NFL Teams Could Trade 5 Firsts… Is Anyone Worth That?!

The NFL might expand the draft trade rule from three future first-round picks to FIVE… and we had to ask the question:

Who in today’s NFL is actually worth five 1st-round picks?

In this episode of Big Game Energy, we break down the rumor and debate whether giving GMs that much power is genius or franchise suicide. We look back at wild trades like the Ricky Williams draft haul and the blockbuster Deshaun Watson deal to figure out what history tells us.

Then we set the stage: You’re a middle-of-the-pack team (or an expansion franchise), and you have to take on the full contract. Who’s worth FIVE first-round picks?

Drop your list in the comments 👇

00:00 Introduction
00:32 NFL Draft Pick Trade Rule Changes 
01:46 Players Worth Five First-Round Picks
02:49 Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson 
06:35 Christian McCaffrey, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Puka Nacua 
09:22 Myles Garrett and Will Anderson Jr. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

NFL off season has officially begun, and there are rumors, James, that the NFL is going to change the rules around trading draft picks for NFL franchises. Before we jump into what exactly that means, if you have not already, make sure you subscribe to us here on Big Game Energy on YouTube. Get us over there on TikTok and Instagram as well. We are dropping content. All off season regarding football and basketball. So make sure you hop in and let us know your thoughts. So, James, it came out this week that NFL teams are going to decide this off season. If they should now expand the amount of future draft picks they can trade out from three to five. What are your thoughts on this?

Speaker 2 0:48

I'm not gonna lie hearing that right now, all I think about. Is Rudy Gobert, NBA trades now, like the, not even the cream of the crop are gonna be trading now five first round picks or five second round picks. And my instance, I don't like it. I like how the NFL has structure be like, Hey, don't blow all your God dang, future away on this.'cause you never know, some of these traits don't work out. Look what happened with the Saints back in when they did, all the draft picks was Ricky Williams back in the day just to draft him as a New Orleans saint. How about Deshaun

Speaker 1:22

Watson? Not even that long ago. The gift that keeps on giving for us Texans fans. But yeah, I'm with you. I think it's a dangerous idea to give some of these GMs that many draft picks at their arsenal to send out ahead of time, because a lot of them are gonna send out draft picks that they know full well. If this doesn't work out, I wouldn't even be able to make that draft pick anyways. That being said though, James,

Speaker 2 1:46

okay.

Speaker 1:46

If this does go through I, it got me thinking, would there be any player in the NFL right now that would actually be worth five first round picks I've just mentioned earlier, Deshaun Watson. He went for four first round picks, right? only three years of time. I'm gonna give you some players, James, and you tell me would you give up five first round picks for this player? And keep in mind, I am also asking you if you would take these players for five first round picks. And you're getting their contract too. You're not getting to rework their contract. Their contract comes as it is right now. if you're trading five first round pictures for someone, you are trading for them with the idea that you're going to build your franchise around them.

Speaker 2 2:31

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2:32

For the upcoming season. and let's also clarify this. You're trading for these players. You are a brand new expansion franchise that is looking for established players. You're not some established contender. You're middle of the pack. You're trading all your first round picks. To get a guy like Patrick Mahomes, would you do five first round picks for Pat Mahomes?

Speaker 2 2:54

I would definitely do that if I'm a middle of the tier. Type of team that I just need, or if I'm an expansion team and I'm trying to build my roster off of a guy, I want a guy like Patrick Mahomes. Was he the best offensive player, quarterback? No, this past season, but at least my resume tells me that he finds ways of figuring out how to win, and of course. I would do it for five first round picks because I at least know my team is gonna at least win 10 plus games as a healthy Patrick Mahomes team.

Speaker 3:23

Yeah, I agree. I think Patrick Mahomes is one I would do and I mentioned earlier. You also are trading for the contract. Remember, his contract is actually kind of a bargain, especially in today's NFL with the way contracts are. He's not even in the top three highest paid quarterbacks. He signed that 10 year,$450 million contract that is gonna run through 2031. So if I'm getting that contract, I'm getting a player of Patrick Mahomes caliber. He's actually someone I think I would easily trade five first round picks for if I'm one of those teams in the middle of the pack, even if I was the Las Vegas Raiders, I might consider that as well. What about. Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, would you trade five first round picks for Josh Allen?

