Why protected picks aren't common in NFL trades - ESPN

When the Indianapolis Colts traded a package that included two first-round picks to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner at last season's NFL trade deadline, they likely envisioned the 2027 selection would be one of modest value.

Perhaps a mid-first-round choice. Or, with any luck, it would be a late-first-round selection if the Colts finished with a strong record in 2026.

Now, with the 2-7 Colts on track to have one of the NFL's worst records, the Jets could be in line to receive one of the 2027 draft's top picks via the second of the two first-rounders they received from Indy.

But what if the Colts could have made the deal with a caveat?

After all, NBA teams do it routinely. They trade top picks with so-called protections, meaning the draft pick is not conveyed to the other team if it falls into a particular range, say, the top five or top 10.

But in the NFL, it's practically unheard of. Why is that?

The reasons, league officials said, are mostly related to the contrasting rules governing how many years in advance draft picks may be traded. Also at play are the differences in how draft picks are valued in football versus basketball.

These kinds of provisions are not prohibited in the NFL. They're just rarely broached in trade discussions.

But protected picks did come up recently in a very notable trade.

Protected draft picks were discussed during trade talks between the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns in negotiations that produced this year's Myles Garrett trade, according to a league source. But, as is usually the case, the inclusion of protected picks did not come to fruition.

This is usually the outcome when these conversations occur, sources said, because the mechanics are just too difficult to