These 5 NFL Teams Are Shockingly Draft-Bound Without a First-Round Pick This Year
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Five NFL teams will go into this year’s draft without a first-round pick. Several big trades over the past year have changed the draft order and affected many teams across the league.
The latest move happened when the Baltimore Ravens made a big trade for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Baltimore sent its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to get the five-time Pro Bowler. Even though the price was high, the Ravens believe Crosby will improve Jesse Minter’s defensive line quite fast.
Crosby brings strong production to Baltimore. In his career, he has recorded 439 tackles, 164 quarterback hits, 69.5 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles. The Ravens expect him to add even more pressure to their fast and aggressive defense.
Because of this trade, Baltimore will not have a Day 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Four other teams are also in the same position after making big trades over the past year.
A Series Of Bold Trades Reshaped The Draft
Some of these trades began during the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars made one of the biggest moves. They traded the No. 5 overall pick, a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and their 2026 first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns. The Jaguars made the trade to move up and select Travis Hunter with the second overall pick.
Atlanta followed with another aggressive decision later in the same draft. The Falcons sent their 2025 second-round pick, a 2025 seventh-round pick, and a 2026 first-rounder to the Los Angeles Rams. Atlanta used the No. 26 pick from that deal to select Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
Other teams made big trades after the draft.
The Green Bay Packers traded their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys to get Micah Parsons. Green Bay wanted a top defensive playmaker and paid a high price to get him.
The Indianapolis Colts also made a big move. Before the November 4 trade deadline, they sent their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the New York Jets for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. So far, the results have not been as strong as the Colts hoped.
Because of these trades, the Ravens, Jaguars, Falcons, Packers, and Colts will all enter the upcoming draft without a first-round pick.
Each team decided to trade future picks to get proven players now. In the end, time will show if those risky moves were worth it. Fans and teams will start judging these trades once the players and new draft prospects begin playing.
