The 2025 NFL Draft is almost here, which means trade talks are heating up around the league. There have been plenty of shocking NFL trades that came out of left field, and perhaps we’ll see one or two during this year’s draft. Let’s break down five bold trade ideas that would change the landscape of the NFL.
49ers Trade Brock Purdy to Giants For No. 3 Pick and Take Shedeur Sanders
Giants Receive: Brock Purdy
49ers Receive: 3rd overall pick and 100th overall pick (3rd round)
Next year’s free agent quarterback crop is totally barren except for one name. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is in the final year of his rookie deal, which has been a tremendous bargain for the Niners, who selected Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
GM John Lynch professed at the NFL Combine that Purdy’s extension is a priority for the 49ers. The team’s actions this offseason would support that claim, with San Francisco relinquishing nine players making at least $5 million per year in free agency or trades.
But what if negotiations don’t go smoothly, and Lynch and Kyle Shanahan decide that paying Purdy $50-55 million per year would compromise the superb supporting cast he’s played with over the years? A large part of Purdy’s value stemmed from his cheap cost.
With Deebo Samuel Sr. departing and other weapons like George Kittle and Jauan Jennings needing extensions, it’s fair to ask if Purdy truly elevates the offense enough to warrant that type of deal.
If the 49ers want to preserve the same salary structure they’ve enjoyed since 2023 (when they moved on from Jimmy Garoppolo), what if they used Purdy as a trade chip to find their next quarterback? The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants don’t seem poised to take the leap on Shedeur Sanders in the top three anymore, but both teams still need long-term solutions at quarterback.
The Browns don’t really have the salary cap health to take on another massive quarterback contract, but the Giants do with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on cheap short-term deals. In this scenario, the 49ers would trade Purdy to the Giants for the No. 3 overall pick, likely also sending back a Day 2 pick (let’s say their third-rounder at No. 100 overall) since New York would be paying out a big extension on top of a premium pick.
With the third overall pick, the Niners would take Sanders, who is widely viewed as a strong fit for Shanahan-style systems due to his short-area accuracy and experience in an RPO-heavy scheme at Colorado. San Francisco would also be moving ahead of the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 overall, which feels like a reasonable floor for Sanders now in the wake of Derek Carr’s shoulder injury.
The 49ers have a clean cap sheet for next year after taking on a league-high $81 million in dead money this offseason. With Sanders’ rookie deal, the Niners could not only extend their own stars but also attempt to make a big splash next offseason to extend their Super Bowl window.
On the flip side, Purdy is still young enough to represent a potential franchise quarterback for the Giants. More importantly for the job security of Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, his development has already occurred on another team’s watch. While that might not excite the fan base, raising the team’s floor in 2025 is an important factor for the head coach and GM after John Mara publicly expressed impatience about the Giants’ slow rebuild after the 2024 season.
Having Malik Nabers as a YAC weapon would at least replicate some of the support Purdy enjoyed in San Francisco, and the Giants could use their Day 2 selections on improving the infrastructure around their new quarterback. That’s a step New York should be taking even if they don’t make a move for a quarterback in the first round, as both the offensive line and pass-catching corps could use multiple new starters.
As for the rest of the draft, teams like the Saints, Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers would be left choosing between the likes of Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, and Tyler Shough, or entertaining Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been heavily linked to the Steelers for weeks now, but a move like this might open up more suitors (and drag out his decision timeline even further).
Lions Acquire Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals
Lions Receive: EDGE Trey Hendrickson and 81st overall pick (3rd)
Bengals Receive: 28th overall pick, 102nd overall pick (3rd), and 228th overall pick (7th)
The Detroit Lions’ turnaround under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes has been nothing short of amazing. They’ve been one of the best teams in the NFC in each of the past two seasons, and they enter the 2025 season as Super Bowl contenders once again. However, championship windows don’t last forever, and Detroit is coming off a disappointing early playoff exit.
Detroit’s explosive offense finished No. 1 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric last season. While the defense was top-five in Defense+ during the regular season, they fell to 10th after the playoffs. The unit struggled down the stretch as injuries caught up to them, including Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending knee injury.
The Lions’ defense struggled to generate disruptive plays against the Washington Commanders’ offense in the Divisional Round loss, leaving the game without a single takeaway or sack while also recording its third-lowest non-blitz pressure rate (24%) of the season.
Losing a superstar edge rusher like Hutchinson was devastating. Even though the defense was solid for most of the year, they folded when it mattered most. What if Detroit could make one move on draft night to get them over the hump?
Trey Hendrickson is looking for a new contract from the Cincinnati Bengals, but up to this point, the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement. Even if the latest reports suggest things could be heading in a better direction, things can change in the blink of an eye.
Hendrickson was a one-man wrecking crew in 2024, earning his first All-Pro selection and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He ranked:
- 1st in sacks (17.5)
- 1st in pressures (83)
- 6th in pressure rate, min. 200 pass rush snaps (17.1%)
- 3rd in havoc plays (28)
- T-2nd in tackles for loss (19)
Since joining the Bengals in 2021, Hendrickson has racked up 57 sacks (third in the NFL) and 114 QB hits (second). Elite pass rushers are at a premium in the NFL, and the Lions would have two of them. For a team that is ready to win now, the Lions cannot afford to sit on their hands. The Hutchinson and Hendrickson show would be a nightmare experience for opposing quarterbacks.