Speaker 2 4:09

No, I'm not gonna lie to you. It's an easy yes for me because one, he has somehow found a way with his style of play to stay on the field. So you know you're getting a healthy Josh Allen, you know, you're getting into the playoffs. I would easily do this if I was. For example, middle of the pack, if I'm the Minnesota Vikings and I have Jay Jetta, you damn right, I'm trading all five of my picks to have Jay Jetta and Josh Allen for five years win Now situation I, this is a no brainer.

Speaker 4:37

I'm with you on this one as well, but this one's closer for me.'Cause he doesn't have the same contract value that Pat Mahomes has. What about Lamar Jackson?

Speaker 2 4:47

I'm going to say this and I know everyone's gonna be critical of me. I will not trade five first round draft fix for Lamar Jackson because why? He hasn't won any real big games for me anyways, and of course he is. Off the peak of M-V-P-M-V-P-M-V-P-M-V-P. If I had two and I could only do two, I could do two. But five, no, no sir.

Speaker 5:11

Yeah, I think I might actually still say yes to this one. I think I would do it for Lamar Jackson. For the same reasons I would for Josh Allen. They're very similar. I do have Josh Allen ahead of Lamar Jackson in my quarterback rankings for what it's worth. If I'm training for Lamar Jackson, if I'm training five first round picks for him, I might ask the Ravens to also send me like a, a fourth or fifth round pick at some point too.'cause I'm gonna need to construct a roster at some point, so I'm gonna need some draft capital to do so. Okay. Let's go to the next one. Would you trade five first round picks for Drake? May

Speaker 2 5:45

No. Hell no, man. No way. No, I can't even explain how poorly he played and I was really backing him during the playoffs was like, Hey man, they keep saying his run to the playoffs was so easy, but he beat the best defenses in the league and then he just got stood up like that in the Super Bowl. No, no way. Drake may.

Speaker 6:03

Okay. And I won't even mention. Yeah I agree with you. I'm not trading five first round picks for Drake, me after what we just saw from him in the playoffs. I get that he's young and he has a really good contract. He's only in his third year. Mm-hmm. So you're getting high level production, good bang for your buck, but. Five first round picks for a guy that just did that in the postseason, that's a bit too much. I might do two or three for him'cause I do believe in him. Mm-hmm. But five, he does not have the proven track record to make me feel confident that mm-hmm He won't just regress back into who he was as a rookie. Okay. Let me throw some non quarterbacks at you

Speaker 2 6:37

let's get spicy.

Speaker 6:38

Would you do five first round picks? For Christian McCaffrey,

Speaker 2 6:42

I'm going to have to say no on this one because of the flip flop injury. He's gonna be out 15 games next year. He'll be back next year. I can't do it. I can't do five for him.

Speaker 6:53

I, I'm a hundred percent with you. I couldn't believe how long you hesitated on that though, James.'cause for me, there's a lot of reasons why this is an easy no one age and injury history. You nailed it. But how about two, we don't spin first round picks on running backs anymore in the year of our Lord and Savior 2026. That is done. We don't do that anymore. You have to be a special generational type of running back for us to draft you in the first round, let alone give up. Five. Five. No chance I don't give up. I wouldn't even trade a first for Christian McCaffrey at this stage in his career.

Speaker 2 7:26

Not

Speaker 7:26

at all. You'd probably do a second or a third, but I'm not doing a first, let alone five. Mm-hmm. Okay. How about arguably the best wide receiver in football, Jackson Smith and Jig. But

Speaker 2 7:37

I would say yes I would trade five for him. One, because the season that he had with a guy like Sam Dar, who I know we eat so much crow on, but if we're pairing JSN with maybe a higher caliber quarterback than Sam Dar, I would have to say yes. Because what he brought out, and I know the Super Bowl, he was hurt, whatever, blah, blah, blah. I would do it for Jason just because one his contract and two. The age and what I would get in the next five years.

Speaker 8:06

What about pka? Nak.

Speaker 2 8:08

I would do it for pku, that mother catch anything. Now, of course, if I can get him off the streaming sites, bro, just let him shut his mouth for a couple days. A, I'm doing all five like that. The guy has, in my opinion, the best hands. He's the most, in my opinion, he's the most complete receiver in the game, going from the outside to the slot to basically going anywhere. I know JSN can line up at running back and run routes, but I would take Puka. For five first rounds.

