Packers Trade Top Pick to Browns, Move Out of First Round

The Packers have traded their first round pick, moving out of the first round for the second time in Ted Thompson’s 13 years with the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay found a trading partner in Cleveland, agreeing to slide down to the 33rd overall pick and picking up a fourth round pick (108th overall) in exchange for sending the 29th pick to the Browns.

Cleveland would use the pick to select Miami (FL) tight end David Njoku. Most notable about the trade was that the Pittsburgh Steelers would select Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt one pick later. Watt, the brother of Texans star J.J. Watt, was a coveted by many Packers fans who also follow the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Packers haven't selected anyone particularly noteworthy with the 108th pick, but their most famous pick at slot number 109 should give you a good idea of the quality still available at that point in the draft: David Bakhtiari was selected at that very position in 2013.

Since the NFL moved to the three day format for the draft, the top pick of the second round has always been a valuable commodity. Teams have an entire day to lob offers to Thompson and the Packers, while the Packers will have all day to evaluate whatever is left of a deep defensive group.

Fifth-year option now off the table for Packers first pick

One of the valuable options that comes with picking in the first round is the ability to lock up players selected in the first round for an extra year by exercising the fifth year option that comes on standard rookie contracts. The Packers will likely exercise their fifth year option on 2014 first round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix within the next week or so.

But by trading out of the first round, the Packers will lose the option to exercise a fifth year option on a 2017 first round pick.

Ten years later, Thompson trades down with the Browns

In 2007, the Browns were desperately trying to get back into the first round to select Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. Green Bay was offered the Browns’ first round pick in 2008 for the 16th overall pick, but Thompson stood firm and selected Tennessee defensive lineman Justin Harrell.

Cleveland wound up trading up with Dallas, and the Cowboys used the Browns’ 2008 first round pick to select Arkansas running back Felix Jones.

Now, a decade after the Packers turned down the trade offer, they relented to the Browns demands to move back into the first round.