National Football League

NFL Draft trade recap + analysis

Published Apr. 26, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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The NFL Draft annually features an abundance of trades. Even in the hours leading up to it last week, rumors of the Redskins and Browns trying to strike deals with the Rams to obtain the No. 1 pick spread like wildfire.

It’s the nature of the draft. Teams fall in love with prospects, get desperate and pay top dollar to get their man. Some players go earlier than expected, causing teams to trade back. Others last longer than anyone thought and teams scramble to move up and select them.

When the clock started for the 2010 Draft, many were surprised that 10 selections went by peacefully without any trade action. However, from that point on, teams jumped around the Draft board more than House of Pain. Here’s a look at some of the most impactful trades of Draft weekend.

DAY ONE

Miami Trades: 12th overall pick, fourth-round pick (110th), sixth-round pick (173th, from Kansas City)
San Diego Trades: LB Tim Dobbins, 28th overall pick, second-round pick (40th, from Seattle), fourth-round pick (126th)
Pick: San Diego selects Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State at 12.
Analysis: Miami opted to trade out of the 12 spot, as the Dolphins were targeting Jared Odrick, who could be had later in the first round. The Chargers wanted to move ahead of Houston to secure Mathews. It was well known the Texans wanted to get a workhouse running back to complement Steve Slaton, but the Chargers coveted Mathews as a replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson. It was somewhat costly for San Diego to move up 16 spots, as they gave up a second-rounder. But Dobbins is a backup and the swap of fourth-rounders wasn’t a big deal. It was a good trade for a team with few needs such as San Diego to move up the board and grab one of the best running backs available.

Denver Trades: 13th overall pick
Philadelphia Trades: 24th overall pick, third-round pick (70th, from Seattle), third-round pick (87th)
Pick: Philadelphia selects Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan at 13.
Analysis: The belief was that Philly was trading up to grab Earl Thomas, a safety the team was rumored to covet. However, the Eagles chose to strengthen the defensive end position opposite Trent Cole. It was a smart move to jump ahead of Seattle, New York, Tennessee and Atlanta, four teams that could’ve taken a defensive end, two of which did. New England also was picking in front of the Eagles and could’ve used Graham at outside linebacker. We now know Denver was targeting Demaryius Thomas and, in the end, landed its man while gaining two third-rounders.

Baltimore Trades: 25th overall pick
Denver Trades: second-round pick (43rd, from Miami), third-round pick (70th, from Seattle), fourth-round pick (114th)
Pick: Denver selects Tim Tebow, QB, Florida at 25.
Analysis: Tebow’s first-round selection was the talk of the draft, but the story is just beginning. Denver Head Coach Josh McDaniels is taking on a huge task in turning Tebow into an NFL quarterback. If he succeeds, McDaniels will be a genius. If he fails, it will be seen in hindsight as career suicide. The other fact remains that McDaniels has essentially replaced Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler with Demaryius Thomas and Tebow. It’s a hard sell to the fan base, given that Cutler was Denver’s first franchise quarterback since John Elway. The Broncos paid a steep price for the Florida passer, trading draft choices from the second, third and fourth rounds. Denver did a good job of securing picks by trading down multiple times earlier in the round, but in the end, only time will tell if this was the right move.

Detroit Trades: second-round pick (34th overall), fourth-round pick (100th), seventh-round pick (214th, from Cleveland)
Minnesota Trades: 30th overall pick, fourth-round pick (128th)
Pick: Detroit selects Jahvid Best, RB, Cal at 30.
Analysis: This move didn’t have as big an impact as the rest, but I can’t help myself. I have to comment. The last trade of the first round was seen as a great move by some, but to me it just seemed pointless. Detroit moved in front of Indianapolis, New Orleans and St. Louis to select Jahvid Best. Indy has two running backs, New Orleans has its version of Best in Reggie Bush, and St. Louis has Steven Jackson. Which of those teams did Detroit think would draft Best? In the end it wasn’t too costly as the Lions swapped fourth-rounders and gave up a seventh-round pick, but the move seemed completely unnecessary.

DAY TWO

New England Trades: third-round pick (89th, from Arizona)
Carolina Trades: second-round pick in 2011
Pick: Carolina selects Armanti Edwards, QB, Appalachian State at 89.
Analysis: In typical Patriots fashion, Head Coach Bill Belichick and company began collecting draft picks for 2011 a year in advance. They landed the Panthers’ second-round pick in next April’s draft and in exchange gave Carolina a third-round selection. Value-wise, it was an outstanding trade for the Patriots. New England now owns two first-round picks and two second-round picks next April. In a curious move, the Panthers essentially invested a second-round pick in a player projected to go much later in the draft.

DAY THREE

Tennessee Trades: fourth-round pick (111th), sixth-round pick (185th), RB LenDale White, DT Kevin Vickerson
Seattle Trades: fourth-round pick (104th), sixth-round pick (176th)
Pick: Tennessee selects Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA at 104.
Analysis: A nice trade in a very successful first draft for Pete Carroll and John Schneider. The Seahawks acquired a power back to complement Justin Forsett and a defensive tackle to add depth, addressing two major needs. The additions came at the low, low price of moving down seven spots in the fourth round and nine spots in the sixth round.

New York Jets Trade: RB Leon Washington
Seattle Trades: Fifth-round pick (139th)
Pick: New York selects John Connor, FB, Kentucky at 139.
Analysis: This was another great trade by Seattle. The Seahawks acquired Leon Washington at the discount price of a fifth-round pick after the Jets tendered the tailback at a second-round level. Washington is a dynamic runner who should fit well in Seattle’s new zone-blocking scheme and a fifth-rounder is a low price to pay for his services. New York selected USC running back Joe McKnight a round earlier, making Washington expendable. With the pick, the Jets drafted a blocking fullback who should eventually replace Tony Washington in the backfield.

Jacksonville Trades: fourth-round pick (108th)
Oakland Trades: fifth-round pick (153rd), LB Kirk Morrison
Pick: Oakland selects Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson at 108.
Analysis: The Raiders surprised everyone again, not by reaching for players with great measurables, but by drafting surprisingly well. Still, Al Davis couldn’t help but snag the player with the fastest 40 time in this year’s class. The Jaguars, meanwhile, picked up a starting middle linebacker in Kirk Morrison and only had to swap a fourth-round pick for a fifth-round pick.

Oakland Trades: fourth-round pick in 2012
Washington Trades: QB Jason Campbell
Pick: The Raiders’ acquisition of Campbell could mean the end of the JaMarcus Russell era in Oakland. Campbell was brought in to be the starter and with three other quarterback on the roster, Russell could be the odd man out considering his high salary. Campbell became expendable when the Redskins acquired Donovan McNabb.