A look at some of the most incredible top pick NFL Draft trades

Certain franchises have attempted to move heaven and Earth to acquire the top selection throughout NFL history. We’ll look back at trades finalized for the top pick before the NFL Draft started, and speculate about what the Chicago Bears might do with the first choice in the 2024 NFL Draft. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

For the second consecutive season(more on that later), Chicago finds themselves at the top of the draft. CBS Sports, ESPN and many other outlets have weighed the pros and cons of them keeping the pick, or trading it for additional draft capital.

The Bears will ultimately decide between choosing a new franchise quarterback or adding additional weapons to their current roster. They may receive an offer that’s too good to refuse, as has happened throughout the course of NFL history. We’ll begin our trip down memory lane now.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

We don’t have to travel back in time too far for our most recent instance. Just last season, the Panthers traded D.J. Moore and draft compensation to the Bears for the top pick. Carolina secured Bryce Young at that spot, but ESPN and others have criticized the organization for that decision after his subpar rookie campaign.

The Rams relocated their franchise back to Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season, and wanted to make a splash. They sent a first-round pick, two second-round picks and three third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans to grab the top spot. Los Angeles took Jared Goff, who helped lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018.

The Falcons and San Diego Chargers made an infamous trade in 2001 that resulted in both franchises receiving iconic players. Atlanta ended up with Vick, who is routinely regarded as one of the most athletic quarterbacks of all time, according to Bleacher Report. The Chargers took running back LaDainian Tomlinson with the fifth pick, who is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Peyton Manning single-handedly dictated the blockbuster trade between the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams ahead of the 1997 NFL Draft. The Jets wanted Manning, but he decided to stay in school for one more year. New York decided to trade the top pick to the Rams, who snatched Pace up to sure up their offensive line. Pace turned out to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

CBS Sports and others have lamented the selection of running backs in the first round, which happens far less frequently than it used to. However, the Bengals were infatuated with Carter from Penn State, who scored 23 touchdowns during his junior season there. Carter never ran for more than 464 yards in an NFL season, which Cincinnati fans lament to this day.

The rich got even richer in the early 1990’s, as the Cowboys were well on their way to becoming a powerhouse. Dallas shrewdly traded for Russell Maryland, who would win three Super Bowls with the franchise. According to SB Nation, the draft was thrown for a tailspin when the presumptive first pick, Raghib Ismail, spurned the NFL to play in the CFL.

Bleacher Report tabbed George in 2011 as having one of the strongest arms in NFL history. The undeniable physical tools was what prompted the Colts to move up to select the passer in 1990. However, George’s talent did not translate into wins for the Colts, who were only 14-35 in his starts over a four year span.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The first overall pick in the 1984 draft was actually traded twice. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dealt the selection to the Cincinnati Bengals, who then parlayed it into more picks from the New England Patriots. The Patriots nabbed Fryar, who would make one Pro Bowl during his nine years with the team. He was a bit of a late bloomer, making four more Pro Bowls after age 30.

It might be one of the best moves the Oilers have ever made, considering that Bleacher Report named Campbell the best player in the history of the franchise. The running back ran around and through defenders, even though it might surprise fans to learn that he only played in Houston for seven seasons. He won the Offensive Player Of The Year award three times.

Bartkowski ended up playing 11 seasons in Atlanta, which made him one of the longest tenured players in Falcons history. Although the franchise stuck with him under center for quite a while, the team didn’t experience much success with him at the helm. They were 55-66 during that time frame.

The 6’9” defensive end has one of the greatest nicknames in NFL history, and the resume to back up his fame. Jones’ athleticism and length helped the Cowboys win the Super Bowl in 1977. In their trade to move to the first pick, the Cowboys also received a third round pick in that draft, which they used to select quarterback Danny White.

Yary might be one of the best players fans of the current generation have never heard of. He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having made six All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls. The Vikings sent iconic quarterback Frank Tarkenton to the New York Giants for the top pick, but things turned out alright for Minnesota as fans would later learn.

The Colts received the top pick in the 1967 draft by trading quarterback Gary Cuozzo to the New Orleans Saints. Baltimore was happy with what they received, as Smith recorded 52.5 sacks during his time in the NFL. Smith posted over 10 sacks in 1968 and 1970, and made it to two Pro Bowls in his career.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!