Trading up in the NFL draft for a non-quarterback is a temptation GMs should resist. The value of trading down has been argued by analytics disciples since economists Cade Massey and Richard Thaler's paper on overconfidence in the draft. Despite that, GMs continue to trade up for specific prospects they covet. Let's look at clichés used to justify trade-ups.

These arguments reference teams trading up for non-quarterbacks. Despite justifications like 'He's the missing piece' or 'It was worth it to get our guy,' history shows many trade-ups don't succeed in the long run due to inefficient market prices.

However, there are instances where trading up makes sense, especially if it is well below market price. Efficiency in the market is key to justifying a trade-up. One such example was the Browns' trade in 2021 to draft linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at a reasonable premium according to ESPN's valuation model.