10 Years Ago, the Browns Received Five Draft Picks for Julio Jones and the Guys They Selected Are Laughable

With the NFL Draft beginning a week from tonight, it has officially been 10 years since the Falcons moved from the 27th pick all the way up to No. 6 in a trade with the Browns. In exchange, Atlanta sent two first round picks, a second and two fourths to Cleveland for the right to be able to select Julio Jones.

Seven Pro Bowls, 13,000 yards and 60 touchdowns later, I think it's safe to say that the trade was worth it for the Falcons. But with all those picks, it could have very easily been worthwhile for the Browns, too. But when you see that list above, it very clearly ended up being about as lopsided as any trade could be.

Phil Taylor had 15 TFLs in four seasons. Greg Little racked up 1,821 receiving yards in his three seasons in Cleveland — 50 yards fewer than Jones's 2015 total alone. Brandon Weeden threw more interceptions than touchdowns in his two seasons with the Browns.

What could Cleveland have turned those picks into, though? The Browns traded back up from the Falcons' pick at No. 27 to No. 21 in 2011 to select Taylor. Cam Jordan went three picks later. Later in the same Draft, Randall Cobb and Jurrell Casey went shortly after Little. And as a cherry on top, Russell Wilson went two rounds after the Browns drafted Weeden in 2012.

So I guess the lesson to be learned here is that trading up can certainly be worth it and so can trading down, as long as your team is better at evaluating talent than the 2011 Browns.