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Fox News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 NFL Draft Primer: All the facts and stats you need to know
The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft has moved from months to weeks to days and now to hours. Round 1 commences on Thursday night, putting an end to all the mock drafts we've seen over the past few months. As you read your final mocks ahead of Thursday's festivities, there might be one thing that stands out: Every single team still owns its first-round pick. The fact that no team has traded its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is history in itself. This is the closest to a draft where a first-round pick hasn't been moved in the Common Draft Era, which began in 1967. The 1993 NFL Draft previously held the record for the closest amount of time to Draft Day before a first-round pick was traded. That year, the Kansas City Chiefs sent a first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Joe Montana five days before the draft. So, the 2025 draft is the first where a first-round pick wasn't traded before Draft Day in the Common Draft Era. That's a surprise considering the number of trades before recent drafts, especially at the premium positions. In 2024, the Chicago Bears held the No. 1 overall selection because the Carolina Panthers traded the pick in order to draft Bryce Young at No. 1 in 2023. The Houston Texans initially had an extra first-round pick in the 2024 draft as well, getting that selection from the Cleveland Browns in the Deshaun Watson trade. As part of the Watson deal, Houston also acquired Cleveland's first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts. The Texans traded the 2024 first-round pick they got from the Browns to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of Draft Day. Some other notable pre-draft trades that involved a first-round pick in recent years include Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets (swapping of first-round picks), Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos (Seattle Seahawks received first-round picks in 2022 and 2023) and Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams (Detroit Lions received first-round picks in 2021 and 2022). Let's take a look at some other interesting facts and nuggets about the 2025 NFL Draft. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Rams trade up, 2 RBs picked in top 15 in Colin Cowherd's 2025 NFL mock draft
Draft Day has finally arrived. The 2025 NFL Draft will commence Thursday night with the first round. As of Thursday afternoon, each team still owns its first-round selection, which marks the first time that's been the case on Draft Day in the Common Draft Era. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be trades made when the first round takes place on Thursday night. In fact, Colin Cowherd projects that one team will make a big jump into the top 15 in his final mock draft. "I was on the phone last night, yesterday afternoon and this morning and there was a lot of Bears rumors about Ashton Jeanty," Cowherd said on Thursday's "The Herd." "But to make a trade work, a lot of teams want things. I'm told that the Jaguars want to go up and get Travis Hunter. Well, what do we get? So, there's a lot of conversations and calls. Very rarely do you get moves in the top 10 picks, but there are a lot of calls. So, here's what I'm hearing." With that, let's take a look at Colin Cowherd's final mock draft, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. You can also check out every other mock draft we've published this week here: [2025 NFL mock drafts: Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart go earlier than expected in Rob Rang's final mock draft; Henry McKenna's embrace-the-chaos Round 1; Chris "The Bear" Fallica's first-round mock draft; Joel Klatt's first-round mock draft, Danny Parkins' first-round mock draft] Odds to be No. 1 overall pick: -20000 Cowherd's thoughts: "This is an easy one. Good fit with Brian Callahan's offense. More than anything, he's a major talent upgrade over who the Titans played at quarterback last year. Last year, Tennessee's quarterbacks combined for 22 touchdowns and 21 picks." Odds to be No. 2 overall pick: -2500 Cowherd's thoughts: "Most talented athlete in the draft. I think [Hunter's] a historically gifted athlete. They are getting calls on Travis Hunter, and not just one. They're going to, I believe, keep him. Maybe he's not a Shohei Ohtani. Maybe he is. But there's just not a lot of guys like this." Odds to be No. 3 overall pick: -1400 Cowherd's thoughts: "It's a star-less draft, and Carter's one of the four or five stars in the draft. They've already got a good defensive line, but a lot of teams pick the best player available. There's no question that, at this point, Carter's the best player available. Odds to be No. 4 overall pick: -475 Cowherd's thoughts: "Reality is, the Patriots had the worst offensive line in the league. They can get running backs, tight ends and wide receivers elsewhere. There's only four or five offensive tackles that people really like, maybe fewer than that. You've got Drake Maye. Now you've got to protect him." Odds to be No. 5 overall pick: +350 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Jaguars go for one of the cleaner players in the draft. They could not stop the run last year. By the way, they've got Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, so Graham would create a