NFL
How many times has the first overall pick in the NFL Draft been traded?
Last season’s Carolina Panthers-Chicago Bears trade was the 13th time the top pick has been dealt prior to the Draft since 1967.
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At the start of last year’s free agency period, the Chicago Bears held the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to their 3-14 record and the Texans’ win in week 18 of the season.
However, the Bears used this pick to bolster their support around quarterback Justin Fields, who had an excellent second year in the league. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers were searching for a franchise quarterback for the future and saw the first pick as the key to achieving this.
As a result, they traded their first-round pick (No. 9) and a second-round pick (No. 61), as well as their first-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025, to acquire the coveted number-one pick, Alabama’s (Crimson Tide) Bryce Young.
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But how many times has the number one pick in the NFL been traded?
Since the NFL merged with the AFL, there have been 13 trades involving the number one pick. The most recent of these trades occurred in March of this year when the Carolina Panthers acquired the pick from the Chicago Bears.
The previous affair was in 2016 when the Tennessee Titans traded the first overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams. The Titans selected Derrick Henry and Jonnu Smith, while the Rams drafted quarterback Jared Goff.
Before that, in the 2001 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons famously traded with the San Diego Chargers to secure the first overall pick, which they used to select quarterback Michael Vick. In return, the Chargers received wide receiver and return specialist Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick, which they used to draft running back LaDainian Tomlinson.