Jamal Adams joined an exclusive group when the Jets dealt him to the Seahawks on Saturday.
New York received two first-round picks in exchange for Adams, making him only the eighth player since 2000 to be flipped for two first-round selections. Among those eight players are Pro Bowlers, All-Pros and a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
With Adams taking his talents from the Big Apple to Seattle, here is a look at the other players who have been swapped for two first-round picks in the last 20 years.
Joey Galloway
The Seahawks have become known for trading their first-round picks in exchange for veteran talent in recent years. At the beginning of the century, though, they were on the receiving end of a large haul for the services of wide receiver Joey Galloway.
Galloway starred for the Seahawks for the first three years of his NFL career but eventually became disgruntled with his contract. A contract dispute and holdout that lasted 101 days ensued and cost Galloway half of the 1999 season. That was the final straw for Seattle, as it sent him to the Cowboys in exchange for first-round picks in the 2000 and 2001 NFL drafts.
Dallas gave Galloway a contract that made him the second-highest paid receiver in the league upon his arrival, but he never quite lived up to the deal. The Seahawks, meanwhile, used one of the two first-round picks the Cowboys gave them on Shaun Alexander, who went on to become a three-time Pro Bowler and MVP in 2005.
Keyshawn Johnson
The Jamal Adams trade is not the first time the Jets have received two first-round picks in exchange for an unhappy superstar.
New York traded wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the Buccaneers for the 13th and 27th picks in the 2000 NFL Draft. Those two picks netted the Jets outside linebacker John Abraham and tight end Anthony Becht. Abraham went on to become one of the most feared pass-rushers in football and one of the best in Jets history, while Becht was a solid contributor for New York.
The Buccaneers gave Johnson an eight-year, $56 million deal to make him the highest-paid receiver in football. He went on to win a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay before his relationship with the organization soured, just as it did with the Jets.
Ricky Williams
The Saints traded all of their draft picks to select Ricky Williams fifth overall in the 1999 NFL draft. Williams produced at an elite level in his three seasons with New Orleans, but something had to be done to rebuild a team that was lacking talent because of what it took to land him.
In an effort to restock the cupboard, the Saints sent Williams to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for four draft picks, two of which were first-round selections. New Orleans used one of the first-round picks on defensive end Charles Grant and traded the other to the Arizona Cardinals, who subsequently selected Calvin Pace.
Williams remained one of the best running backs in football with the Dolphins before failed drug tests forced him out of the NFL for the 2006 season. After being reinstated, Williams returned to Miami for three more seasons before finishing his career with the Ravens in 2011.
Jay Cutler
Before wrapping up his career with Adam Gase in Miami, Jay Cutler landed the Broncos prime draft capital in a trade with the Bears.
Cutler requested a trade out of Denver in 2009 and was sent to Chicago in exchange for first and third-round selections in the 2009 draft, as well as a first-round pick in 2010. Cutler went on to lead the Bears to an NFC Championship game in 2010, while the Broncos selected defensive end Robert Ayers with their 2009 first-round pick. Denver used the 2010 first-rounder to trade up two spots from No. 24 to No. 22 and selected wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Khalil Mack
Following a holdout that lasted the entire 2018 preseason, the Raiders sent Khalil Mack to the Bears in exchange for first-round picks in the 2019 and 2020 NFL drafts.
The Raiders made out pretty with their 2019 first-round pick, selecting running back Josh Jacobs, who made an instant impact as a rookie. The jury is still out on 2020 first-round selection Damon Arnette, who has yet to suit up at cornerback for Las Vegas.
The Bears, meanwhile, signed Mack a six-year deal worth $141 million and $90 million in guaranteed money, making him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. Mack played an integral role in Chicago’s 2018 postseason run and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2019 despite recording his lowest sack total since his rookie year.
Laremy Tunsil
Only two months after picking up his fifth-year option, the Dolphins traded offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for two first-round picks, a second-round pick, cornerback Johnson Bademosi and offensive tackle Julien Davenport.
Tunsil signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension featuring $57 million in guaranteed money in April. His new contract with Houston makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in football in terms of average annual value.
Jalen Ramsey
Despite Jalen Ramsey’s clear intentions to not re-sign with the Jaguars, Jacksonville used the little leverage it had in trade negotiations to net itself a solid return for arguably the best cornerback in the league.
The Jaguars sent Ramsey to the Rams in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, which was used on LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. Ramsey has yet to receive a contract extension from Los Angeles.