nice combo there and their defensive line would be set for lines. I love Mason Graham." Odds to be No. 6 overall pick: +425 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Raiders need a receiver and a running back. Pete Carroll's old school. He likes to create a run game. He had his most success with Marshawn Lynch in the pros and Reggie Bush and LenDale White in college. They need Jeanty. I think he's a really unique running back first-round talent." Odds to be No. 7 overall pick: +175 Cowherd's thoughts: "I know the Jets have a defensive coach, but they don't have enough weapons. Garrett Wilson needs some protection. I saw Tyler Warren play at USC and catch 17 balls. He's not Brock Bowers, but he's got so much dexterity and versatility that I don't think the Jets can pass on him. The Jets get no tight end production, he solves it for the next five years." Odds to be No. 8 overall pick: +125 Cowherd's thoughts: "It's another Georgia pass rusher. He was a five-star recruit with [a lot of hype]. Sometimes he lives up to it. Sometimes he does not. But again, in a superstar-less draft, he's a good pass rusher from Georgia and they typically work out OK." Odds to be No. 9 overall pick: +275 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Saints could use offensive line help, but I think they go Mykel Williams here. They didn't have a good defense last year. They've got to rebuild their offensive line, but they've got to go best player available. These Georgia guys, it doesn't matter if they underachieve a little or if they've got some character stuff, they come into the NFL and they can play. Odds to be No. 10 overall pick: +2800 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Bears would love a star running back, but I think they take Will Johnson. They've got Jaylon Johnson on one side and this is a team that spent a ton of money on offense over the last two years. They need to get cheap on defense. He's a very good corner and the Bears need to upgrade their secondary." 49ers' odds to draft OL with first pick: -150 Cowherd's thoughts: "Left tackle Trent Williams is 37. The 49ers lost two offensive linemen in free agency. … If you're going to spend money on Brock Purdy, who's had a couple of injuries already, you've got to protect. Banks, in my opinion, is the best offensive lineman in the draft." Cowboys' odds to draft RB with first pick: +1000 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Cowboys don't have enough offensive firepower. Jerry Jones likes stars, he wanted to draft Johnny Manziel at one point and they talked him out of it. Hampton's Joe Mixon with a better burst. So, why not? If you're going to spend money on Dak Prescott, you've got to get him weapons. You'v got one right now in CeeDee Lamb. I think they go big. It's exciting, explosive and Jerry would love the attention." Rams' odds to draft TE with first pick: +425 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Rams tried to move up last year for Brock Bowers, but it was too rich. They're just not getting enough tight end production. The feeling with Rams is, they've got Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and the O-line is settled. So, let's go get a star tight end for Matthew Stafford this year and next, his last couple of years with the Rams." Colts' odds to draft OL with first pick: +270 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Colts will, in their eyes, take the best player available, which is Armond Membou here. He's a monster. The reality is, outside of Quenton Nelson, nobody else played 17 games on the O-line for the Colts. Chris Ballard will be patient. He let the best player fall to him." Falcons' odds to draft LB with first pick: +600 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Falcons have gone offense in the first round in the last four drafts. That's why their defense is not very good. Michael Penix Jr. is fine. The O-line's fine. They've got Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson. Their offense is fine. They need to be faster and more athletic on defense. Campbell's an underrated player. Most Alabama players aren't underrated, but the guy's an unbelievable freak athlete. He's probably the best linebacker in the draft." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Fox Sports
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Rams trade up, 2 RBs picked in top 15 in Colin Cowherd's 2025 NFL mock draft
Draft Day has finally arrived. The 2025 NFL Draft will commence Thursday night with the first round. As of Thursday afternoon, each team still owns its first-round selection, which marks the first time that's been the case on Draft Day in the Common Draft Era. