In the spring of 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off that year's NFL Draft by selecting Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first-overall pick. The Buccaneers had a glaring need at quarterback and they were slotted first in the draft for the first time in almost three decades, so they probably did not even entertain any trade offers for that pick.

That was unsurprising, but then the other four teams in the top five also stayed put and made their picks. Eventually, the top 10 was finished with no trades executed whatsoever. In fact, each of the first 14 picks in the draft in 2015 held onto its original selection and picked when they were on the clock. That was surprising. Contrast that with last year, when the second and fourth-overall picks were swapped, or 2024 when three of the top 11 selections changed hands. Or if you want to see a more extreme example, rewind to 2023 when 11 of the first 15 picks were traded at least once. You should definitely expect some teams to move around the board when the first round kicks off next week on the evening of April 23.

And maybe the Buccaneers will be involved. They've never been afraid to work trades in the first round, under current General Manager Jason Licht or his predecessors. Through 50 years of drafting, the Buccaneers have moved up, down, in and out of the first round many times over. Don't believe us? Well, read on.

What you are going to find below is a record of every single draft involving a first-round pick and the Buccaneers over the past half-century. Some of the most notable players in team history are associated with first-round draft trades, from Doug Williams to Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks to Tristan Wirfs. The Bucs have also on occasion trade first-round picks away to land proven veteran stars; on one occasion, it took two first-rounders to get the deal done.

Without further ado, and presented in chronological order, here is a record of Every Trade in Buccaneers History Involving First-Round Draft Picks.

1. April 4, 1978: Buccaneers trade the first-overall pick in the 1978 draft to the Houston Oilers for tight end Jimmie Giles, the 17th-overall pick, a 1978 second-round pick and third and fourth-round picks in 1979.

The Oilers wanted the first pick in the draft to take running back Earl Campbell, who would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; the Buccaneers had used the first-overall pick on running back Ricky Bell just the year before. Tampa Bay was after Grambling quarterback Doug Williams and were certain they could move down a significant amount and still get him. Williams and Giles became two of the early offensive stars in franchise history and are both in the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium. The other three picks gained didn't work out, as they wre used on guard Brett Moritz, defensive end Reggie Lewis and quarterback Chuck Fusina. Those three combined to play 35 games for the Buccaneers, with no starts.

2. April 12, 1978: Buccaneers trade 1979 first-round pick and a player to be named later to the Chicago Bears for defensive end Wally Chambers. Two days later, that player traded to the Bears was identified as tight end Bob Moore.

This marked the first time the Buccaneers traded away a future first-round pick to get an established veteran player, and while it certainly wasn't the most disastrous example of this maneuver it still can be counted as a misstep. Chambers had been the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1973 and a first or second-team Associated Press All-Pro in each of his first four seasons, but he would play just two years in Tampa before his career ended. Chambers did have a strong 1979 season for the division-winning Buccaneers, recording 5.5 sacks and an NFL-leading six forced fumbles. Meanwhile, that 1979 first-round pick became the fourth-overall selection, which Chicago used on defensive lineman Dan Hampton, who ended up in the Hall of Fame. Moore was a non-factor; he never even played for the Bears and was out of the league by 1979.

3. April 27, 1982: Buccaneers trade 1983 first-round pick to the Chicago Bears for 1982 second-round pick.

This was the beginning of an infamous string of hasty draft-trade decisions that set the franchise back after a brief emergence as a playoff contender. A bad phone connection between the Buccaneers' draft room in Tampa and their representatives at the actual draft proceedings in New York led to confusion over which card with a player's name should be turned in when the Bucs got on the clock with the 17th pick in th first round in 1982. The brain trust in Tampa decided to use that pick on raw Bethune-Cookman defensive end Booker Reese but that got lost in translation and the representative in New York turned in the card for Penn State guard Sean Farrell. When the Farrell pick was announced, to great surprise back in Tampa, the Bucs panicked and sent their first-round pick in the following year's draft to get number 32 in the second round, which they used to land Reese. Reese was a complete bust, playing 24 games for the Bucs and recording 2.0 sacks. Chicago used that 1983 first-round pick on wide receiver Willie Gault, who helped the Bears win the Super Bowl in his third season.

