By Adeniyi Precious 
There’s been a lot of chatter leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft about teams wanting to trade down. It seems like this year’s draft doesn’t have a ton of top-tier, standout players, but it’s full of solid options that could go as far as the third round. Because of that, teams aren’t as hyped about their early picks and are looking to stockpile more selections.
But here’s the catch: when everyone’s trying to trade down, finding a team to trade up becomes tricky. The lack of high-end talent in the first round is going to make it tough to find buyers. Buccaneers GM Jason Licht even mentioned he doesn’t expect many teams to be pushing to move up, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport agreed, saying teams aren’t really looking to make big moves.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any trades, though. A few teams might fall in love with a specific player and decide to trade up. The real action is probably going to happen in the second half of the first round, where teams who need specific positions, like quarterbacks or offensive linemen, might look to move up. The reason? First-round picks come with a fifth-year option, which can be a game-changer, especially for expensive positions like quarterbacks and tackles.
Teams like the Browns and Giants might want to trade back into the first round to grab a quarterback after using their earlier picks on defensive players. The Titans and Bears are also on the lookout for specific positions, with the Titans eyeing a wide receiver and the Bears possibly going for a pass rusher.
A few teams with fewer picks, like the Cardinals, Vikings, and Commanders, could be prime targets for teams looking to move up. With those teams not having many picks, it could be easier for others to strike a deal with them.