Three of the NFL's most recent Super Bowl champions share a common thread: each used multiple first-round draft picks to help build their title rosters. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis in 2022 and won back-to-back championships. The Philadelphia Eagles took Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in 2023 and captured the Super Bowl two seasons later. The Seattle Seahawks drafted Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, with both developing into stars before Seattle won it all in February.
When Extra Picks Fail to Translate to Wins
However, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns illustrate the opposite outcome. The Jets held three first-round selections in 2022, landing Sauce Gardner fourth overall, Garrett Wilson at No. 10, and Jermaine Johnson at No. 26 after trading back into the round. Gardner and Wilson won Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Johnson became a Pro Bowler in his second season. Despite that individual success, the Jets went 7-10 in both 2022 and 2023, then 5-12 and 3-14 the following two seasons, cycling through quarterbacks and firing head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. By 2026, only Wilson remained on the roster; Gardner was traded to Indianapolis in November 2025 for two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell, and Johnson was dealt to Tennessee for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat in March 2026.
The New York Giants also had two top-seven picks in 2022, selecting Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth and Evan Neal seventh. New York made the playoffs in 2022 and won a postseason game, but won just six, three, and four games over the next three seasons. Thibodeaux recorded 11.5 sacks in 2023 but has not met lofty expectations, while Neal struggled with injuries and inconsistent play, moved to guard in 2025, missed the entire season with a hamstring injury, was released before 2026, and joined the Raiders' practice squad.
Successful Rebuilds: Lions and Texans
Detroit and Houston offer contrasting examples of how multiple first-round picks can accelerate a turnaround. The Lions, coming off a 3-13-1 season, selected Aidan Hutchinson second overall in 2022 and traded up for Jameson Williams at No. 12. Detroit improved to 9-8 that fall, then added Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 and Jack Campbell at No. 18 in 2023. Four first-rounders in two drafts yielded a 12-5 season and NFC Championship Game appearance in 2023, followed by a 15-win campaign. Hutchinson became one of the NFL's best pass rushers, Gibbs emerged as a top running back, and Williams and Campbell developed into key contributors. Crucially, the Lions did not need a quarterback; Jared Goff, acquired in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade, was retained by general manager Brad Holmes, who knew Goff from their time together with the Rams.
Houston, also coming off a 3-13-1 season, selected C.J. Stroud second overall in 2023 and traded up one spot for Will Anderson Jr., sending Arizona picks 12 and 33 in 2023 plus first- and third-rounders in 2024. The payoff was immediate: the Texans went 10-7 in each of the next two seasons and 12-5 in 2025, making the playoffs all three years. Stroud and Anderson became foundational pieces, and hiring DeMeco Ryans before the draft proved equally important.
Contenders Reloading: Chiefs, Eagles, Seahawks, Ravens
For already-winning teams, multiple first-round picks allow retooling without regression. The Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to Miami in March 2022 for a package including a first-round pick, then moved up for McDuffie at No. 21 and took Karlaftis at No. 30. Kansas City led the NFL in scoring in 2022, Patrick Mahomes won MVP, and the Chiefs repeated as Super Bowl champions. The Eagles, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, landed Carter at No. 9 and Smith at No. 30 in 2023 and won the title following the 2024 season. Seattle's 2023 class — Witherspoon fifth overall and Smith-Njigba 20th — produced a top cornerback and the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year as the Seahawks went 14-3 and won Super Bowl LX, despite a coaching change and new quarterback Sam Darnold. Baltimore drafted Kyle Hamilton at No. 14 and Tyler Linderbaum at No. 25 in 2022; both became Pro Bowlers, and the Ravens made the playoffs in three of four seasons with Lamar Jackson entrenched at quarterback.
Historical Data: Modest Improvement, Rare Sustained Success
An analysis of every NFL Draft since 2000 found 103 instances of teams with multiple first-round picks, totaling 216 players including 25 quarterbacks. Of 44 struggling teams (six or fewer wins) with multiple first-round picks, 86% improved by roughly three wins or more in at least one of the next three seasons, but only 34% posted two winning seasons and made the playoffs in that span. Over five seasons, struggling teams with multiple first-round picks won 44.9% of their games — virtually identical to the 45.6% win rate for similarly bad teams with just one first-rounder. For winning teams, those with multiple first-round picks won 57% of games over five seasons versus 52.1% for those with one. Stability is a key factor: among 23 rebuilding teams with multiple first-round picks between 2012 and 2023, only six retained the same head coach three drafts later, and just 11 kept the same general manager.
Titans' Gamble: Simmons Trade and Cam Ward
The Tennessee Titans, 1-6 entering Week 8, traded All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to Chicago for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a 2027 fourth-rounder. Tennessee now holds the No. 2 overall pick in 2027 and the 28th selection from the Bears. The Titans previously used a similar strategy after a 3-13 season in 2015, trading the No. 1 pick to the Rams for a haul that helped land Jack Conklin and Derrick Henry, leading to 9-7 seasons and a 2017 playoff win. This time, the bet centers on quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in 2025. Ward is 4-20 as a starter through 24 games, ranking 51st of 56 first-round quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and 52nd in yards per attempt. Historical data shows five of six quarterbacks with similarly poor starts improved over their next 22 games, but only two reached positive EPA per dropback. With the 2027 quarterback class viewed as uneven, Tennessee may be better served surrounding Ward with talent — such as Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, widely considered the best player in the 2027 class and a former teammate of Titans receiver Carnell Tate.
Browns and Jets Get Another Chance
Cleveland made five first-round picks across the 2017 and 2018 drafts, landing Myles Garrett, David Njoku, Baker Mayfield, and Denzel Ward. The Browns went 11-5 in 2020 and won their first playoff game since 1994, but the success did not last, and Mayfield departed before 2022. After trading Garrett to the Rams for Jared Verse and draft capital, general manager Andrew Berry holds two first-round picks in 2027. The Jets, now with three first-round picks in 2027 after moving on from Gardner and Johnson, face the same challenge: converting premium selections into sustained team success rather than individual accolades.
The historical pattern is clear: most bad teams with multiple first-round picks eventually improve, but improvement and consistent winning are distinct achievements. Some find a franchise quarterback and quickly contend; others draft excellent players yet find themselves rebuilding again within a few years. The challenge for the Browns, Jets, and Titans is not merely identifying talent, but building a sustainable structure around it before the decision-makers are replaced.
