NFL Draft day trades involving veteran players

Sensibly, most fans and franchises look forward to the NFL Draft to usher in a new wave of young talent. However, the draft also serves as an opportune time to move current NFL players to new homes. We’ll take a look at some memorable draft day trades that sent notable players to different teams. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

The New England Patriots were already well on their way to dominating the 2000s, as they had already captured three Super Bowls in that decade. To make matters worse for their opponents, the Patriots parted ways with a fourth-round pick to acquire Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

He would catch a remarkable 23 TDs in his first year with the team. The NFL's website looks back at the hard to fathom statistics Moss put up as a Patriot.

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The Tennessee Titans had been waffling back and forth about whether to sign wide receiver A.J. Brown to a lucrative contract extension. The Philadelphia Eagles had no reservations about paying one of the best receivers in the game, and acquired the pass-catcher during the 2022 NFL Draft.

Brown would unlock Philadelphia’s passing attack en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2022.

Many people believe that running back Jerome Bettis spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was actually drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams ended up trading a productive Bettis to the Steelers in 1996, and “The Bus” never looked in the rearview mirror.

Bettis would spearhead Pittsburgh’s rushing attack for 10 years, and won a Super Bowl in 2005. Sports Illustrated ranked him just behind Franco Harris as the franchise's all-time greatest running back.

NFL fans who are 35 years old or younger probably don’t recall a time when the Green Bay Packers had a void at quarterback. That amazing run of play under center started in 1992, when the franchise traded for Brett Favre.

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He spent his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons, who did not give him much of a chance to play. Favre would end up playing 16 Hall of Fame years with the Packers. ESPN did a deep dive on how this transaction came to be.

The Detroit Lions had an entertaining team for much of the 1990s, featuring memorable players on offense like Herman Moore and Barry Sanders. In 1993, they took a huge swing by acquiring New Orleans Saints defensive end Pat Swilling on draft day.

Swilling would play two years in Detroit, but didn’t have the same level of production in the Motor City, which the Sports Illustrated Vault commented on back in the 1990s.

The Indianapolis Colts were at the center of a blockbuster in 1990. They traded promising young receiver Andre “Bad Moon” Rison to the Atlanta Falcons, and other compensation for the first overall pick. Rison hit his stride in Atlanta, making four straight Pro Bowls after the trade. The Colts selected quarterback Jeff George with the first pick, who played four years with the team.

The Jacksonville Jaguars played their first NFL season in 1995, and they needed a quarterback. Instead of drafting one, they traded for Packers reserve passer Mark Brunell. It turned out to be an excellent move, as Brunell would spend nine seasons with the Jaguars, while posting a winning record in that stint.

The early 1970s marked the heyday of the Miami Dolphins, who had several players that have grabbed headlines over the course of time. Wide receiver Paul Warfield was not one of them, but he had a lot to do with their success. He was traded by the Cleveland Browns to Miami during the 1970 draft. Warfield made the Pro Bowl every season in Miami, and won two Super Bowls.

The Arizona Cardinals have made aggressive moves to help improve their team, and one of them came in 2022 when they acquired wide receiver Hollywood Brown from the Baltimore Ravens. He caught 118 passes for 1,283 yards with the Cardinals in two seasons. Brown signed with the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2024 campaign.

The Philadelphia Eagles already featured a potent running game featuring mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts, but added to their dynamic backfield by acquiring Swift from the Detroit Lions during the 2023 NFL Draft. Swift set a career high in rushing yards during his only season with the Eagles. He signed with the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2024 season.

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