4. June 2, 1983: Buccaneers trade 1984 first-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for quarterback Jack Thompson.

This was a continuation of the debacle above. Williams left for the USFL due to a contract dispute with original Buccaneers Owner Hugh Culverhouse after the 1982 season and the Bucs had no ready replacement at quarterback. Had they not traded their 1983 first-round pick to get Reese, they could have participated in one of he greatest run of first-round quarterbacks in NFL history, potentially nabbing Dan Marino or Ken O'Brien. Instead, they doubled down on the problem by sending their 1984 first-rounder to Cincinnati for Thompson, a former first-round pick who had only started five games in four seasons with the Bengals. Thompson started 16 games over two seasons with the Buccaneers, winning three of them, and that was the conclusion of his NFL career. Because the Thompson-led Bucs went 2-14 in 1983, that pick traded to Cincinnati turned into the first-overall selection in 1984, which the Bengals later flipped to New England, who used it on wide receiver Irving Fryar.

5. October 9, 1985: Buccaneers trade LB Hugh Green to the Miami Dolphins for first and second-round picks in the 1986 draft.

The Buccaneers had drafted Pitt's Hugh Green, one of the most decorated defensive players in NCAA history, with the seventh-overall pick in 1981 and he was an instant hit in Tampa. Green finished third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 1981 and was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro in 1982 and 1983. By the middle of the 1985 season, however, Green wanted out of Tampa and the Bucs were able to get a decent return from the Dolphins. Unfortunately, the two premium picks Tampa Bay gained in the 1986 draft didn't amount to much. SMU cornerback Rod Jones, picked late in the first round, earned the nickname of "Toast," though he did start 44 games over four seasons in Tampa. Second-round linebacker Kevin Murphy, an Oklahoma product, lasted a bit longer, playing six seasons for the Buccaneers and starting 53 games.

6. July 31, 1990: Buccaneers trade 1992 first-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for quarterback Chris Chandler.

Chandler wasn't as big of a reach as Thompson, as he did go on to a 17-year NFL career and he led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in 1998. Nevertheless, this trade proved to be a disaster for Tampa Bay. Chandler and Vinny Testaverde clashed in the Bucs' locker room while alternating stints as the starter in 1990 and 1991, and the Bucs lost all six of Chandler's starts before he was cut during the '91 campaign. Meanwhile, the pick the Bucs sent to Indy turned into the second-overall selection, which the Colts used on linebacker Quentin Coryatt.

7-8. April 22, 1995: Buccaneers trade seventh-overall pick and a 1995 third-round pick (#72) to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 12th-overall pick and two 1995 second-round picks (#43, #63). Traded two 1995 second-round picks (#41, #63) to the Dallas Cowboys for the 28th-overall pick in the first round.

These two had to be listed together because, combined, they represent Rich McKay's masterpiece that created one of the greatest rounds of drafting by any team in NFL history. First McKay moved down five spots with the Eagles, who were after the original Scouting Combine workout warrior, Mike Mamula. Contrary to popular opinion, Mamula was not a total bust, with 31.5 sacks in five seasons for the Eagles, but his career pales to that of the player the Bucs landed at number 12, Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp. After that deal, the Bucs had three second-round picks to deploy and McKay used two of them to get back into the latter half of the first round and select Florida State linebacker Derrick Brooks at number 28. Sapp and Brooks, of course, ended up as first-ballot Hall-of-Famers, and this is one of just three times in league history that a team nabbed multiple Hall-of-Famers in the same round (also Chicago in 1965 and Baltimore in 1996). The other second-rounder gained in the Sapp trade was used on safety Melvin Johnson, who spent a couple seasons as a starter for the Buccaneers.

