Winners and Losers of Each NFL Draft Day Trade from Round 1

As many expected, Day 1 of the 2022 NFL draft was a wild affair. Fans saw surprise picks, an early disinterest in quarterbacks and trades—lots of trades.

We saw a total of nine trades in the first round, including two that involved veteran players.

Here, we'll examine every draft-day trade from Round 1 and break down the biggest winners and losers of each deal—based on factors like trade value, prospect potential, team needs and draft impact. We're only looking at deals that happened on Thursday, so pre-draft trades won't be listed here.

Trades are listed in the order in which they occurred, starting with one at pick No. 11. Before we dive into those draft-day deals, though, let's take a look at how Round 1 unfolded.

Saints Get: No. 11 pick

Commanders Get: No. 16, No. 98 and No. 120 picks

The first trade of Round 1 occurred at pick No. 11, where the New Orleans Saints moved up and got Ohio State wideout Chris Olave. To make the move, New Orleans sent first-, third- and fourth-round picks to the Washington Commanders.

Winner: Jameis Winston

Getting Olave is a big win for Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, who is the presumptive 2022 starter. The Saints lacked receiver depth last season with standout Michael Thomas recovering from ankle surgery and ranked dead-last in passing offense. Marquez Callaway led the team with a mere 698 receiving yards.

Thomas should be back this season, and Olave is an instant-impact receiver who can attack all levels of the field. He's a tad undersized at 6'0" and 187 pounds, but he knows how to find space in the secondary and will provide an easy target for Winston.

"Olave is a great route-runner with polish," Nate Tice of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. "He shows an understanding of not only the routes he runs but the concept that the offense is running and will tempo his routes accordingly." 

This is also a solid win for the Saints, who didn't give up a ton to land one of the best offensive playmakers in the draft. However, it's huge for Winston, who—if healthy—has a legitimate chance to reestablish himself as a long-term starting option.

Losers: Other Saints Wide Receivers

We could knock the Commanders for getting only a couple of middle-round picks in the deal, but they still came back and got a solid receiver in Penn State's Jahan Dotson. Washington's offense—and quarterback Carson Wentz—got a difference-making receiver in Round 1 and should be happy.

Saints receivers like Callaway, Deonte Harris and Tre'Quan Smith are likely a little less thrilled. Between Thomas, Olave and running back Alvin Kamara, there won't be a ton of balls left to go around.

Consider that in 2020, Thomas only appeared in seven games because of the ankle injury and a team-imposed one-game absence following a fight in practice with teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson. He still accounted for nearly 11 percent of the team's total targets, while Kamara accounted for 21 percent that season.

Olave should quickly become a go-to target, and it's not hard to imagine him, Kamara and Thomas accounting for more than half of the New Orleans passing offense. This leaves little opportunity for other guys to emerge as high-end contributors.

It could be particularly problematic for Callaway, who is scheduled to be a restricted free agent in 2023 and might now lose out on a high-round tender.

Lions Get: No. 12 pick and No. 46 pick

Vikings Get: No. 32 pick, No. 34 pick and No. 66 pick

As soon as Olave came off the board, the Detroit Lions made their move to secure a future star receiver. Detroit dealt the last pick in Round 1, plus second- and third-rounders for the 12th pick and the Minnesota Vikings' second-round selection. With the pick, Detroit took Alabama receiver Jameson Williams.

Winner: Lions Fans

This was a tremendous move for the Lions, who snagged what some considered the best receiver in the draft—and didn't give up a future first-rounder to do it.

"My #1 WR, one of the 5 or 6 best players in this draft," ProFootballTalk's Chris Simms tweeted after the Williams pick.

It's an even bigger win for Lions fans, though, who endured a tough rebuilding year in 2021. Detroit fought hard each and every week but still only managed a 3-13-1 record. On Thursday, the Lions may have done enough to spark a turnaround.

