The Indianapolis Colts will convey their 2027 first-round draft pick to the New York Jets — likely one of the highest selections in the 2027 NFL Draft — after falling to 2-7 this season.
That pick was part of the package Indianapolis traded to the Jets at last season’s deadline for cornerback Sauce Gardner. At the time, the Colts anticipated it would land in the mid- or late-first round, depending on their 2026 performance.
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Protected draft picks — common in the NBA, where teams shield picks from conveying if they fall within a specified range — are rare in the NFL. League officials and executives say such provisions are not prohibited but seldom advance beyond preliminary discussion.
Protected picks were discussed during trade negotiations between the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns before this year’s Myles Garrett deal, according to a league source. But the provision did not become part of the final agreement.
NFL teams may trade draft picks up to three years in advance, while NBA teams may trade as far as seven years ahead. That shorter window limits the usefulness of protections, which depend on long-term forecasting.
Late-first-round NFL picks retain substantial value — unlike late-first-round NBA picks, which are often viewed as developmental assets. As one NFL executive explained, “In the NFL, pick 20 is still pretty valuable, so the acquiring team isn’t as upset about receiving it.”
NFL teams instead use conditional picks. The Rams-Browns Garrett trade includes a clause that upgrades the Rams’ 2029 third-round selection to a first-rounder if Garrett is traded to an AFC North rival. Similar conditions appeared in the 2008 Brett Favre trade and the 2021 Carson Wentz deal, where snap-count thresholds triggered pick upgrades.
The Colts’ 2027 first-round pick carries no conditions or protections. It conveys outright to the Jets — and with a 2-7 record, it is expected to be among the highest selections in the 2027 draft, far exceeding the value Indianapolis anticipated when acquiring Gardner last season.
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