As teams attempt to plan out their draft strategies ahead of the big event in Green Bay, trading up or down is sure to be a consideration. But according to Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, agreements may be hard to reach in 2025.
Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht Predicts Fewer Draft-Day Trades in 2025
Trades are part and parcel of every NFL Draft. In 2024, NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both traded up in the first round, while the Buffalo Bills traded back with the Kansas City Chiefs and then again with the Carolina Panthers.
With the 2025 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, there has yet to be any movement in Round 1 besides that which carried over from previous years. In the eyes of Licht, that may be an indication of what’s to come.
Asked during a press conference whether the team had plans to move up or down, Licht stated that it would depend on how the draft panned out. He then suggested that the talent curve is flatter in 2025 than it has been in previous years, meaning deals may be harder to negotiate.
“It just kinda depends on how things fall,” he said with a grin, as if to acknowledge that he hadn’t given the reporter an interesting enough answer. “I do think this year, I could be wrong, you’re gonna see, maybe, a little less people wanting to move up and offering enough to make it worth your while.
“Just because, I think, the draft is pretty leveled out at a certain point. So you might be able to get the same player in the second round that’s the same level of player as you can in the fourth round.”
#Bucs GM Jason Licht thinks that there will be less teams willing to trade up or give up enough to make it worth while for others because this year’s draft is more leveled out. pic.twitter.com/wwJlphWpRx
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) April 10, 2025
What Were the Most Notable In-Draft Trades of All Time?
There have been several history-defining trades that took place during NFL Drafts of years past. In 2024, PFSN published an article listing the top 10 of all time.
The article opens with the Philadelphia Eagles’ move for A.J. Brown in 2022 and features a host of legendary names from NFL history that were all the subject of in-draft trades. Julio Jones, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice could have had very different careers had their teams not traded up to get them.
Would Phillip Rivers have won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants? Would the San Diego Chargers have won a Super Bowl had Eli Manning not forced a move?
The next decade of the NFL could be decided by what happens in Green Bay, with general managers across the league preparing to make some career-defining decisions.