9. April 27, 1995: Buccaneers trade quarterback Craig Erickson to the Indianapolis Colts for 1996 first-round pick.

This deal, executed a few days after that historic 1995 draft, isn't nearly as famous but it was yet another big win for McKay. Essentially, this was karma for the aforementioned Chris Chandler trade, as this time the Buccaneers got a first-round pick for a quarterback who started all of three games for the Colts. The Bucs made this deal knowing they were turning full-time to 1994 first-round pick Trent Dilfer for the 1995 season. The pick from the Colts ended up being number 22 in the '96 draft, which the Bucs used on North Carolina defensive tackle Marcus Jones. Jones made very little impact as an interior lineman for three seasons but blossomed when the Bucs moved him to the edge in 1999, producing 23.0 sacks over the next three seasons.

10. April 20, 1996: Buccaneers trade 1996 second-round pick (#41) to the San Diego Chargers for 1997 first-round pick.

During the second round of the 1996 draft, Chargers GM Bobby Beathard called the Bucs with an offer they couldn't refuse. The Chargers wanted to get back into the second round to draft Virginia Tech wide receiver Bryan Still, and they were willing to give up next year's first to do it. Still played three-and-a-half seasons in San Diego and totaled 81 catches in that span. The Buccaneers also used the pick they gained in the trade on a wide receiver, Florida's Reidel Anthony. Anthony's best year came in 1998 when he caught 51 passes for 708 yards and seven touchdowns, but as part of a fairly anemic Buccaneers passing attack he finished his five-year career with a total of 144 receptions.

11-12. April 18, 1997: Buccaneers trade eighth-overall pick in 1997 draft and a 1997 fourth-round pick to the New York Jets for the sixth-overall pick. Buccaneers trade the sixth-overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks for the 12th-overall pick and a 1997 third-round pick.

This is yet another case of McKay stacking trades and coming out ahead. The Bucs moved up from six to eight and then down to 12, in the process converting the 104th-overall pick that year into the 63rd-overall pick. Tampa Bay then used that 12th-overall pick on running back Warrick Dunn, one of the most electric offensive players in franchise history. Dunn would end up spending six seasons each with the Buccaneers and Falcons and he is the only player in NFL history with 7,500-plus yards from scrimmage for two different franchises. To be fair, all three teams involved in these two deals made out like bandits, as Seattle took future Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones at number six and the Jets landed star linebacker James Farrior at number eight. The Buccaneers used the 63rd-overall pick on guard Frank Middleton, who started 50 games over four seasons in Tampa.

13-14. April 18, 1998: Buccaneers trade first-round pick (#23) in 1998 draft to the OaklandRaiders for two 1998 second-round picks (#34, #59). Buccaneers trade 1998 second-round pick (#59) to the San Diego Chargers for 2000 first-round pick.

The Bucs traded back 11 spots to end up with a pair of second-round picks to go with their own selection at #53. They stayed put at that 34th-overall pick to select another Florida receiver, Jacquez Green. Green played four seasons in Tampa and recorded 162 receptions and also made an impact as a punt returner. The other pick gained in the trade down was once again sent to Beathard's Chargers for a future first-round pick. That 2000 first-rounder would end up being used as part of a blockbuster trade; details on that below. As a footnote, though it is not a trade that involves a first-round pick, the Bucs traded up from their own pick in the second round to land USC cornerback Brian Kelly, who became a long-time starter on the Bucs' legendary defense of the late '90s and early '00s

15. April 12, 2000: Buccaneers trade two first-round picks (#13, #27) in the 2000 draft to the New York Jets for wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

After advancing to the NFC Championship Game in 1999 on the strength of an incredibly stingy defense, the Buccaneers went into the 2000 offseason determined to get more productive on offense. The solution was bold, as the Bucs shipped two first-round draft picks to the Jets for Keyshawn Johnson, who had been drafted first overall in 1996. In his four years with the Jets, Johnson had averaged 76 catches or 1,027 yards and eight touchdowns per season. No Tampa Bay receiver had hit any of those benchmarks in a single season since 1989. Johnson would play four seasons for the Buccaneers before being traded to Dallas for Joey Galloway in 2004, and he would help the team win Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of the 2002 campaign. Johnson also set a still-standing team record with 106 receptions in 2001. The Jets used the two picks gained from the Buccaneers on defensive end John Abraham and tight end Anthony Becht, the latter of whom would eventually play three seasons in Tampa.

