Detroit sent its 1972 second-round choice to Atlanta and…
Detroit sent its 1972 second-round choice to Atlanta and received defensive back Rudy Redmond, running back Sonny Campbell and Atlanta's 1973 fourth-round pick. That later selection became Dick Jauron, who developed into a multi-season Lions starter. Atlanta used the second-rounder on Steve Okoniewski, but Detroit's combination of veterans and a productive future defensive back gives the Lions the stronger overall return.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- pick 1972 second round pick (#41-Steve Okoniewski)
Detroit Lions Received
- player Rudy Redmond
- player Sonny Campbell
- pick 1973 fourth round pick (#91-Dick Jauron)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Detroit's historical transaction material says the Lions acquired defensive back Rudy Redmond, running back Sonny Campbell and Atlanta's 1973 fourth-round choice on February 1, 1972 in exchange for Detroit's second-round selection in that year's draft. Draft-trade listings identify the outgoing pick as No. 41, which Atlanta used on Steve Okoniewski, and the future fourth-rounder as No. 91, later used on Dick Jauron.
What Detroit Received
The most important part of Detroit's return became Jauron. He joined the Lions in 1973 and developed into a regular defensive back, giving Detroit multiple seasons of direct value from a pick acquired in the trade. Redmond and Campbell were additional veteran pieces, so the Lions did not rely on a single future asset. Even if those veterans were not long-term cornerstones, adding them alongside a productive fourth-round result made the return broad and useful.
What Atlanta Received
Atlanta consolidated the package into the No. 41 pick and selected defensive tackle Steve Okoniewski. He did play in the NFL and therefore provided legitimate value, which keeps the Falcons from receiving a poor grade. The issue is that one second-round selection did not ultimately match Detroit's combined return, particularly once Jauron became a durable Lions contributor.
Final Verdict
Detroit wins because the Lions turned one second-round choice into multiple assets and received the best long-term team-specific result through Jauron. Atlanta did not come away empty, so the gap is meaningful rather than overwhelming. B for Detroit and C+ for Atlanta recognizes a successful value expansion by the Lions without treating the Falcons' second-round investment as a complete miss.