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be trades made when the first round takes place on Thursday night. In fact, Colin Cowherd projects that one team will make a big jump into the top 15 in his final mock draft. "I was on the phone last night, yesterday afternoon and this morning and there was a lot of Bears rumors about Ashton Jeanty," Cowherd said on Thursday's "The Herd." "But to make a trade work, a lot of teams want things. I'm told that the Jaguars want to go up and get Travis Hunter. Well, what do we get? So, there's a lot of conversations and calls. Very rarely do you get moves in the top 10 picks, but there are a lot of calls. So, here's what I'm hearing." With that, let's take a look at Colin Cowherd's final mock draft, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. You can also check out every other mock draft we've published this week here: [2025 NFL mock drafts: Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart go earlier than expected in Rob Rang's final mock draft; Henry McKenna's embrace-the-chaos Round 1; Chris "The Bear" Fallica's first-round mock draft; Joel Klatt's first-round mock draft, Danny Parkins' first-round mock draft] 1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fla.) Odds to be No. 1 overall pick: -20000 Cowherd's thoughts: "This is an easy one. Good fit with Brian Callahan's offense. More than anything, he's a major talent upgrade over who the Titans played at quarterback last year. Last year, Tennessee's quarterbacks combined for 22 touchdowns and 21 picks." Odds to be No. 2 overall pick: -2500 Cowherd's thoughts: "Most talented athlete in the draft. I think [Hunter's] a historically gifted athlete. They are getting calls on Travis Hunter, and not just one. They're going to, I believe, keep him. Maybe he's not a Shohei Ohtani. Maybe he is. But there's just not a lot of guys like this." Odds to be No. 3 overall pick: -1400 Cowherd's thoughts: "It's a star-less draft, and Carter's one of the four or five stars in the draft. They've already got a good defensive line, but a lot of teams pick the best player available. There's no question that, at this point, Carter's the best player available. Odds to be No. 4 overall pick: -475 Cowherd's thoughts: "Reality is, the Patriots had the worst offensive line in the league. They can get running backs, tight ends and wide receivers elsewhere. There's only four or five offensive tackles that people really like, maybe fewer than that. You've got Drake Maye. Now you've got to protect him." Odds to be No. 5 overall pick: +350 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Jaguars go for one of the cleaner players in the draft. They could not stop the run last year. By the way, they've got Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, so Graham would create a nice combo there and their defensive line would be set for lines. I love Mason Graham." Odds to be No. 6 overall pick: +425 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Raiders need a receiver and a running back. Pete Carroll's old school. He likes to create a run game. He had his most success with Marshawn Lynch in the pros and Reggie Bush and LenDale White in college. They need Jeanty. I think he's a really unique running back first-round talent." Odds to be No. 7 overall pick: +175 Cowherd's thoughts: "I know the Jets have a defensive coach, but they don't have enough weapons. Garrett Wilson needs some protection. I saw Tyler Warren play at USC and catch 17 balls. He's not Brock Bowers, but he's got so much dexterity and versatility that I don't think the Jets can pass on him. The Jets get no tight end production, he solves it for the next five years." Odds to be No. 8 overall pick: +125 Cowherd's thoughts: "It's another Georgia pass rusher. He was a five-star recruit with [a lot of hype]. Sometimes he lives up to it. Sometimes he does not. But again, in a superstar-less draft, he's a good pass rusher from Georgia and they typically work out OK." Odds to be No. 9 overall pick: +275 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Saints could use offensive line help, but I think they go Mykel Williams here. They didn't have a good defense last year. They've got to rebuild their offensive line, but they've got to go best player available. These Georgia guys, it doesn't matter if they underachieve a little or if they've got some character stuff, they come into the NFL and they can play. Odds to be No. 10 overall pick: +2800 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Bears would love a star running back, but I think they take Will Johnson. They've got Jaylon Johnson on one side and this is a team that spent a ton of money on offense over the last two years. They need to get cheap on defense. He's a very good corner and the Bears need to upgrade their secondary." 49ers' odds to draft OL with first pick: -150 Cowherd's thoughts: "Left tackle Trent Williams is 37. The 49ers lost two offensive linemen in free agency. … If you're going to spend money on Brock Purdy, who's had a couple of injuries already, you've got to protect. Banks, in my opinion, is the best offensive lineman in the draft." 12. Dallas Cowboys: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina Cowboys' odds to draft RB with first pick: +1000 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Cowboys don't have enough offensive firepower. Jerry Jones likes stars, he wanted to draft Johnny Manziel at one point and they talked him out of it. Hampton's Joe Mixon with a better burst. So, why not? If you're going to spend money on Dak Prescott, you've got to get him weapons. You'v got one right now in CeeDee Lamb. I think they go big. It's exciting, explosive and Jerry would love the attention." Rams' odds to draft TE with first pick: +425 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Rams tried to move up last year for Brock Bowers, but it was too rich. They're just not getting enough tight end production. The feeling with Rams is, they've got Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and the O-line is settled. So, let's go get a star tight end for Matthew Stafford this year and next, his last couple of years with the Rams." Colts' odds to draft OL with first pick: +270 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Colts will, in their