With Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett publicly requesting a trade in early February, we put forward what we think the trade compensation is going to be for the pass rusher. Looking back at the last five years gives us some clues what the 29-year-old could be worth on the trade market.
Just in case you’re looking for market value, Garrett is definitely going to sign a new deal after he gets traded for $35 million per year or more.
Here are recent trade packages in the NFL that involved trading first-round picks or more for a player. There have been 13 in the last five years. We didn’t include trades that only involved draft picks, such as the Panthers trading multiple first-round picks to move up and select Bryce Young.
2023 New York Jets’ trade for Aaron Rodgers
The most recent trade to involve the value of a first-round pick was the 2023 deal between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers received a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick in addition to a first-round pick swap of two spots in 2023 (and a swap of late-round picks). We need to note that if Rodgers didn’t get injured in his first season in New Jersey, that 2024 second-round pick would have been a first-rounder.
2023 Denver Broncos’ trade for Sean Payton
This 2023 trade wasn’t even for a player, as the Broncos sent a first-round pick and second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in order to get the rights to head coach Sean Payton. Denver received a third-round pick and Payton in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
2022 Miami Dolphins’ trade for Bradley Chubb
The Dolphins desperately wanted a pass rusher and sent a deadline package to the Denver Broncos that included a first-round pick. Chubb and a fifth-round pick went to Miami while Denver received a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick, and running back Chase Edmonds. Right after that, he signed a massive contract at the top of the pass rusher market at the time.
2022 Philadelphia Eagles’ trade for A.J. Brown
During the 2022 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans decided they didn’t want to pay a top-of-market contract for Brown. Instead of doing that, they traded Brown to the Eagles for a first-round pick and drafted his replacement. Tennessee also received a third-round selection in the move. Brown signed a deal at the top of the wide receiver market shortly thereafter.
2022 Miami Dolphins’s trade for Tyreek Hill
The Dolphins were trying to secure their WR corps around a young QB, so they traded for one of the top receivers in the game. Miami sent a huge package to Kansas City for Hill; 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, and 2023 sixth-round pick. Hill immediately signed a deal at the top of the market, making him the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.
2022 Cleveland Browns’ trade for Deshaun Watson
The biggest trade in modern NFL history, the Browns and Atlanta Falcons were in a bidding war for Watson, which caused both a massive trade package and contract. The Browns sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans plus a 2023 third-round pick and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. Then Watson signed the first and only five-year fully guaranteed contract in league history.
2022 Las Vegas Raiders’ trade for Davante Adams
The Green Bay Packers traded Adams to the Raiders when he wanted a hefty contract extension, netting first-round and second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. He got what he wanted, signing a five-year, $141 million contract. (Sure, that number was inflated by absurd contract numbers in years four and five.)
2022 Denver Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson
Broncos Country, Let’s Ride. One of the biggest trade in NFL history saw a bunch of players and draft picks flying back and forth between the Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Wilson and a fourth-rounder were sent to Seattle for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round selection, and three players. Despite having multiple years left on his deal, the Broncos signed Wilson to five-year, $242.5 million contract. He only played two years of it.
2021 Indianapolis Colts’ trade for Carson Wentz
The Eagles had a Super Bowl-winning QB in the barn with Nick Foles, so they traded their former first-round selection Wentz to the Colts. Philadelphia received a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round selection.
2021 Los Angeles Rams’ trade for Matthew Stafford
This one was jam-packed because of finances and the number of players involved, especially because the Lions used this trade to jumpstart their current roster. The Rams received Stafford while the Detroit Lions got two future first-round picks, a 2021 third-round pick, and QB Jared Goff. Stafford signed an extension after the 2021 season.
2020 Seattle Seahawks’ trade for Jamal Adams
Seattle traded a pretty penny to the New York Jets for Adams, the former sixth overall selection. Adams and a fourth-round pick went to Seattle while the Jets received two first-round picks, a 2021 third-round pick, and a player.
2020 Indianapolis Colts’ trade for DeForest Buckner
The Colts traded for the big defensive tackle, sending the 13th overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers. The former seventh overall pick then signed a four-year, $84 million eal at the top of the market andwas name first-team All-Pro in that season.
2020 Buffalo Bills’ trade for Stefon Diggs
The Bills received Diggs and a seventh-rounder in exchange for a first-round pick, fifth-round pick, and sixth-round pick and a future fourth-round selection. The Minnesota Vikings picked Justin Jefferson to replace Diggs.
Takeaways: NFL player trade compensation from the last five years
What information can we glean from these 13 trades over the last five years? There are certainly some guidelines to look at.
Quarterbacks are the most valuable for trades
There are five quarterbacks on the list, which leads the position groups. Not only that, it’s the only position on the list to garner two first-round picks or more in a single trade.
Teams are most motivated by upcoming contract extensions
Several of these players were traded to avoid handing out a major contract extension. Often, you’ll see teams both trade immense draft capital for a player then also pay them a big contract.
Pass-rushers haven’t seen huge trade packages
While several pass-rushers have been traded over the past five years, only one garnered a first-round pick in return. Khalil Mack, Montez Sweat, Chase Young, Haason Redick, and other all topped out at second-round picks.
Where are the cornerback trades?
Even further down the list than pass-rushers are cornerbacks, who have no one traded for a first-round pick. The most prominent recent cornerback trades sent L’Jarius Sneed and Marshon Lattimore to new teams and neither even brought back a second-round pick in return.
What does this mean for Myles Garrett’s trade value?
Myles Garrett is the best pass rusher on this list with apologies to Bradley Chubb. That would be the starting point for the Cleveland Browns in compensation; a first-round pick, fourth-round pick, and a player. Garrett will command more than that, however, but it’s unlikely to reach the level of two first-round picks since no player has been traded for that unless they were a quarterback.
