Record-Breaking Number of Trades During NFL Draft Weekend

The NFL draft weekend saw an unprecedented number of player and pick trades that took place over the course of three days. By the end of the draft, teams had completed 43 trades, surpassing the previous record of 40 set in 2019.

Trade Highlights

The Houston Texans were responsible for kicking off the trade frenzy when they moved back into the No. 3 spot to select Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. The Texans traded their No. 12 pick, along with the No. 33 pick in this year’s draft, and a first- and third-rounder in the 2024 draft to the Arizona Cardinals to make the move. This was the first of six trades made on the clock in Thursday’s first round alone.

The Carolina Panthers had made the biggest trade splash in March when they sent away two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears to move up to the No. 1 spot.

The Tennessee Titans sent two picks in this year’s draft (Nos. 41 and 72) as well as a third-round pick in the 2024 draft to the Arizona Cardinals to move up to No. 33, where they selected Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.

The Buffalo Bills were also part of the record-breaking 41st trade of the draft as they moved up in the sixth round to select Iowa State wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson at No. 205.

Even NFL veterans were not immune to the trades. During Saturday’s four rounds, the Detroit Lions traded running back D’Andre Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New Orleans Saints traded tight end Adam Trautman to the Denver Broncos as part of a trade to get one of the Broncos’ sixth-round picks.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns made the final swap so that the Ravens could move to pick No. 229 to select USC tackle Andrew Vorhees in exchange for a sixth-round pick next year.

Overall, this year’s NFL draft weekend saw a flurry of trades, and many teams walked away with the potential for multiple picks in future drafts. It will be interesting to see how these trades play out in the coming seasons and how they impact the teams involved.