Williams, who suffered a torn ACL in the national title game, might not be ready early in 2022. However, he should form a dynamic tandem with 2021 rookie breakout star Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown caught at least eight passes in each of his final six games and provided a passer rating of 104.0 when targeted as a rookie.

By landing Michigan product and pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the second pick and coming up for Williams, the Lions added two big-time players who should energize the fanbase for years to come.

Loser: Minnesota Vikings

There will be plenty of spin from the Vikings' front office in the coming days, but the reality is that Minnesota didn't get enough value in trading down 20 spots. The second-round swap is significant, and the Vikings may land a future starter in the third round, but this was not a good deal for Minnesota.

According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, the ESPN Trade Value chart suggests that Minnesota won the trade. However, trade-value points don't win football games, and the Vikings passed up a couple of prospects that could have helped them do just that in 2022. 

Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis was selected one spot after Williams, while Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton went 14th. Both are premier defensive products who could have helped Minnesota significantly right out of the gate.

Last season, the Vikings ranked 28th in pass defense, 26th in run defense and 30th in total defense.

Davis and Hamilton were both top-six prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board, and the Vikings passed on them to deliver a future No. 1 receiver to a division rival. That's a loss no matter what the trade chart says.

Eagles Get: No. 13 pick

Texans Get: No. 15 pick, No. 124 pick, No. 162 pick and No. 166 pick

The Philadelphia Eagles moved up two spots to land Davis, the top defender left according to the B/R board. They sent the No. 15 pick, a fourth-rounder and two fifth-rounders to the Houston Texans to make it happen.

Winners: The Eagles and Jordan Davis

This was a great move for both the Eagles and for Davis. Philadelphia gets a long-term successor to star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who is 31 and likely in the back end of his career. Cox is also entering the final year of his contract.

The cost to move up and secure a potential top-five talent wasn't particularly significant, especially considering Philadelphia had a playoff roster in 2021 and might not have the room for multiple Day 3 picks on the depth chart.

It's also a big win for Davis, who joins a playoff contender and gets to learn from Cox, one of the best interior defenders of the past decade.

The Eagles defense, which ranked 11th against the pass, ninth against the run and 10th overall last season, should provide Davis with the opportunity to shine early as a pro. The Georgia product will have a ton of talent around him and could quickly become a perennial Pro Bowler.

Losers: Opposing AFC North Quarterbacks

This was one of those rare win-win trades that don't often come at the top of the first round. The Eagles and Davis are a terrific pairing, while the Texans got a handful of extra picks to move down two spots. Those Day 3 selections will be a lot more valuable to a rebuilding Houston squad that won only four games last season.

At No. 14, the Ravens went with the best player available. With Davis off the board, that became Hamilton.

"Ravens won't change their formula. EVER. Best Player Available was safety Kyle Hamilton, and they took him," former Ravens editor Sarah Ellison tweeted.

The Ravens ranked dead-last in pass defense a year ago but also lost cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (pectoral) and Marcus Peters (ACL) to season-ending injuries. Both should be healthy in 2022, and Baltimore also added standout safety Marcus Williams in free agency.

With Hamilton now also in the fold for Baltimore, the Ravens secondary should ascend quickly, which is bad news for opposing quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson and now Kenny Pickett in the AFC North.

Eagles Get: WR A.J. Brown

Titans Get: No. 18 pick and No. 101 pick

The Eagles pulled off one of Thursday's biggest surprises when they acquired Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans. To land Brown, Philly surrendered the 18th pick and a fourth-rounder.

Winner: QB Jalen Hurts

The Eagles made the playoffs in 2021 by building a run-oriented offense around second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts. This was done, in part, to augment Hurts' ability as a dual-threat quarterback. It was also necessary to some degree, as the Eagles lacked receiver depth behind rookie DeVonta Smith.

Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert were the only Eagles pass-catchers to top 700 yards in 2021.