eyes, take the best player available, which is Armond Membou here. He's a monster. The reality is, outside of Quenton Nelson, nobody else played 17 games on the O-line for the Colts. Chris Ballard will be patient. He let the best player fall to him." 15. Atlanta Falcons: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama Falcons' odds to draft LB with first pick: +600 Cowherd's thoughts: "The Falcons have gone offense in the first round in the last four drafts. That's why their defense is not very good. Michael Penix Jr. is fine. The O-line's fine. They've got Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson. Their offense is fine. They need to be faster and more athletic on defense. Campbell's an underrated player. Most Alabama players aren't underrated, but the guy's an unbelievable freak athlete. He's probably the best linebacker in the draft." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL Draft: All the facts and stats you need to know
The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft has moved from months to weeks to days and now to hours. Round 1 commences on Thursday night, putting an end to all the mock drafts we've seen over the past few months. As you read your final mocks ahead of Thursday's festivities, there might be one thing that stands out: Every single team still owns its first-round pick. The fact that no team has traded its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is history in itself. This is the closest to a draft where a first-round pick hasn't been moved in the Common Draft Era, which began in 1967. The 1993 NFL Draft previously held the record for the closest amount of time to Draft Day before a first-round pick was traded. That year, the Kansas City Chiefs sent a first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Joe Montana five days before the draft. So, the 2025 draft is the first where a first-round pick wasn't traded before Draft Day in the Common Draft Era. That's a surprise considering the number of trades in recent drafts, especially at the premium positions. In 2024, the Chicago Bears held the No. 1 overall selection because the Carolina Panthers traded the pick in order to draft Bryce Young at No. 1 in 2023. The Houston Texans initially had an extra first-round pick in the 2024 draft as well, getting that selection from the Cleveland Browns in the Deshaun Watson trade. As part of the Watson deal, Houston also acquired Cleveland's first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts. The Texans traded the 2024 first-round pick they got from the Browns to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of Draft Day. Some other notable pre-draft trades that involved a first-round pick in recent years include Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets (swapping of first-round picks), Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos (Seattle Seahawks received first-round picks in 2022 and 2023) and Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams (Detroit Lions received first-round picks in 2021 and 2022). Let's take a look at some other interesting facts and nuggets about the 2025 NFL Draft. Cam Ward is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but no one knows how many other quarterbacks will be selected in the first round. Last year, six QBs were selected on Day 1, tying the record for the most in the Common Draft Era. If Ward is the only first-round quarterback, it'll mark just the fifth time since 2000 that has happened. Just like quarterbacks, wide receivers were in demand in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, so much so that it matched a record. Seven wide receivers were selected, tying the 2004 draft for the most taken in the first round of the Common Draft Era. FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang has four wide receivers (including Travis Hunter) being taken in the first round of his final mock draft. The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Barring a surprise trade (or two), this will mark the first time that they've made a pick in the first round since 2021, due to the aforementioned Deshaun Watson trade. Just because there hasn't been a trade involving a first-round pick yet doesn't mean there won't be some on draft night. There have been an average of 5.6 trades involving first-round picks per year since 2020, including Draft Day deals. It seems likely that at least two running backs will be drafted in the first round on Thursday. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton have been first-round picks in every FOX Sports mock draft this week. However, that's well short for the most running backs taken in the first round in the Common Draft Era. Eight running backs were selected in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft. Two tight ends also seem likely to be drafted in the first round of the 2025 draft, with both Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland viewed as top talents in this year's class. If one more tight end joins them on Thursday, that would match the record for the most tight ends selected in the first round in the Common Draft Era. There have been four occasions when three tight ends have been picked in the first round. Getting help along the offensive line also seems to be a popular trend, but the record for the most O-linemen taken doesn't seem to be in doubt. Rang has six offensive linemen being selected in the first round of his latest mock draft, which is short of the 10 drafted in the first round in 1968. The record for the most defensive backs selected in the first round in the Common Era also doesn't seem likely to be broken this year. That number is nine, which was set in 2014. Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, Malaki Starks and Nick Emmanwori have been common fixtures in the first round of most mock drafts to this point. Michigan has a chance to make program history on Thursday night. Johnson, Loveland, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are all projected to be first-round picks. If that holds true, it would be the most first-round picks Michigan has had in a draft in program history. Its record currently sits at three, which was set in the 1995 and 2001 drafts. Ohio State could make some history this weekend as well. The defending national champions have a shot at breaking the record for most players selected in one draft in the Common Era. Georgia set the record in 2023 with 15 Bulldogs being selected. NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board projects that 15 Buckeyes will be draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Due to conference expansion, the record the SEC set for most first-round picks from a conference in a single draft will likely be threatened on Thursday night. The SEC had 15 first-round picks in the 2020 draft. In his final mock draft, Rang has 15 SEC players in the first round this year. Notre Dame could also threaten USC's record for the most draft picks ever produced by a single program. Ahead of the 2025 draft, the Trojans have had 523 players drafted to the Fighting Irish's 520. NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board projects that seven Notre Dame players will be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft while USC will only have two players get drafted. Wondering when your team will be on the clock? Well, let's take a few things into consideration. The draft starts at 8 p.m. ET, but there's typically some pomp and circumstance that takes place when Roger Goodell heads to the podium to announce that the draft is open. Each team also has up to 10 minutes to make its first-round pick. It also takes a couple of minutes for the pick to be formally announced after each team submits the name. So, let's take a look at what happened last year. The No. 1 overall pick was announced at 8:19 p.m. ET. The 16th pick was announced at 10:04 p.m. ET, marking the halfway point of the first round. The final selection of the first round was announced at 11:52 p.m. ET. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
NFL Draft trades: What recent trends tell us about first-round deals
Here we are, just hours before the start of the 2025 NFL Draft and, amazingly, all 32 teams still have their original first-round pick. Normally, at least one team would have already borrowed from future assets and given up a first-rounder either to move up in a previous draft, or to acquire a veteran player. In fact, during the Common Draft Era, this is the closest to a draft where no first-round picks have been traded. And while it looks like we'll start Thursday night with all 32 teams keeping their picks, it would be even more rare if it stayed that way. The league has averaged 5.6 trades involving first-round picks during the draft per year since 2020, and an examination of those deals yields some surprising observations. What position are NFL teams most likely to use a pick on after trading up in the first round? Surprise, it's not quarterback. There have been just four of those types of trades in the past five years, and only one in the past three drafts. And it's not edge rusher either, as there have been only three of those. The answer is receiver. There have been eight such trades in the past five years, double that of any other position. We've seen the market value of elite receivers explode in recent years, so the chance to get a top pass-catcher on the cheap with a rookie contract is something teams will actively overpay to acquire in the draft. Of the eight receivers, it's worth noting that none has made a single Pro Bowl, though you'd consider Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Brandon Aiyuk as solid picks, just the same. The 28 players taken after teams traded up or into the first round of the draft break down like this: eight receivers, four quarterbacks, four cornerbacks, three edges, three offensive tackles, two defensive tackles, two linebackers, one guard and one tight end. That's 17 on offense, 11 on defense, a predictable tilt given the positional values across the league for first-round picks. Seven NFL teams have traded up more than once in the past five drafts, and those seven include the top four seeds in last year's playoffs: the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles and Lions. The other three include the Vikings, who went 14-3 last year as a wild card, and the Jets and 49ers, who fell well short of the playoffs. So arguably five of the best teams in last year's NFL standings were teams that have been active in moving up high in the draft. We're not saying there's a direct link between trading up in the first round and team success — good teams pick later in the first round, when it costs less to move up and teams with loaded returning rosters have more leeway to consolidate picks and take a risk. Those moves don't all work out, but you can point to the Eagles trading up for Jalen Carter in 2023 and Jordan Davis in 2022 as a central part