Ranking the NFL's All-Time Greatest Trades: Myles Garrett to Rams Included

While usually a slow period on the NFL calendar, the month of June got off to a rather hectic start with the Cleveland Browns deciding to deal reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for former Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse , a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a third-round pick in 2029.

The first reigning Defensive Player of the Year to be dealt, Garrett is coming to Los Angeles following an historic 2025 season in which he set the single-season sack record. In his final game as a member of the Browns, Garrett took down Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to record his 23rd sack of the 2025 campaign, an NFL record. Still only 30 years old, Garrett racked up seven Pro Bowl nods during his nine seasons in Cleveland. His 125.5 sacks are tied for the 20th most in NFL history.

Here's a look at where the Garrett trade ranks among the biggest of all-time.

Honorable mention: Cowboys acquire Charles Haley from 49ers (1992)

The Cowboys not only acquired a premier, Hall of Fame-caliber pass rusher in Haley, they took him away from their archrival. With Haley on the Cowboys, Dallas defeated the 49ers in consecutive NFC title games before defeating the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII.

Haley, who had won two Super Bowls with the 49ers before being traded, won three Super Bowls during his five seasons with the Cowboys. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

10. 49ers land Christian McCaffrey (2022)

McCaffrey was dealt to the  49ers  in a blockbuster deal that landed the  Panthers  2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks, plus a fifth-rounder in 2024. The trade ended a six-year run in Carolina for McCaffrey, who was selected No. 8 overall in the 2017  NFL Draft .

The deal paid immediate dividends for both McCaffrey and the 49ers, who were 3-3 at the time of the trade. San Francisco reached the NFC title game that year before injuries proved too much to overcome. In 2023, however, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl behind a banner year from McCaffrey, who won his first rushing title that season. San Francisco had the lead in overtime in that year's Super Bowl before falling victim to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led the defending champs on a game-winning drive.

9. Seahawks acquire 'Beast Mode' from Bills (2010)

Despite rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, Lynch was found to be expendable by the Bills midway through the 2010 season. Before the deadline, the Buffalo traded Lynch to Seattle in exchange for a 2011 fourth-round pick and a 2012 fifth-round pick.

Simply put, Lynch and the Seahawks were the perfect fit. After running over the defending champion Saints in the 2010 wild card round, Lynch earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first four full seasons in Seattle.

> Never Forget when Marshawn Lynch disrespected the entire Saints defense 👀🤭 pic.twitter.com/ZPcYoV31Ib — Footballism™ (@FootbaIIism) October 19, 2019

He was among Seattle's key figures during the team's Super Bowl run in 2013 and NFC championship run in 2014. In six seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch rushed for 6,347 yards and 79 touchdowns during the regular season, 937 yards and nine scores in 11 postseason games.

8. Dolphins deal two first-round picks for Ricky Williams (2002)

Miami ultimately traded two first-round picks -- while also swapping future fourth-round picks -- to acquire the former Heisman Trophy winner who, in 2000, helped lead the Saints to the franchise's first-ever playoff win. The trade paid immediate dividends for the Dolphins, as Williams led the NFL with 1,853 yards during his first season in Miami.

> Ricky Williams was an absolute ANIMAL in 2002 for the Dolphins. @Rickthelaureate via @nflthrowback pic.twitter.com/7s3sYW4Bz4 — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 25, 2022

Williams led the NFL in carries in each of his first two years with the Dolphins before he shockingly stepped away from the game in 2004. He returned to Miami in 2005, where he co-starred with Ronnie Brown in the Dolphins' Wildcat offense. A suspension would sideline Williams for most of the next two seasons before he returned to help the Dolphins capture an AFC East title in 2008. Williams left Miami for good after the 2010 season as the second-leading rusher in franchise history.

As for the Saints, New Orleans experienced several lean years after the trade. They bounced back in a big way after the hiring of Sean Payton and the arrival of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush in 2006. The trio helped the Saints win the franchise's first Super Bowl in 2009.

7. Marshall Faulk helps build 'Greatest Show on Turf' after being dealt by Indy (1999)

While it didn't come with as much fanfare, the Colts' decision to trade Faulk to the Rams in 1999 for two future second- and fifth-round picks changed not only the course of both franchises but also NFL history.

A very good player in Indianapolis, Faulk immediately emerged as an elite one upon his arrival in St. Louis. During his first season with the Rams, Faulk was part of the franchise's stunning turnaround, culminating in a Super Bowl win over the Titans. Faulk, a massive part of the Rams' famed "Greatest Show on Turf" offense, made history that season by becoming the second player in history to go over 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving. He won league MVP the following season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Speaking of Hall of Famers, Faulk's replacement in Indianapolis, Edgerrin James, also received a gold jacket following a prolific run with the Colts that included back-to-back rushing titles. James' impact on the Colts was exemplified by his receiving a Super Bowl ring following Indianapolis' Super Bowl win over the Bears, despite being a member of the Cardinals.