Adding Brown to the mix instantly improves Hurts' supporting cast. The Mississippi product is a two-time 1,000-yard receiver and was a Pro Bowler in 2021. He was limited to 13 games this past season by a chest injury but still finished with 869 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Brown is a big-bodied (6'1", 226 pounds) possession receiver who can outmuscle just about any defender for the ball. He'll be a tremendous complement to Smith, who attacks defense with his speed and route-running savvy, and should form one of the better receiving duos in the NFC.

With Smith, Goedert and now Brown in the fold, Hurts is poised for a breakout campaign in his second season as the full-time starter.

Loser: Teams Hoping to Get a Receiver on the Cheap

The Titans and quarterback Ryan Tannehill will miss having Brown in the lineup. However, they were able to land Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks with the pick they got from Philadelphia.

Obviously, Burks is unproven as a pro, while Brown is an established commodity. However, the Titans may still come out with a top-tier receiver. They also got a mid-first-round pick and a fourth-rounder for a receiver they took in the second round three years ago.

The real loser in this deal is any team hoping to get a veteran receiver at a low price point. The Cleveland Browns managed to get Amari Cooper for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round swap in March, but the NFL is a different world now.

Receivers like Brown are going to cost a lot in trade capital and in payroll. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, Philadelphia and Brown have already agreed to a new four-year, $100 million extension.

Good receivers aren't going to come cheaply, as one team we're about to examine figured out a few picks later in Round 1.

Cardinals Get: WR Marquise Brown, No. 100 pick

Ravens Get: No. 23 pick

The Arizona Cardinals watched as several wide receivers came off the board and the Eagles landed A.J.Brown. So, they decided to make a move and sent the 23rd pick to Baltimore for Ravens wideout Marquise Brown and a fourth-rounder.

Winner: The Ravens

The Ravens couldn't have done a much better job of navigating the first round than they did. They got great value in grabbing Hamilton, and getting a first-round pick for Marquise Brown was a coup.

Marquise Brown has shown flashes in his three seasons with Baltimore, particularly as a field-stretching vertical threat and broken-play aficionado. However, he's never quite developed into a true No. 1 target that quarterback Lamar Jackson has lacked. 

Through three seasons, Brown has just one 1,000-yard campaign. That came in 2021, and he provided a passer rating of only 87.9 when targeted. This isn't to say that Jackson was thrilled with the trade.

"Wtf," Jackson tweeted after the trade.

For the Ravens, though, this was the start of a terrific series of moves late in Round 1. They took Marquise Brown with the 25th pick in the 2019 draft, got three years out of him and then flipped him for a higher pick than the Ravens originally spent.

That's a great return on investment for Baltimore, especially considering he may never have become more than a high-end complementary receiver with the franchise.

Loser: Arizona Cardinals

Look, we may revisit this trade and say that Arizona won in a big way. Perhaps coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray will unlock Marquise Brown's full potential and make him a perennial Pro Bowler. He and Murray were college teammates, after all.

However, Marquise Brown has done little in the NFL to this point to suggest that this will be the case.

Based on what we've seen from him thus far, Arizona overpaid, plain and simple. What makes things even more confusing is the fact that he is only under contract for two more seasons—and that's if Arizona exercises the fifth-year option on him.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, Cardinals general manager John Keim has said that he will pick up the option.

This means that Arizona will be on the hook for $13.4 million in 2023 for his contract. That's significantly less than former Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk will make with the Jacksonville Jaguars ($21.5 million) in 2023, but it's still a lot for a receiver who isn't a top perimeter option. After next season, the Cardinals will either have to pay the former Raven or let him walk.

Sure, Arizona got the 100th pick in the draft back as part of the trade, but that's not enough to make this a fair and balanced deal.

Chiefs Get: No. 21 pick

Patriots Get: No. 29 pick, No. 94 pick, No. 121 pick

We saw two cornerbacks go within the first four picks, and the Kansas City Chiefs moved up to take the third corner off the board. They obtained the 21st pick from the New England Patriots for the 29th pick and third- and fourth-rounders.