16. April 21, 2001: Buccaneers trade pick number 21 in the 2001 draft and a 2001 second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for pick number 14.

After Paul Gruber's retirement following the 1999 season, the Buccaneers spent one season with Pete Pierson at left tackle, then went into the 2001 draft looking for an upgrade at that critical position. After trading up seven spots, the Bucs grabbed Florida's Kenyatta Walker, giving up the 51st-overall pick in the second round to make the move. The Bills took cornerback Nate Clements with the 21st pick and later flipped the second-rounder to Denver. Walker didn't last long at left tackle for the Buccaneers but he moved to right tackle in 2002 and spent five more seasons with the team, starting a total of 73 games. He was the starting right tackle on the 2002 Bucs team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.

17. February 18, 2002: Buccaneers trade 2002 first-round pick, 2003 first-round pick, 2002 second-round pick and 2004 second-round pick (plus $8 million) to the Oakland Raidersfor the rights to Head Coach Jon Gruden.

During an exhaustive search for a head coach to replace Tony Dungy that included the franchise's second dalliance with Bill Parcells, team owners worked secretly behind the scenes to set up one of the most dramatic trades in NFL history. The deal was sealed in the early morning hours using a fax machine that Gruden and his wife, Cindy, set up for the first time that night. While the draft haul for Oakland was massive, the deal was a clear success for the Buccaneers as Gruden led them to the team's first Super Bowl championship in his first year at the helm.

18. April 25, 2009: Buccaneers trade the 19th-overall pick and a 2009 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for the 17th-overall pick.

After two seasons of mostly Jeff Garcia under center, the Buccaneers signed Byron Leftwich to be a bridge quarterback and set out to address the position in the 2009 draft. Raheem Morris, the Buccaneers' first-year head coach, new Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman from his season on the Wildcats' coaching staff, and Freeman became the Bucs' target in the first round. Fearing that Freeman wouldn't make it to the 19th pick, the Bucs sent a sixth-rounder to the Browns to move up two spots and get their man. Freeman had a promising 2010 season, with 25 touchdown passes and just six interceptions, but he threw 39 interceptions over the next two seasons combined, lost his job to Mike Glennon early in 2013 and was released after three starts that season. He would play in just two more games in his NFL career.

19-20. April 26, 2012: Buccaneers trade the fifth-overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the seventh-overall pick and a 2012 fourth-round pick. Buccaneers trade a second-round pick (#36) plus the fourth-rounder (#101) acquired in the previous deal to the Denver Broncos for a first-round pick (#31) and a fourth-round pick (#126).

General Manager Mark Dominik and the Buccaneers draft room was busy on the first night of the 2012 draft. First, Dominik landed an extra fourth-round selection by moving down just two spots, with the Jaguars targeting Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon and the Bucs nabbing Alabama safety Mark Barron. A couple hours later, Dominik flipped that extra fourth-rounder plus the Bucs' high second-round pick for the second-to-last pick of the first round plus a fourth rounder. In essence, the Buccaneers moved up five spots to grab Boise State running back Doug Martin at the expense of a move down of 25 spots in the fourth round. Barron didn't make the impact the Bucs were hoping for and was traded to the Rams early in his third season, after which he eventually shifted to linebacker. Martin broke out with a phenomenal 1,454-yard, 11-touchdown rookie season and was a first-team All-Pro in 2015 after another 1,400-yard season, but the rest of his career was marred by injuries and off-field issues. Martin died while in police custody in his hometown of Oakland in 2025.

21. April 21, 2013: Buccaneers trade 2013 first-round pick (#13) and a conditional 2014 fourth-round pick to the New York Jets for cornerback Darrelle Revis. The pick would become a third-round pick if Revis was on the Buccaneers' roster on the third day of the 2014 league year.

