Teams Thrive Without First-Round Picks

Bengals join growing trend of trading away top selections for proven veterans

Apr. 19, 2026 at 8:28pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a football game, with sharp geometric shapes in navy, green, and orange overlapping to create a dynamic, deconstructed visual representation of the sport.The Bengals' bold move to trade their first-round pick for a proven veteran reflects a growing NFL trend of teams prioritizing immediate impact over long-term draft capital.Cincinnati Today

The Cincinnati Bengals recently traded their 2023 first-round pick to acquire defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants. This marks the first time since 1989 that the Bengals will not make a selection in the opening round of the NFL Draft. However, this trend of teams forfeiting their first-round picks in exchange for established veteran talent has become increasingly common across the league, with 49 such instances over the past 10 drafts. Remarkably, these teams have found significant success, with 59% reaching the playoffs, 19 winning their divisions, and 10 advancing to the Super Bowl, with 4 championships.

Why it matters

The willingness of teams to trade away their first-round picks for proven veteran talent highlights a shift in NFL roster-building strategies. Rather than relying solely on the draft to infuse young talent, teams are increasingly looking to acquire experienced players who can immediately contribute and help them contend for championships. This approach carries both risks and rewards, as teams forfeiting first-round picks are gambling that the veteran acquisition will provide a greater impact than a potential rookie.

The details

Over the past 10 drafts, there have been 49 instances of teams not making a first-round selection, including a record 10 teams in 2022 alone. These teams have traded away their first-round picks for a variety of reasons, including acquiring established stars like Matthew Stafford, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Jalen Ramsey, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, with 29 of the 49 teams (59%) reaching the playoffs, 19 winning their divisions, and 10 advancing to the Super Bowl, with 4 championships.

  • In the last 10 drafts, there have been 49 teams that didn't make a first-round pick.
  • A record 10 teams didn't have a first-round pick in 2022.
  • Since the 2022 outlier, there have only been 10 total teams without a first-round pick in the last 3 drafts.

The players

Dexter Lawrence

A defensive tackle acquired by the Cincinnati Bengals from the New York Giants in exchange for the Bengals' 2023 first-round pick.

Matthew Stafford

A veteran quarterback traded to the Los Angeles Rams, who gave up their first-round pick to acquire him.

Tyreek Hill

A star wide receiver traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins, who gave up their first-round pick in the deal.

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What’s next

The Bengals will look to build on their recent success and make another deep playoff run without a first-round pick in 2023, joining a growing number of teams across the league that have found success through this strategy.

The takeaway

The Bengals' decision to trade their 2023 first-round pick for Dexter Lawrence highlights a broader trend in the NFL, where teams are increasingly willing to forgo their top draft selections in exchange for proven veteran talent. While this approach carries risks, the data shows that teams who execute these trades effectively can find tremendous success, with over half of the teams in the last decade without a first-round pick reaching the playoffs and competing for championships.