Attention GMs: Deals For Future 1st-Rounders Are Gold

The Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns acquired 2026 1st-rounders in separate trades during the draft.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) runs for a touchdown against Los Angeles Rams during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, September 8, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

General managers, pay attention. Giving up a future first-rounder usually doesn’t pan out. However, if you’re on the other end of that deal, and another team offers you a future first-round pick, do the trade.

And once you have that future first, trade it again.

That’s the simple but successful strategy used to draft some of the NFL’s brightest young stars since 2019. It’s also the advice recent history would provide for teams like the Rams and Browns, who added 2026 first-round draft choices with moves on Night 1 last week.

Quarterback Jordan Love, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Brian Thomas, tackle Christian Darrisaw, defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Micah Parsons. They form the nucleus of a potential 2025 All-Pro team, and all were drafted as end results of trades involving future first-round picks.

In 2022, Houston shipped Deshaun Watson to Cleveland for two future Browns first-round picks (2023 and 2024), among other assets. The Texans then used that 2023 first-rounder to move up to No. 3 overall and take Will Anderson in a trade with the Cardinals. Minutes later during that 2023 draft, Arizona consummated a deal with Detroit for the Cardinals’ newly acquired first-rounder (No. 12 overall). The Lions drafted Gibbs at 12 after the Cardinals took tackle Paris Johnson at 6.

As part of that Cardinals-Lions trade, the Lions also picked up Arizona’s second-round selection (No. 34 overall). Detroit used that choice to draft LaPorta.

The 2024 first-rounder from the Watson trade (No. 23 overall) became Thomas. In March of 2024, Minnesota had acquired it from Houston in a trade involving several picks. The Vikings then traded that 23rd selection to Jacksonville on Night 1 of the ’24 draft for the Jaguars’ pick, No. 17. Minnesota selected linebacker Dallas Turner. The Jaguars got a steal in Thomas.

On the eve of training camp in 2020, Seattle acquired safety Jamal Adams from the Jets in a deal that included the Seahawks’ 2021 first-rounder. The Jets subsequently traded that pick, No. 23 overall, to Minnesota. The Vikings used it to take a cornerstone left tackle in Darrisaw, while the Jets drafted Alijah Vera-Tucker at 14.

And just prior to kicking off the 2019 season, Houston shipped two future first-rounders (which became No. 26 overall in the 2020 COVID draft, and No. 3 overall in 2021) to Miami as part of the massive Laremy Tunsil deal. The Dolphins then traded that 26th selection to Green Bay, who shocked everyone by drafting Love, in 2020.

No. 3 overall in 2021 – eventually quarterback Trey Lance – was acquired by San Francisco from Miami, which received No. 12 as part of the deal. The Dolphins then used No. 12 to move up in a trade with the Eagles for the No. 6 pick, where Miami chose wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

To get Waddle, the Dolphins gave the Eagles No. 12. Philadelphia subsequently traded it to Dallas to move up and draft Smith 10th overall in 2021. Two picks later, the Cowboys took Parsons with that 12th overall choice.

So, don’t be surprised to see Les Snead and Andrew Berry take those 2026 picks and parlay them into more trades for even better capital. Perhaps you've heard: In a much deeper quarterback class compared to 2025, the Rams might need a replacement for Matthew Stafford.

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