Jets Trade Breece Hall, No. 7 Pick, and 3rd Round Pick To Jaguars For No. 5 Pick To Take Ashton Jeanty
Jaguars Receive: RB Breece Hall, 7th overall pick, and 73rd overall pick (3rd)
Jets Receive: 5th overall pick
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been linked to DT Mason Graham from the beginning of the pre-draft process. But what if they think they can move down two spots, pick up an NFL-ready RB, and still get him? The Las Vegas Raiders have widely been linked to generational RB prospect Ashton Jeanty, so if the Jets really want to reset the clock and improve at running back, they have to get ahead of them and call the Jags.
The Jets make the move to reset the clock at RB and get a workhorse back under a new administration looking to mix things up. The Jets go in a different direction by drafting a guy who ran for 2,601 yards and 29 TDs in 2024, leading Boise State to its first CFP. It’s a big need for a team that finished 31st in the NFL in rush yards per game (91.8) last year.
Most rushing yards in the FBS in 2024:
1. Ashton Jeanty: 2,601
2. Ashton Jeanty after first contact: 1,733
3. Cam Skattebo: 1,711
4. Omarion Hampton: 1,660
5. Bryson Daily: 1,659— Field Yates (@FieldYates)
Meanwhile, the Jags know there are many holes to fill and grab an NFL-ready back in Hall (850+ rushing yards each of the last two years), improve a run game that ranked 26th in the NFL at 101.7 yards per game, and get the guy they want at No. 7 while picking up a third-round pick.
On the flip side, the Raiders lose out on Jeanty and it actually benefits them, as they fill a bigger need and take Michigan CB Will Johnson. Nate Hobbs left in free agency, and they are in dire need of a corner. The Raiders actually get better, but it’s because another team jumped in and saved them from making the wrong selection.
Cowboys Trade Micah Parsons to Browns and Take Travis Hunter At No. 2
Cowboys Receive: 2nd overall pick, 67th overall pick (3rd), 2026 second-round pick, and DE Isaiah McGuire
Browns Receive: EDGE Micah Parsons and 12th overall pick
In this trade, Dallas gets the No. 67 overall pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and defensive end Isaiah McGuire while Cleveland gets Micah Parsons and the No. 12 overall pick.
With the No. 2 selection, the Cowboys draft Travis Hunter with the intention of playing him at both wide receiver and cornerback. Deion Sanders, Hunter’s college coach, played both positions for the Cowboys.
While Sanders primarily played cornerback, he saw more consistent usage on offense in 1996, recording 36 receptions on 67 targets for 475 yards. He also had a 47-yard reception the season prior in Super Bowl XXX — the last time the Cowboys won a championship.
In the second round, Dallas will select Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, followed by Ole Miss EDGE rusher Princely Umanmielen and Georgia guard Dylan Fairchild in the third round.
Meanwhile, the Browns pair Parsons with Myles Garrett to bolster a defense that ranked eighth in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last year. This move comes in response to competing in an AFC North that features two teams ranked in the top seven in PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
With the 12th pick, Cleveland will target a running back — likely North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, unless Jeanty is still available.
On Day 2, the Browns open the second round by drafting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough. Having both a quarterback and a running back on rookie contracts gives Cleveland the flexibility to extend Parsons, who is entering his fifth NFL season.
Chiefs Trade a TE To Colts For No. 14 Pick
Chiefs Receive: 14th overall pick and OL Danny Pinter
Colts Receive: TE Noah Gray, 63rd overall pick (2nd), and 133rd overall pick (4th)
Could the Chiefs make some serious waves?
Noah Gray was inked to a three-year extension ahead of last season and at that price (sub $5 million base salary for each of the next two seasons), could the Colts be interested in a cheap fix plus some draft capital for their first round pick, and thus the opportunity for the Chiefs to get Patrick Mahomes his forever tight end?
It’s far from likely, but maybe not as out-of-the-box as your gut reaction would suggest. We know that Travis Kelce is on the back nine of his career and while he’s still plenty capable (just ask the Texans, who saw him post a 7-117-1 line in the playoffs), the wheels have to be in motion when it comes to life without the future Hall of Famer.
Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland both profile as instant impact players at the position with the type of pass-catching prowess that has helped make this Chiefs offense one of the best in the sport. The development of Xavier Worthy, the resigning of Hollywood Brown, and the continued hope when it comes to the availability of Rashee Rice are all signs that point toward this organization trying to give Mahomes a reliable foundation of pass catchers to move forward with, but a Kelce replacement is going to be needed for this offense to continuing function at the level we have come to expect during this dynastic run.
That may sound obvious, but the deeper you dive, the more clear it becomes. Over the past two regular seasons, Mahomes has thrown 1,178 passes, 34 more than any other signal caller. The fate of the Chiefs is (and should be) on the right shoulder of their generational talent, so why not keep him comfortable?
Of 36 qualified quarterbacks in those seasons, Mahomes ranks second in percentage of passes not thrown past the sticks (69.3%, NFL average: 64.3%) and first in percentage of passes not thrown more than two yards past the markers (76.3%, NFL average: 70.9%).
Percentage of target two or fewer yards past the sticks (2024-25)
- Rashee Rice: 83.5%
- Travis Kelce: 77.6%
- Noah Gray: 75.6%
- Xavier Worthy: 69.1%
- Skyy Moore: 61.5%
- DeAndre Hopkins: 60.3%
- Justin Watson: 42.5%
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 35.7%
If the Chiefs are moving on from Gray, assuming that Kelce’s days are numbered, and wanting to take some of the importance away from a player in Rice with plenty of question marks, picking up an heir apparent to Kelce is a natural thought.
The offensive line needs work, but improvements on that front are more available than difference-making tight ends. Warren is more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands, while Loveland profiles as the better route runner. I prefer Warren, but I don’t doubt that both could succeed if dropped into this Andy Reid system, especially with time to pick the brain of Kelce.