The 6 Most Plausible 2025 NFL Draft-Day Trades

With each passing day, the 2025 NFL Draft draws nearer. And the closer we get to this year’s draft, the more hoopla, hype and speculation surrounding the event continues to grow.

Much of that speculation centers on the potential of draft trades. There are rumors galore surrounding teams moving up to target a particular player. Others still regarding teams trading back to stockpile picks.

As a matter of fact, all it will reportedly cost to obtain the first overall pick from the Tennessee Titans is three first-rounders.

That’s Tennessean for, “back up off our pick, sunshine.”

That trade all but certainly isn’t going to happen. But there are a number of deals that are far more plausible. For some, it’s a matter of aggressively pursuing a quarterback of the future. For others, it’s a matter of sliding up to fill a position of need. And for some, it’s a matter of reading the room and sliding back while stocking up on draft capital.

After all, everyone loves Let’s Make a Deal.

Provided they don’t get Zonked.

Cleveland Browns Move Back from No. 2 Overall

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New Orleans Saints Get: 2025 Pick No. 2; 2025 Round 4 Pick

Cleveland Browns Get: 2025 Pick No. 9, 2025 Round 3 Pick; 2026 Round 1 Pick

It’s hardly a state secret (with all due respect to Kenny Pickett) that the Cleveland Browns need a quarterback. But there have been rumblings that the team might not be enamored enough with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, and Miami’s Cam Ward appears to be a safe bet to be drafted at No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that a Browns team sorely lacking in young talent would be well-served to consider trading back and stockpiling picks.

“If the Browns aren't targeting Sanders, they need to add more picks, especially in the top 100 selections,” he said. “They have the most draft capital of any team by Chase Stuart's model heading into April, but I'd argue they could use even more. Spreading some of that capital across additional picks would be a wise move given how they need to recover from the Watson deal.”

Now, it’s possible that Sanders could fall to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9—a Sanders slide has become a trendy development in recent mock drafts. But with teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants with a need for a long-term quarterback ahead of New Orleans, it’s not especially likely.

Frankly, the Saints should be hitting the reset button—stockpiling picks and enduring a “down” year in order to help get out of their cap nightmare. But New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis has made it clear he doesn’t view the Saints as a rebuilding team.

Derek Carr is barely a short-term option under center, let alone a long-term one. If New Orleans believes in Sanders, a move this aggressive wouldn’t be out of character for the franchise.

Pittsburgh Steelers Go For Broke

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Pittsburgh Steelers Get: 2025 Pick No. 5; 2026 Round 4 Pick

Jacksonville Jaguars Get: 2025 Pick No. 2; 2026 Round 1 Pick; 2026 Round 3 Pick

Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a holding pattern, anxiously awaiting a decision from Aaron Rodgers on whether he will play in the Steel City in 2025. Should Rodgers spurn the Steelers, however, the team will be faced with three options—roll with Mason Rudolph under center, take a shot at a player like Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss at No. 21…

Or go after Shedeur Sanders.

This is the last trade involving him—honest.

ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum didn’t project the Steelers to move up this far in the 2025 draft to land Sanders. But he did write in his latest mock draft that Pittsburgh should think long and hard about acquiring the Colorado signal-caller.

“Yes, the Steelers still haven't signed a starting quarterback,” he said. “Aaron Rodgers met with the team late last week, but signing him would address only the short term. He's 41 years old. And as of now, Rodgers is still unsigned -- we can't assume he will definitely come to Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph is currently the QB1. So, I'm making the move to add Sanders. He is incredibly tough, can make all the throws, processes reads quickly in the pocket and delivers accurate balls. He lacks high-end mobility but still shows good pocket movement traits. I'm calling it now: Sanders projects as a top-15, maybe even top-12 starting QB in the NFL. That would be huge for a Steelers franchise that was 20th in QBR last season (51.3).”

This writer doesn’t buy the “Sanders slide”—too many teams need quarterback help, and Sanders has a high floor as a prospect.

If Pittsburgh gets the brush-off from Rodgers and wants to make a move for Sanders, it’s going to cost.

Chicago Bears Trade Up for an Offensive Lineman

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Las Vegas Raiders Get: 2025 Pick No. 10; 2025 Round 3 Pick; 2026 Round 6 Pick

Chicago Bears Get: 2025 Pick No. 6

The Chicago Bears have already been busy remaking the roster after the arrival of new head coach Ben Johnson. And with three picks inside the top 45 selections (including No. 10 overall), the Bears have ample ammunition to continue that transformation in Green Bay.

The Bears also have four choices inside the top-75, which also affords the opportunity for Da Bears to make a move up in the first round.