Speaker 8:36

Yeah. I'm gonna say no on both these though, actually. Just because for one, it's tough giving up that many first round picks. Oh, yeah. For a non quarterback for me. I do have a non quarterback, I'm gonna tell you in a little bit. I would give up five first round picks, but more than him in a sec. But for Jackson Smith and Jig, but, and for PCA Nku, I would definitely be willing to give up three, maybe even four. That fifth one's a little too rich for me, but both of'em, obviously comfortably in the top five wide receiver in the entire league conversation, you can make a good case that either of them are the best wide receiver in football and both of'em are on rookie contracts. Good deals, high level play, they definitely are worth at least having a conversation about would we trade all of our first round picks for them? Now I've got two defensive guys I wanna lay on you. All right. First one. We gotta do something to get Miles Garrett out of Cleveland. Would you trade five first round picks to the Browns for miles, Garrett,

Speaker 2 9:34

you, god dang right man. I am trading five first round picks for Miles Garrett. Just because one I loved his interview with Micah Parsons and how he just said, you ain't on my level boy. Like just in that aspect, like I just, I need him for my team five straight years now, of course. The only biggest if in the world is, is he going to rack up 12, 13 and a half sacks for the next five years? That is the question I don't have answered. But if I went off resume. I'm booking that he would at least be a double digit sac every five years. So yeah, I would do it for him.

Speaker 10:10

Yeah. Undisputed best player in football, defensive player of the year, multiple times now is the NFL SAC record holder NA 17 game season. But Miles Garrett truly is one of the absolute forces in the NFL on the defensive side of things. Mm-hmm. Has the ability to completely take over a game the way that not a lot of other defenders can do that. I got one other name for you though, by the way. My answer to that though. Age 30. I'm gonna probably say no to Miles Garrett. Yeah. But here's the guy I would say yes to and I'm gonna pose him to you.

Speaker 2 10:44

Say it. Say it to

Speaker 10:45

me. Maybe I'm biased, James. Yep. Here it comes. You might be biased too.

Speaker 2 10:48

Look, look. Here it comes. I'm doing it. If

Speaker 10:49

you trade five first round picks for Will Anderson Jr. Whoa.

Speaker 2 10:53

Tide. You know I'm trading five first round picks for Will Anderson Jr. God dang. If the only request I have for him though. If I'm trading five first round picks, change your God dang number. I hate that 51 on that guy. I don't want it no more. I want a different number. If I train five first round picks, you're getting a different number. But yes, I am trading all the farm for Will Anderson Jr. That guy is a monster in the making. he gets overshadowed by guys like Miles Garrett and Michael Parsons. But man, what he is brewing up in Houston. I want that on my team.

Speaker 11:25

Yep. He is. Who I would say I don't think he's better than Miles Garrett. No. And I might be biased as a Texans fan, but we're talking about Miles Garrett at 30. We're talking about Will Anderson Jr. At 24. I'm trading five first round picks for him. I'm getting him the next time I get a first round pick if I keep my job. He's gonna be 29 still. I'm still gonna have a set of prime years for Will Anderson. And hey, if things go bad, maybe I flip him out to someone else for three more first round picks, who knows? But Will Anderson, I definitely think is someone who would be worth. Five first round picks, defensive rookie of the year. His rookie year was second in defensive player of the year, this year, double digit sacks each of the last two years. And again, he is a guy that has the ability to completely wreck a game if he is on it.

Speaker 2 12:16

Now, hey, a guy I would trade five first round picks for and this guy went five for five in the Super Bowl. Gimme Jake Meyers. Man, that guy can put it through the uprights any day in my stadium.

Speaker 12:26

Five first round the, hey, what if, what about five first round picks and you get Jason Meyers and Michael Dixon, the punter,

Speaker 2 12:34

Hey, lock it in, bro. Special teams of the year, you, god dang right? Yeah, lock it in. We gotta support our freaking guys, man.

Speaker 12:42

Special teams, special players, but y'all let us know in the comments. Are there any players actually worth trading five first round picks for? Who are they? Y'all let us know in the comments. We'll see you next time on Big Game Energy.

Speaker 2 12:54

I wouldn't trade five picks for I wouldn't trade five picks for Micah Parson, bum ass.

Speaker 12:58

Mm-hmm.