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs gave up a fair bit of draft capital to move up eight spots in the first round, but if they got their guy, a couple of middle-round picks is entirely reasonable. Presumably, Kansas City believes it got its guy in Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie.

The Chiefs had their pick of every cornerback not named Derek Stingley Jr. or Ahmed Gardner and went with the former Huskies star.

Kansas City should be getting an instant contributor and a versatile piece on the back end.

"His versatility is his biggest strength as the draft gets closer," Cory Giddings of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "There are few cornerbacks who can perform as well in both man and zone coverage. That will help separate him from others in this class."

If McDuffie can start right away, it will be a massive win for the Chiefs, who lost starting corner Charvarius Ward in free agency. Their Super Bowl window is wide open, and McDuffie can help fill one of the biggest holes remaining on a championship-caliber roster.

Losers: Patriots Fans

The Patriots got a couple of valuable picks by trading down, and they clearly believe in Chattanooga interior lineman Cole Strange—who was the pick at No. 29. However, this was not a trade that will excite the New England faithful.

Strange received a third-round grade from the B/R Scouting Department and looks to be a project as a potential starter.

"Overall, Strange has the frame, athletic ability, play strength and competitive toughness to be considered a high-level backup at multiple positions across the line, with starter potential over his first few seasons at guard," Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He will need refinement to handle himself in isolated situations as a pass protector."

Then, there's the fact that New England passed on prospects like McDuffie, Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and Purdue pass-rusher George Karlaftis. All three could help fill defensive needs for the Patriots, and New England passed to move down and grab a guard who seemed likely to be available well into Day 2.

New England even passed on Karlaftis a second time to take Strange.

Bills Get: No. 23 pick

Ravens Get: No. 25 pick, No. 130 pick

With McDuffie off the board at No. 21, the Buffalo Bills decided not to wait for a cornerback. They sent a fourth-rounder to the Ravens to move up two spots and snag Florida corner Kaiir Elam.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Kudos to the Bills for going up and getting a corner they believe can be an early contributor. They didn't give up a ton to make the trade, and they help get insurance for Tre'Davius White, who is coming off a torn ACL.

However, the Ravens are the big winners here for moving down a second time, adding a Day 3 pick and still landing a player they could have taken at No. 14.

Baltimore took the best player available in Hamilton 14th overall, but few would have batted an eye had it grabbed Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. The Ravens lost 2021 starter Bradley Bozeman in free agency, and Linderbaum projects as an early starter.

"He's a bit undersized in terms of weight and girth, but he plays with an advanced understanding of how to leverage blocks with exceptional quickness, explosive power and grip strength to control defenders in the run game," Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.

The Ravens got Hamilton, dealt Brown, traded down and still ended up with Linderbaum. That's a wonderful day of drafting and dealing for Baltimore.

Loser: CB Dane Jackson

This was an even trade for the Bills and the Ravens, with the only real potential loser being Buffalo cornerback Dane Jackson.

Jackson started down the stretch following White's injury and handled himself extremely well. He appeared in all 17 games, made six starts and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 70.2 last season.

If White isn't ready early in 2022, Jackson may still be a starting corner for Buffalo. However, he's no longer a lock to be a full-time starter with Elam in the fold. White will return to the starting lineup when healthy, which will leave Jackson battling Elam for the other starting perimeter spot.

If Jackson cannot fend off Elam, it will hurt his future value in free agency—and he's scheduled to be a restricted free agent in 2023.

The added depth will benefit the Bills, who hope to be Super Bowl contenders in 2021. However, Jackson's future is now under a shadow of uncertainty that wasn't quite there before Buffalo traded up to land Elam.

Jets Get: No. 26 pick, No. 101 pick

Titans Get: No. 35 pick, No. 69 pick and No. 163 pick

After acquiring the 18th pick for Brown, the Titans traded out of the first round with their own selection at No. 26. The New York Jets moved into that slot, giving up second- and fifth-round picks while swapping third-rounders with Tennessee.

