10-year NFL draft history: Trading down out of Top 10 has worked most of the time

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - APRIL 24: Defensive Tackle Mason Graham of Michigan poses after being selected fifth overall pick by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images For Cleveland Browns fans, trading down has become a very polarizing topic. For those who are for it, especially in the 2026 NFL draft , it is all about value, opportunities (bites at the apple), and making a wise value decision.

For those who are against it, drafting the top guys is always a good decision and the Browns history of trading down is just putrid. Most Cleveland fans can point to any number of bad decisions, which often actually are not about the trading down but about the actual players selected. So far, last year’s move from the second to the fifth pick for DT Mason Graham, RB Quinshon Judkins , and the 24th pick in the 2026 NFL draft has looked good.

That doesn’t mean history will repeat itself. While many point back to the Julio Jones trade , the last decade has seen most of the trade downs out of the Top 10 to be mostly successful for teams, besides the Browns in 2016: For fun, to all those who hate trading back in the top 10 of the draft. In the last decade, here are just the current 1st rd pks with teams trading up/back inside the top 10 not involving a QB which will be any trade this year.

Doesn't include all of those extra assets just the… pic. twitter. com/5CsCaGPB27 — Clevta (@Clevta) April 13, 2026 (The original poster noted they made a mistake with the Jalen Carter trade noted here, which was a small trade up) In general, most would take the players on the right side of that chart over the ones on the left.