of the defensive line that sparked their Super Bowl victory. More than half the league — 19 teams out of 32 — has traded up at least once in the past five drafts, and almost as many (18) have traded down in the same time span. The teams that have traded down the most include the Jaguars and Patriots, both still picking in the top five this year, but it also makes sense that a team stockpiling lower-round picks might not yet see the full return on that investment. If you want to appreciate how much a pick can change hands, consider the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft. The 49ers had it to begin with, and traded it as part of a massive package they sent to the Dolphins to get quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick. The Dolphins then traded it to the Eagles so they could take receiver Jaylen Waddle at No. 6 — certainly a better pick than Lance. Philadelphia traded the No. 12 pick to Dallas to move up to No. 10 and take receiver DeVonta Smith, another solid pick. The Cowboys, as the fourth owner of the No. 12 pick, used it on Micah Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and in line to soon become the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. San Francisco obviously made a terrible gamble on Lance, the kind a front office only survives by also finding a star quarterback in Brock Purdy with the final pick of the seventh round. "Thank God for Mr. Irrelevant," 49ers GM John Lynch said last year. Miami, as the beneficiary of that Lance deal, used other picks in packages to get receiver Tyreek Hill and edge rusher Bradley Chubb, and Philadelphia used the pick it got from Miami to help get Davis. So the team that took the biggest gamble took the biggest loss, and the most patient team of the four, the Cowboys, somehow got the best player. NFL teams have traded up to take players in the first round 28 times in the past five years. How many of those 28 players would you guess have made a Pro Bowl? We're including this sentence just as a buffer, so you can formulate a guess without seeing the answer right away. The answer is just four. That's less than a 15 percent success rate, and three of the four are defensive linemen: Houston's Will Anderson, Philadelphia's Carter and the Jets' Jermaine Johnson. The only player taken after trading up who has made more than one Pro Bowl is Bucs tackle Tristan Wirfs. He's been to four, or more than the other 27 such players combined. Trading up is perhaps the best sign of a team's conviction and belief in a player's value, but that doesn't shield the team from being wrong. The closer a team is to the one on the clock, the less it has to give up to acquire a pick, so first-round trades are often minor, low-cost shifts to move up a spot or two. Nine of 28 in the past five years have had a team moving up one or two spots. As such, the cost of moving up is often minor: Only five times in the past five years has a team moving up given up a pick higher than a third-rounder to do so. Those five, just for reference, are the Texans jumping up from 12 to 3 for Anderson in 2023, the Lions moving way up from 32 to 12 for receiver Jameson Williams in 2022, the 49ers and Dolphins trades for Lance and Waddle in 2021, and the Bears giving up a future first for Justin Fields that same year. We should also mention the Titans giving up receiver A.J. Brown for the Eagles' first-round pick in 2022 as a significant investment outside of draft assets. Only two first-round trades in the past five years have seen teams move up more than nine spots: the Lions for Williams in 2022, and the Chargers moving up from 37 to 23 for linebacker Kenneth Murray in 2020. Again, moving up 10 spots at the end of the first round means substantially less than doing so in the top half of the first. And rather strangely, the most common distance between the team trading up and the team trading down is nine spots — six such deals in five years. The pick a team gets in trading down is another shot at a mid-round gem, but it also can turn to nothing quickly. When the Packers moved up four spots to get Jordan Love in 2020, they sent the Dolphins a fourth-round pick to do so, and Miami, even after moving up in the fourth round, used that pick on guard Solomon Kindley, who was out of the league entirely in just two years. Teams trading down usually do so because they have multiple players on their board they'd be happy to get, so they'll give up getting the best of those to add lower picks for improved depth. There's a calculated risk in going from a player you know you could have to one you might be able to get later, but it's worked out almost as well as trading up. In terms of players making multiple Pro Bowls, there are more of those from teams that traded down than those trading up. The LIons moved down from 6 to 12 in 2023 and still got running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The Ravens slid down two spots in 2022 and still got center Tyler Linderbaum, and the Cowboys got Parsons after trading down two spots to 12 in 2021. One of last year's best rookies, receiver Brian Thomas Jr., went to the Jaguars at 23 after they dropped six picks and added two picks in this year's draft. There have been at least four trades during the first round in each of the past nine drafts, so though it's been silent so far this year, don't expect the same on Thursday night. Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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