Last year, no team allowed more sacks than the Bears. And while LSU’s Will Campbell may not make it to 10, the 2025 draft’s top offensive line prospect should be there at No. 6.

Before anyone mentions his arm length, we’re with him on that subject.

"For two years,” he told reporters, “nobody had any measurements on me, and nobody said anything about my play. So now, all of a sudden, arm length decides if I’m a good player or not? I think it’s BS."

For the Raiders, it’s a deal that makes sense for a couple of reasons. Assuming Shedeur Sanders is gone, Las Vegas may well be better off sliding back a few spots and recouping the third-rounder they sent to Seattle for Geno Smith. The team has multiple needs on both sides of the ball, and as enamored as some fans may be with the idea of selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, there will be talented players at that position available on Day 2.

Bills Trade Up for Wide Receiver Help

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Buffalo Bills Get: 2025 Pick No. 24; 2025 Round 3 Pick; 2026 Round 6 Pick

Minnesota Vikings Get: 2025 Pick No. 30; 2025 Round 4 Pick; 2025 Round 4 Pick

There’s little question that the Buffalo Bills are in “win now” mode. The Bills have won the AFC East in each of the past five seasons and played in two AFC Championship Games, but so far these Bills have been bridesmaids—zero trips to the Super Bowl.

The Bills don’t have many glaring needs. But Buffalo’s wide receivers aren’t an especially imposing group, leaving draftniks like Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports to speculate that the team could make a move up in Round 1 to snare a player like Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.

“Josh Allen is the franchise in Buffalo, so the Bills had better give him everything he needs to finally get them over the hump,” he wrote. “That could mean sending a pair of fourth-round picks to the pick-poor Vikings to move up ahead of multiple teams that could be targeting Egbuka, a polished and pro-ready pass-catcher with elite route-running skills.”

The Vikings have more than a few needs of their own—especially in the defensive backfield. But Minnesota also (as things stand now) has just four picks in the 2025 draft.

Sliding back a handful of spots makes sense for the Vikes. They could add some badly-needed draft capital and still land a player like Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison or teammate Xavier Watts.

Philadelphia Eagles Move Up to Grab a Defensive Lineman

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Philadelphia Eagles Get: 2025 Pick No. 27

Baltimore Ravens Get: 2025 Pick No. 32; 2025 Round 3 Pick; 2025 Round 5 Pick

There are a few things we know are true about Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. We know that Roseman has never been shy about moving up (or down) in the NFL draft. We know that Roseman hoards defensive lineman like a squirrel hoards walnuts. And we know that after significant turnover on the defensive front this offseason, the Eagles could likely stand to bolster the position on April 24.

Per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports, the Eagles are well-positioned to make like Monty Hall if Roseman is enamored with an edge-rusher or defensive tackle.

“The Eagles have seven picks in the first three rounds over the next two drafts (will be eight if the 2026 third-round compensatory pick comes through), giving Philadelphia plenty of assets if it wishes to move up in the draft,” he said. “If the Eagles want to move up a few spots, they can package their first-round pick, the third-round pick (No. 96), and one of those fifth-round picks to move up a few spots in the draft. They also could use one of three third-round picks from 2026 to move up a few spots.”

By moving up to No. 27, the Eagles could be within range to draft the likes of Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart or James Pearce of Tennessee on the edge or Oregon’s Derrick Harmon inside. The Ravens add draft picks but keep a fifth-year option on the table.

And if Roseman wants back into Round 3 Friday, he has the 2026 picks to flip.

Cleveland Browns Trade Back Into Round 1

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Cleveland Browns Get: 2025 Pick No. 25

Houston Texans Get: 2025 Pick No. 33; 2025 Round 3 Pick

This final trade assumes that the Browns either trade back from No. 2 overall or select a player like Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter.

That would land the Browns an undeniably talented player, but it doesn’t solve the franchise’s issues under center. There are a couple of quarterbacks who could be drafted in the second half of Round 1, and while discussing the likelihood that Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss could be among them, ESPN’s Field Yates mentioned the Browns making a move back into Round 1 to obtain the 6’2”, 223-pounder’s services.

“My mindset remains that two of the first three picks are likely to be quarterbacks, with the Titans zeroed in on Ward and the Giants still needing a young signal-caller -- most likely Sanders,” he said. “Dart could start right away with a team such as the Steelers (No. 21), and the Saints (No. 9) or Rams (No. 26) might view him as an eventual starter. Additionally, we could see a team such as the Browns trade up from early Round 2 into late Round 1, securing Dart and the fifth-year option that comes with all first-round contracts.”

Moving up to Houston’s 25th pick would get the Browns ahead of the Rams. And with the first pick in Round 2 and a pair of picks in Round 3, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry has the ammo to make a deal happen.