5 Best NFL Draft Day Trades, Steals, and Moments of All-Time

The 2015 NFL Draft is here and it seems like this year there are more rumors than ever flying around as to what could shake out when Roger Goodell takes the podium. Indeed, what makes Draft Day so interesting is the number of moves made behind the scenes as GMs haggle over possible moves up and down in the order. Chip Kelly alone could realign the entire league in a couple hours the way he’s going this offseason.

With that madness in mind, let’s take a look at the best most influential NFL Draft Day trades in the history of the NFL. These moves made their teams better, and had the kind of impact every executive is dreaming of in 2015. Note that we say draft day, but not all were specifically on draft day. That said, they were directly instigated by the impending draft, and stand as the moves that defined those draft years.

This year’s draft is loaded with potential future stars. Get yourself set for this year’s NFL Draft with our complete predictions and preview as well as our compendium experts’ predictions for one of the most important days on the NFL calendar. Then read on for this impressive list.
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The Top 5 NFL Draft Day Moves Ever

5. Darrelle Revis to New York Jets, 2007

With the 14th overall pick, the Carolina Panthers were in line to select an impressive young cornerback named Darrelle Revis in the 2007 NFL Draft. While Carolina wasn’t necessarily in need of a corner, the New York Jets were, after a season of shoddy secondary play. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers were also keeping tabs on their hometown product and seemed interested in selecting him with the 15th overall pick of the draft.

[sc:NFL240banner ]The Jets made their move, trading their 25th, 59th and 164th picks to Carolina in exchange for the 14th (one spot ahead of Pittsburgh) and 191st picks. They wound up nabbing the world class cornerback. Revis made six Pro Bowls, won Super Bowl XLIX (with the Patriots) and is still a premier corner today. After a short stint with the Patritos, Revis will once again suit up for the Jets in 2015.

The Panthers ended up selecting Jon Beason and Ryan Kalil with their picks. Beason now plays with the New York Giants, while Kalil is currently the highest-paid center in the NFL. Not bad, all things considered, but unlike Revis, neither of them has helped a team win a Super Bowl.

4. Eli Manning for Philip Rivers, 2004

In 2004, Eli Manning didn’t want to play for the San Diego Chargers, even if they did end up drafting the Ole Miss quarterback. That didn’t stop the Chargers from drafting him only to ship him over to the Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers, a third-round pick that year and a first and fifth round picks in the next draft.

Manning has won two Super Bowls with the Giants, and while Rivers hasn’t racked up the same amount of hardware, the Chargers aren’t complaining. In this watershed deal, two of the most influential players in the last decade in the NFL changed hands, and both teams came out ok.

3. St. Louis Trades Jerome Bettis, 1996

The Los Angeles Rams selected Jerome Bettis in the 1993 draft. He became a First-Team All-Pro and was the consensus NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after rushing for over 1,000 yards in his first two years with the Rams. But after moving to St. Louis, the Rams instituted a more pass-oriented offense, and saw Bettis as expendable.

As such, in the 1996 draft, the Rams drafted Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips then traded Bettis and a third-round pick to the Steelers for a second and a fourth rounder.

Phillips would play just two seasons with the Rams before being considered as one of the biggest draft busts of all-time. He’s had plenty of run-ins with the law and is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for assault. Bettis didn’t miss a beat, becoming the fifth all-time leader in rushing yards and helping Pittsburgh to win Super Bowl XL before retiring. This is still considered one of the most lop-sided trades, on draft day or otherwise, ever.

2. Steve Young to San Francisco, 1985

In 1985, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a bad team. They hoped that a picking USFL quarterback Steve Young in the supplemental draft could boost them to a respectable finish. Young posted a salty 3-16 record as a starter in two seasons with the Bucs.

In came the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners had seen enough to snatch the struggling quarterback four days prior to the draft in exchange for a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick. Young backed up the legendary Joe Montana until taking over in 1991 after Montana suffered a season-ending injury.

Young would make seven Pro Bowls after 1991, win two MVP awards and won the Super Bowl as a starter. He’s also currently in the Hall of Fame. Tampa Bay was left to struggle for most of the decade.

1. Jerry Rice to the 49ers, 1985

The 1985 was very good to the San Francisco 49ers. After securing their future superstar QB via Tampa Bay, the 49ers found another willing trade partner in New England. The Patriots traded their 16th overall pick to the Niners’ for the 28th and 56th overall picks. They also swapped third-round picks. At face value, it looked like a fair atrade. But then San Francisco nabbed one of the best talents to ever grace the league, wide receiver Jerry Rice, with the 16th pick of the draft.

Rice retired after setting records for touchdowns (197), receptions (1,549), consecutive games with receptions (274), and receiving yards (22,895). The Patriots picked Trevor Matich and Ben Thomas with the picks received from the Niners. Neither…well, neither was Jerry Rice.

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