The Carolina Panthers traded the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to the Chicago Bears last year. With a history of first-round picks changing hands, potential deals on draft night could involve teams moving up for specific players or a franchise quarterback. Recent drafts have seen numerous trades involving first-round picks, including some in the top 10. Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort was involved in multiple trades last season, exemplifying the trend.

No running backs are projected to be picked in the first round this year, continuing a trend of teams prioritizing other positions early in the draft. This could be the fourth time in the common era that no running back is selected in the first round. Offensive players, particularly quarterbacks, are expected to dominate the early picks, with a record-breaking number of offensive players projected to be taken in the first round.

The last two Heisman Trophy winners, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, are expected to be top picks in the draft, continuing a tradition of Heisman winners being selected early. Another interesting trend is the decrease in players from smaller schools entering the draft due to the transfer portal, with fewer prospects outside of Power Five conferences being selected in the early rounds.