The Buccaneers went about completely remaking their secondary in the 2013 offseason, spending a second-round pick on Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks and signing former 49ers safety Dashon Goldson in free agency. The most dramatic move, however, went down four days before the draft, when the Bucs sent their first-round pick to the Jets for Darrelle Revis, one of the most decorated defensive backs of the century. At the time of the trade, Revis had already been to four Pro Bowls, been named a first-team All-Pro three teams and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year balloting in 2009. Revis also made it back to the Pro Bowl as a Buccaneer in 2013, but by early in 2014 Tampa Bay had a new general manager, a new head coach and a desire to spread the financial commitment going to Revis out to multiple spots on the roster. Revis started all 16 games in his lone season in Tampa and recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

22. April 28, 2016: Buccaneers trade the ninth-overall pick in the 2016 draft to the Chicago Bears for the 11th-overall pick and a 2016 fourth-round pick (#106).

This was a very minor trade, as the Bucs still got the player they would have taken at #9, Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, and the fourth-round pick that was gained was later used as part of a trade to move up from #74 to #59 and draft Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo. Hargreaves lasted just three-and-a-half seasons in Tampa before being traded to Houston, recording two interceptions and 19 passes defensed.

23. April 26, 2018: Buccaneers trade the seventh-overall pick in the 2018 draft plus a 2018 seventh-round pick to Buffalo for the 12th-overall pick and two 2018 second-round picks (#53, #56).

The Bills paid a premium to move up five spots and secure their quarterback of the future, Wyoming's Josh Allen. After moving down to number 12, the Bucs landed mountainous Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, who has since made two Pro Bowls and recorded 35.0 sacks while anchoring one of the NFL's best run defenses. The 53rd pick the Bucs gained was used on North Carolina cornerback M.J. Stewart. The Bucs eventually traded down from the 56th pick acquired in the trade and landed cornerback Carlton Davis at number 63 and safety Jordan Whitehead in the fourth round with the selections acquired from the New England Patriots. Stewart only played two seasons in Tampa but Davis and Whitehead became starters on the 2020 Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV.

24. April 23, 2020: Buccaneers trade the 14th-overall pick in the 2020 draft and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for the 13th-overall pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick.

After seeing a run on blue-chip offensive tackle prospects develop over the first 11 picks of the 2020 draft, the Buccaneers became concerned that Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs would not make it to their spot at #14. To ensure no other tackle-needy teams jumped the Buccaneers to get Wirfs, Licht sent a fourth-rounder to the 49ers to move up one spot and secure his man. Given the results, that is surely a trade Licht has never regretted, as Wirfs is already concerned the top offensive lineman in franchise history (with apologies to the great Paul Gruber). Wirfs was a 20-game starter at right tackle on the Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie and a first-team All-Pro by just his second season. In 2023, Wirfs moved to left tackle and claimed his third straight Pro Bowl appearance, and in 2024 he became the first player in NFL history to earn first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors at both left and right tackle in his career. Wirfs' five Pro Bowl invitations in six seasons are already the most by an offensive lineman in franchise history.

25. April 28, 2022: Buccaneers trade the 27th-overall pick in the 2022 draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first pick of the second round (#33) and 2022 fourth and sixth-round picks.

Late in the first night of the 2022 draft, the Jaguars moved up into the bottom of the first round to select Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Bucs slid back six spots and opened the second night of the draft by choosing Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall. Hall played four seasons for the Buccaneers and started 39 games before signing with the Houston Texans as a free agent last month. The Bucs used the first pick of the fourth round to nab Washington tight end Cade Otton, who has started 58 games in four seasons and racked up 207 catches for 2,018 yards and 11 touchdowns. Otton signed a new multi-year contract with the Buccaneers in March. The sixth-round pick the Bucs earned in the deal with Jacksonville was later used to trade up three spots in the second round, from 60 to 57, to grab Central Michigan tackle Luke Goedeke. After working left guard as a rookie, Goedeke went back to his college position of right tackle in 2023 and has since developed as one of the better players at his position in the NFL, earning a second contract just before the start of last season.