Bowler and together they’ve helped Detroit return to relevancy. In 2023, the rookies helped the Lions reach the NFC title game for the second time in franchise history. — Eric Woodyard