6. Rams deal Eric Dickerson to Colts (1987)

The Rams and Colts stunned the NFL when Indianapolis traded two players, three first-round picks and three second-round picks to Los Angeles in exchange for Dickerson, the league's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, who in 1984 became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 2,100 yards in a season.

Dickerson led the Colts to the playoffs in 1987, their first playoff appearance since the franchise moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. The following season, Dickerson led the NFL in rushing, then rushed for over 1,311 yards in 1989.

> Happy Halloween #Colts fans! 🎃 Here's a look back on this day in 1988 when Eric Dickerson showed up as Superman: pic.twitter.com/zGhWzaQUta — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 31, 2017

The Rams, despite losing Dickerson, would make the playoffs in each of the next three seasons, which included a trip to the NFC Championship Game in 1989.

The Buffalo Bills were also part of this trade, giving up several assets that included future high picks in exchange for future All-Pro linebacker Cornelius Bennett, who would help the Bills become the first team in NFL history to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls during the 1990s.

5. Russell Wilson traded to Broncos (2022)

The sheer size of this trade makes it one of the most significant trades in NFL history. While acquiring Wilson, who still had to approve the deal, the Broncos gave the Seahawks a pair of first-round picks, a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock , tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris .

It goes without saying that this transaction turned out to be a bust for both Wilson and the Broncos. Denver essentially paid Wilson $39 million to play a season for the Steelers after he was released after just two seasons. Seattle, however, greatly benefited from the trade, as it used its draft picks to acquire several players who helped it win this past year's Super Bowl. Players the Seahawks acquired from this trade via the draft included left tackle Charles Cross , outside linebackers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall , and cornerback Devon Witherspoon .

4. Garrett dealt from Cleveland to Hollywood (2026)

This trade could rank even higher depending on what happens with Garrett and the Rams during their time together. As it currently stands, this transaction is already one of the biggest in league history, given that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is headed to a team that came painfully close to playing in last year's Super Bowl.

Conversely, Browns fans are once again made to suffer as they watch a franchise icon leave town just months after making NFL history. A consolation of sorts for Cleveland fans is that, in exchange for Garrett, they are getting a young and talented pass rusher in Verse, valuable draft capital and significantly more salary cap space.

3. Cowboys ship Micah Parsons to Green Bay (2025)

We're still less than a year removed from another truly shocking trade that centered around another elite defensive player in Parsons. After he and the Cowboys were unable to come to terms on a long-term contract, Parsons was shipped to Green Bay in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two future first-round picks. Shortly after the trade, Parsons penned a four-year, $188 million deal with Green Bay that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.

Parsons was in the midst of another prolific season before an injury cut his first season in Green Bay short after 14 games. Predictably, the Cowboys' defense struggled last season without Parsons, finishing dead last in the league in points allowed. Dallas used the 2027 first-round pick acquired from the Parsons trade to acquire former Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams . They traded the 2026 first-round pick (the 20th overall pick) to the Eagles (who used it to select receiver Makai Lemon ) in exchange for the 23rd, 114th and 137th overall picks, which Dallas used to select pass rusher Malachi Lawrence , cornerback Devin Moore and pass rusher LT Overton , respectively.

2. Rams acquire Matthew Stafford from Lions (2021)

In the middle of winter, the Rams pulled off a trade that a year later would result in a Super Bowl victory. On January 31, 2021, the Rams sent Jared Goff , two first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Lions in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

After 12 largely successful years with the Lions, Stafford has continued to have success in Los Angeles. He led the Rams to a Super Bowl title during his first season in Los Angeles. This past season, he won his first league MVP while helping the Rams get to within a game of the Super Bowl.

Goff has also enjoyed success since being traded. A three-time Pro Bowler with the Lions, Goff led Detroit to its first NFC title game appearance in over 30 years back in 2023. He also led the Lions to the franchise's first playoff win in 32 years, which, ironically enough, was against his former team.

1. Cowboys trade Herschel Walker in 'great train robbery' (1989)

"I find out that we had just traded the only guy on our team that was really any good. And I couldn't believe it."

Troy Aikman, needless to say, wasn't thrilled upon hearing the news that the Dallas Cowboys and new head coach Jimmy Johnson had traded their best player, running back Herschel Walker, to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a bounty of future draft picks. Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner and 1,500-yard back the previous season, was leaving a team that would ultimately go 1-15 during Johnson's first season in Dallas. While the trade was widely unpopular at the time, Johnson was confident that it was the right thing to do.

"One agent said it's the biggest trade he has ever seen in the NFL," Johnson said during a press conference following the trade, "and one owner said it's a great train robbery. Whatever it is, we're happy with it."

The Cowboys used the picks to help build what would become one of the best rosters in NFL history. In 1990, they used their first pick from the trade to select E

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-nfls-greatest-trades-of-all-time-where-myles-garrett-to-rams-fits/)._