After Bengals' Trade for Lawrence, a Look at How Teams That Didn't Pick in 1st Round Have Fared That Year

By acquiring Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants for the No. 10 pick in the draft, The Cincinnati Bengals will not make a first-round pick (barring another trade) for the first time since 1989.

But across the league, teams lacking first-round picks are becoming more and more common.

In just the last 10 drafts, there have been 49 teams that didn’t make a first-round pick, including a league-record 10 of them in 2022.

How have those teams without first-round picks fared?

Really well, actually.

First, it’s important to note there are a number of reasons teams don’t make first-round picks.

They can be trade compensation for a veteran, as the Bengals did with Lawrence. Teams have dealt first-round picks for established veteran stars such as Matthew Stafford, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick, among others.

They can be trade compensation to move up higher in the first round.

They can be trade compensation for moving out of the first round and acquiring more picks.

And they can be forfeited due to NFL violations, which has happened twice in the last 10 drafts, with both infractions involving Tom Brady.

Of the 49 teams who didn’t make a first-round pick from 2016-25, 29 reached the playoffs (59 percent).

There were 19 division winners and 10 wildcard teams.

Ten of the 29 reached the Super Bowl, and four of them won it.

Another seven teams lost in the conference championship game, meaning 17 of the 49 teams without first-round picks (35 percent) were among the final four teams in the postseason.

Since that outlier season in 2022 when 10 teams didn’t pick in the first round, there have only been 10 total in the last three drafts.

Eight (80 percent) made the playoffs. Five advanced. Three played for conference championships and one played in the Super Bowl.

When a team trades away a first-round pick and gets the compensation right, it can have a special season.

The Bengals obviously believe they got the compensation right with Lawrence given their barren history of doing anything remotely close to what they pulled off Saturday night.

Twenty-one franchises have accounted for the 49 instances in which a team didn’t make a first-round pick.

The Rams lead with the way with no first-round picks in eight of the last 10 drafts.

The rest:

Texans 5

Browns 4

Chiefs 4

Bears 3

Colts 3

Patriots 3

Bills 2

49ers 2

Broncos 2

Dolphins 2

Seahawks 2

Buccaneers 1

Cardinals 1

Raiders 1

Steelers 1

Cowboys 1

Saints 1

Eagles 1

Packers 1

Vikings 1

If you’re wondering what happened in 1989 for the Bengals to not have a first-round pick, it was the result of a trade with the Falcons.

Cincinnati traded Pick No. 27 for a second-round pick (No. 35), a fourth (No. 89) and a 10th (No. 256).

The Falcons drafted wide receiver Shawn Collins at No. 27.

The Bengals drafted running back Eric Ball at No. 35, linebacker Kerry Owens at No. 89 and cornerback Cornell Holloway with No. 256.

The Bengals went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

The Falcons went 3-13 and missed the playoffs.

The two teams would combine for one playoff berth

Here is a look at each of the last 49 instances in which a team didn’t have a first-round pick, including its record, division finish, postseason results and the reason for not having a first rounder.

Lots of success has followed when teams deal first-round picks for more/better assets. — Teams that have not made a first-round pick the last 10 years. | Drafthistory.com

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