Rams 1st round trades work out better than most

Inglewood, CA - December 05: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams high fives cornerback Jalen Ramsey #5 of the Los Angeles Rams prior to a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, December 5, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

The Ravens became the latest team to trade two first round picks for a player on Friday, acquiring Maxx Crosby in a deal with the Raiders. After a three-year break from those blockbuster trades, the NFL saw Sauce Gardner and Micah Parsons got for two first round picks in 2025, the first such monster trades since Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson in 2022.

Few of these trades in the past have resulted in Super Bowl championships for the team acquiring the star player, but a couple did:

• Matthew Stafford to the Rams
• Jalen Ramsey to the Rams

They both won the Super Bowl with L.A. in 2021.

Players who have fetched at least two first-round picks in return include:

Maxx Crosby
Sauce Gardner
Micah Parsons
Russell Wilson
Matthew Stafford
Laremy Tunsil
Jamal Adams
Khalil Mack
Jalen Ramsey
Jay Cutler
Ricky Williams
Keyshawn Johnson
Jeff George... pic.twitter.com/ovOk743oS5

- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026

That's four first round picks for a Super Bowl win, not to mention the multiple first round picks that the Rams used to move up for Jared Goff in 2016. That move resulted in a Super Bowl appearance and helped L.A. complete the trade for Stafford.

Now the Rams are looking to their latest first round trade, cornerback Trent McDuffie, to help them get back to the Super Bowl again.

Most of those first round trades have been anything from meaningless" to disastrous" for teams. The Colts fell apart after trading for Gardner. The Packers barely made the playoffs and Parsons tore his ACL. The Browns and Broncos got virtually nothing from Wilson and Watson.

One thing about the F them Picks strategy that maybe doesn't get as much attention as the rest of the narrative: The experience of trading first round picks probably helps you do it better then your competition.