Winner: The Jets

This was a smart trade by New York, which finished Day 1 with three instant-impact players. After grabbing Gardner and Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson early in the round, New York came back to grab Florida State edge-rusher Jermaine Johnson II.

Johnson has the potential to be a difference-maker right out of the gate.

"Johnson can start in the NFL for a long time thanks to his outstanding run defense and baseline pass-rushing skills," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "Considering he is already an older prospect and lacks great flexibility, his ceiling is not as exciting, but he can contribute right away as a three-down player and become an above-average starter for years to come."

The 23-year-old Johnson should step into a significant role immediately for a Jets team that logged only 33 sacks in 2021.

New York should also get Carl Lawson back after he missed all of last season with a torn Achilles. However, Johnson fills a huge need for New York, and being able to trade up and get him was a big victory for the Jets.

Loser: Edge Vinny Curry

The Jets' ability to land Johnson likely spells trouble for returning pass-rusher Vinny Curry.

Curry, a second-round pick of the Eagles in 2012, signed a one-year deal with New York last offseason. However, he had his spleen removed because of a rare blood disorder and didn't play in 2021. He signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal this offseason.

Even with Lawson set to return, Curry stood a reasonable chance of seeing significant playing time this season. The Jets lacked depth on the edge, with John Franklin-Myers and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams the only players to register more than three sacks. Curry had eight sacks between 2019 and 2020.

Curry will now find it more difficult to earn playing time with Johnson in the fold. The Jets might be inclined to keep him for depth purposes, but Curry could just as easily be cut, as only $800,000 of his 2022 cap hit is in dead money.

Jaguars Get: No. 27 pick

Buccaneers Get: No. 33 pick, No. 106 pick and No. 180 pick

Like the Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded back into the first round, sending second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to do so. The Jags scooped up Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with the selection.

Winner: Jacksonville

This was a wonderful move for a Jaguars team that made a controversial one at the top of the draft. Jacksonville opted for Georgia defensive end Travon Walker with the first overall selection. Walker has tremendous physical upside but is a project and a true boom-or-bust prospect.

Lloyd, on the other hand, is a polished prospect who should provide an immediate boost at the second level.

"He has the sideline-to-sideline range to consistently contain perimeter runs and screens, as well as take advantage of run-throughs as the weak-side chase player," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "Lloyd's speed and quickness are made better by his reliable eyes and trigger against the run."

Not only did Jacksonville get a wonderful player in Lloyd, they didn't give up much in the way of draft capital. To move up six spots and into Day 1, the Jaguars only surrendered a pair of Day 3 selections.

By moving back into the first round, Jacksonville also landed the fifth-year option for Lloyd, which may come into play a few years from now if he becomes a defensive centerpiece.

Loser: Minnesota Vikings

This was a relatively fair deal with no real loser between the teams involved. It did, however, take Lloyd off the board before he fell to the Vikings at No. 32.

We've previously discussed Minnesota's defensive deficiencies, and Lloyd would have been a great get for the Vikings. Instead, they grabbed Georgia safety Lewis Cine.

Cine was the 80th-ranked prospect on the B/R board and is a bit of a project.

"Cine is at his best when he has space between him and receivers, giving him time to see the play develop and react," Cory Giddings of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "With his skills and production, he has the ability to be a high-level backup with spot-starting duties later in his career."

Still, Cine is a reasonable pick for the Vikings. The other angle here is that Jacksonville's move to secure Lloyd robbed Minnesota of any opportunity to flip the 32nd pick to a team interested in landing him.

Theoretically, the Vikings could have dealt the last selection in Round 1 to a team eager to jump Jacksonville for Lloyd and still landed Cine on Day 2.

That opportunity never arose, though, as the Jags got aggressive and went up to get their guy.

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference. Contract information via Spotrac.