No Trade Zone: Eagles GM Explains The Lack Of First-Round Movement

For the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, every NFL team possessed its first-round draft pick one week ahead of the 2025 selection process.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman speaks to reporters at the NovaCare Complex on April 15, 2025. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

PHILADELPHIA - A week out from the 2025 NFL Draft, every team still owns its first-round selection.

And that's rare.

This is the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that every NFL team possessed its first-rounder at the start of the new league year, according to NFL Research. Seven days out, that's still the case.

More so, if none of those first-rounders are dealt before the draft begins on April 24, it will be the first time since 2014 that none of the top picks were moved before the festivities start in Green Bay.

Philadelphia Eagles On SI asked Eagles GM Howie Roseman about the anomaly and if the lack of action said anything about the draft class, which is regarded as weaker than usual at the top and quarterback limited.

"No," Roseman said before pivoting toward those quarterbacks.

"A lot of those trades happen the year before, so they really talk about last year's draft class," the Eagles GM explained. "A lot of the times when you're trading a future first-round pick, you're doing it the year prior, so those teams are getting those and usually that happens for quarterbacks.

"I think it talks more about last year's draft class and how six quarterbacks went in I think the first 12 picks, and a lot of times that you'll have some teams that will move in from the late teens or the twenties and the way to do that is trade a future first. So, that's normally how that occurs."

This year's QB class is considered somewhat weak, with only Miami's Cam Ward, expected to go No. 1 overall to Tennessee, guaranteed to be in the top 10. Many teams have Ward as the only QB in the class with a first-round grade.

From there, Colorado's Shadeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, and even Jalen Milroe of Alabama or Louisville's Tyler Shough could be pushed up the board in a QB-desperate league. However, even needy teams like Cleveland and the New York Giants are not expected to jump at Nos. 2 and 3, instead trending toward consensus blue-chippers like Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

The more QBs that do go early will help the reigning Super Bowl champions Eagles, who start the process at No. 32 overall.

When draft night does arrive, Roseman expects the engine of the trade market to finally turn over.

"I think that a lot of the trades that happen for jockey and position on draft day are closer-- unless it's the first pick, are closer to the draft or during the draft because you don't know where guys go," Roseman said.

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