7 NFL Teams with Top-10 Draft Picks That Should Consider Trading Down

In three short weeks, all 32 teams will gather in Green Bay, Wisconsin for the 2025 NFL draft. It’s an important part of the offseason: The chance for all 32 teams to get better ahead of the season to come.

Get the first pick right, and it can have a seismic impact on a team's future. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up in 2017 and netted a guy named Mahomes.

We already know a few things about this year's draft. We know that barring a massive upset, Miami quarterback Cam Ward will go first overall to the Tennessee Titans. But the draft class at the position isn't especially strong, so the waters muddy fairly quickly beyond that.

There is no shortage of teams with a need under center, but opinions on the draft value of Shedeur Sanders vary greatly. Some analysts believe he will be a top-five pick, while others see him falling into the second half of Round 1.

Of course, it only takes one team to believe in Sanders. And if it does, it may be willing to trade up to get him.

The Titans may be locked in at No. 1, but more than half of the teams in the top 10 would be well-served to consider sliding back—whether it's to add a future first in a blockbuster or a more modest deal that brings added draft capital on Day 2.

Cleveland Browns, No. 2

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The Cleveland Browns have a number of options with the second overall pick on April 24.

The first overall pick will almost certainly be Miami quarterback Cam Ward, but that doesn't preclude the Browns from taking a signal-caller of their own—ostensibly Shedeur Sanders.

Cleveland certainly has a glaring need under center, and Kenny Pickett is most assuredly not a long-term solution.

The Browns could also punt on quarterback and take Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter in that spot. Both are widely considered top prospects overall in a class that isn't especially strong at quarterback.

Or, as Scott Petrak noted for Browns Zone, Cleveland could trade back with a QB-needy team that wants Sanders bad enough to trade up:

"If they do trade down, presumably for a team to come up and get a quarterback, ideally they'd stay in the top six. That would seem to guarantee they get one of the following: Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham or LSU left tackle Will Campbell, assuming he's their top-ranked tackle.

"But this draft is considered deep, with good players available throughout the first three rounds. So, the Browns could try to maximize the value of the No. 2 pick and drop as low as 15-20. That might not sit well with anxious fans, but if they got a bundle of picks in return, the Browns may be willing to do it."

Frankly, Cleveland's best path is likely to stand pat, unless a trade can net a Browns team that needs impact players on rookie deals an extra first-rounder.

New York Giants, No. 3

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This is a pivotal draft for the New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen. Both he and head coach Brian Daboll are considered to be on relatively thin ice.

The Giants at least gave themselves some short-term options with the acquisitions of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, which appear to have addressed the quarterback position.

While addressing the media, though, Schoen said those arrivals won't preclude the Giants from taking a quarterback at No. 3 but they do afford the team some flexibility with the pick:

"If you're talking about where we're picking, you'd like that guy to be able to be a franchise quarterback that you can win—you're winning the NFC East every year, you're trying, the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl if you're taking a guy that high. They got to be able to check those boxes.

"Going into it, we can go any which direction and we can go play a game right now. It doesn't force you into a corner or force you to have to take something based on need. It gives us optionality to go in many different directions."

As things stand, the Giants appear assured of getting either Hunter or Carter with the third pick. If the Browns take Sanders, New York would have its pick of the pair.

But much like the Browns, the Giants have multiple needs on both sides of the ball. If a slide back nets Big Blue an additional first-rounder in 2026, it's a move worth considering, even if Schoen won't be the guy making that pick.

New England Patriots, No. 4

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The New England Patriots have been one of this year's most aggressive teams in free agency. But there's still a lot of work to be done on draft day.

And with second-year signal-caller Drake Maye on the roster, the Pats have the luxury of going the "best player available" route.

New England's best-case scenario is a simple one: Two quarterbacks coming off the board in the first three picks. That guarantees either Carter or Hunter will be available at No. 4.

But if both Carter and Hunter are gone, then things get interesting.

The farther back Sanders slides, the more likely it is that a QB-needy team will pick up the phone, although Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf told reporters he isn’t holding his breath that they will receive as many offers as they did for the third-overall pick in 2024:

"I think it was a little bit different. The plethora of quarterbacks last year made it unique. I don't know that there's that (situation) this year. The two quarterbacks that are going to go high (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders) are really good players, but just the volume. What was it, six last year that went in the first round? I don't think we'll see that again for a while."

Once Hunter and Carter are gone, it can be argued there is a tier of 8-10 players who are similarly talented. Even after New England's spending spree in free agency, it still has multiple needs on offense and defense.

If the Patriots can add draft capital without sacrificing much in the way of quality with their first pick, it's a move they should consider.

Jacksonville Jaguars, No. 5

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new general manager in James Gladstone. And he told reporters at his introductory press conference in February that he has high hopes for all the draft capital the team has over the next couple of drafts:

"With the amount of draft capital that we have at our disposal over the next two seasons, it's really exciting about what we can do there, especially knowing that that's the highest volume of draft capital that exists for any team in the NFL over the next two years.

