Detroit moved up 10 spots in the third round for defensive…
Detroit moved up 10 spots in the third round for defensive back Ryan Stewart, sending New England the 86th, 119th and 195th picks. Stewart played 41 NFL games with only two starts. The Patriots used No. 86 on Tedy Bruschi, who became a franchise cornerstone, three-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler. New England also received two additional picks, making this one of the clearest wins in the wave.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1996 3rd round pick (76th overall, Ryan Stewart )
New England Patriots Received
- pick 1996 3rd round pick (86th overall, Tedy Bruschi), 1996 4th round pick (119th overall, Chris Sullivan) and 1996 6th round pick (195th overall, Marrio Grier)
Trade Analysis
Why Detroit Moved Up
The Lions targeted defensive back Ryan Stewart and paid picks 86, 119 and 195 to move to No. 76. Stewart made the roster and played 41 NFL games, but he started only twice and never developed into the kind of impact player that justifies sacrificing three selections for one.
What New England Found at No. 86
The Patriots used the first pick received from Detroit on Tedy Bruschi. That selection transformed the trade. Bruschi played 189 games, recorded 30.5 sacks, earned a Pro Bowl selection and spent his entire career in New England. More importantly, he became a central figure on three Super Bowl championship teams and one of the defining defenders of the franchise's early-2000s run.
What the Extra Picks Added
New England also received fourth-round pick Chris Sullivan and sixth-round pick Marrio Grier. Neither needed to become a star for the trade to work because Bruschi alone overwhelmingly surpassed Stewart's value. The additional selections simply increased the Patriots' margin and reflected how expensive Detroit's move up had been.
Final Verdict
New England Patriots Win. The Patriots receive an A+ because a modest trade-down produced a franchise cornerstone, three championships worth of defensive leadership and two extra selections. Detroit receives a D because Stewart's 41-game career did not justify the cost of moving up. Draft-day trades are rarely decided this cleanly by one player, but Bruschi's career makes the comparison unmistakable. New England also retained the benefit of two additional selections, so the Patriots won both in opportunity count and in the quality of the best player produced.