"We're coming off two cycles with the Los Angeles Rams where that was the exact same case: 24 picks over the last two drafts. So really this is a dynamic that I'm uniquely positioned to navigate and really looking forward to utilizing as a means of continuing to develop this roster."

Now that haul is up to 25 picks after the Christian Kirk trade, but Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com told the 40s and Free Agents podcast that he believes the Jags may increase that bevy of picks even more with a trade back in Round 1:

"I also think where their needs lie, they could be a trade-back team. Now, the challenge in this draft is who's coming up for who. To me, you could hope that there's some heat on the two tackles because it's a limited tackle pool. Maybe somebody moves up for one of those guys. Maybe you could just slide back a little bit."

There's logic behind it. Jacksonville has multiple needs, but quarterback isn't one of them with Trevor Lawrence in town.

With Carter and Hunter likely off the board, a move back while adding more draft picks could help accelerate the Jags' rebuild that much more quickly.

Las Vegas Raiders, No. 6

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There was a time not that long ago when the Las Vegas Raiders were considered as likely to trade up as down. But that was when they had a gaping void at quarterback.

However, after the trade for Geno Smith, that isn't the case any longer.

With the veteran QB in town, the Raiders are viewed by some as a trade-back candidate.

In a recent mock draft, Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports projected Vegas could recoup the third-rounder from the Smith deal by trading back to No. 9 while still adding a player who was on the team's short-list entering the draft in running back Ashton Jeanty:

"What a score for the Raiders, who drop back three spots and gain an early third-round selection, while still landing an elite prospect they might have chosen at their original slot. Jeanty is one of the few truly elite prospects in this class, regardless of position, and would immediately give this offense balance and identity."

That's just one option that could be available to Las Vegas.

With more and more analysts predicting a slide for Shedeur Sanders, the Raiders may be able to look to the future under center without a trade. Or, if a team picking later in Round 1, such as Pittsburgh, decides to be aggressive in moving up for the Colorado product, Las Vegas might be able to add an additional first in 2026.

The Raiders aren’t going to become contenders based on one pick at No. 6, but stockpiling selections with a move back makes sense for them.

New York Jets, No. 7

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The New York Jets are hitting the reset button again. They have a new head coach in Aaron Glenn, a new quarterback in Justin Fields and a new general manager in Darren Mougey.

While addressing the media, Mougey said rebuilding the team through the draft will be a priority:

"As the GM of the Jets, I will lead our personnel staff as we acquire, develop and work to retain players that fit our team and culture, and we will do this in complete partnership with the coaches. Our philosophy will be to draft, develop, keep our own, and be disciplined and strategic in free agency. There is no more important part of any sports organization than the players. Period. It's about the players, and we have a good foundation of players here right now that we're going to continue to add to and we're going to give those players everything they need to be successful and reach their potential."

It’s incredibly important for Mougey to have a successful first draft with the team. But with New York already proclaiming its belief that Fields can be a successful long-term starter, it has some flexibility at No. 7 overall.

The Jets also have multiple needs. The offensive line needs work; Fields needs more passing-game weapons besides wide receiver Garrett Wilson; edge-rusher; defensive back. The list goes on.

Like so many of the potential trades listed here, a major deal would involve a Sanders slide followed by a team willing to spend to get the draft’s No. 2 quarterback. But even a slide back just a handful of spots could be interesting if it nets the team a Day 2 pick.

There's a tier of prospects like Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Missouri tackle Armand Membou and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden who could all be solid fits in the Big Apple.

Carolina Panthers, No. 8

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Again, not to sound like broken record, but a potential draft-day slide from Shedeur Sanders could be a godsend for the Carolina Panthers.

There have been multiple mock drafts of late that project Sanders falling into the 20s, but this writer agrees with Mel Kiper Jr.—it's not going to happen. There are too many teams with a need at the game's most important position.

For a time last year, the Panthers looked to be in the same boat. But Bryce Young's play after being benched for a time improved markedly, enough that Carolina appears confident he remains the starter.

A deal for Sanders might be the best-case scenario for Carolina, but it isn't the only move the team would be wise to consider.

Schuyler Callihan of SI proposed a more modest deal that involves a trade back a handful of spots that nets the team a top-50 pick and Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker, courtesy of the Dallas Cowboys:

"In this projected trade, I have Dallas coming up to get Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Cowboys desperately need to find a playmaker at running back and they're not afraid to make a move up the draft board to get the best one in the draft.

"As for Carolina, they pick up another top-50 pick and still get the guy most believe they will take in the first round, Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. The Salisbury, North Carolina native is the perfect fit for Ejiro Evero's defense. Taking him at No. 8 seems a bit rich, so moving back just a handful of spots is worth the roll of the dice."

The Panthers have needs at numerous positions, chief among them being a defense that was atrocious a year ago.

Adding picks could help speed up that defensive overhaul.