Atlanta traded its 2000 first-round pick to Baltimore for the…
Atlanta traded its 2000 first-round pick to Baltimore for the 42nd selection in 1999, using that second-rounder on tight end Reggie Kelly. The future pick became No. 5 overall after the Falcons fell to 5-11, and Baltimore used it on Jamal Lewis. Lewis became the centerpiece of the Ravens' 2000 Super Bowl offense and later rushed for 2,066 yards in a season, turning the deferred pick into overwhelming value.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- pick 1999 2nd round pick (42nd overall, Reggie Kelly)
Baltimore Ravens Received
- pick 2000 1st round pick (5th overall, Jamal Lewis)
Trade Analysis
Baltimore made a classic bet on future draft position and won at the highest possible level. The Ravens sent Atlanta the 42nd selection in the 1999 draft for the Falcons' first-round pick in 2000. Atlanta, coming off a Super Bowl appearance, reasonably expected that future choice to land late in the first round. Instead, injuries and regression pushed the Falcons to 5-11, turning the traded selection into the fifth overall pick.
Baltimore used No. 5 on Tennessee running back Jamal Lewis. The result transformed the value of the original exchange. Lewis rushed for 1,364 yards as a rookie and became the lead back for a Ravens team that won Super Bowl XXXV behind an elite defense and a ball-control offense. After missing 2001 with a knee injury, he returned to become one of the league's most dominant runners. In 2003 he rushed for 2,066 yards, then the second-highest single-season total in NFL history, and earned first-team All-Pro honors and Offensive Player of the Year recognition. He finished seven Ravens seasons with 7,801 rushing yards.
Atlanta used the 42nd pick on tight end Reggie Kelly. Kelly became a durable NFL player and respected tight end, appearing in 184 career games across Atlanta and Cincinnati. That is legitimate second-round value, but his offensive impact was modest; he caught 45 passes in four Falcons seasons before leaving in free agency.
The Falcons' mistake was not necessarily identifying Kelly. It was exposing an unprotected future first-round pick to enormous downside for a second-round selection. Future picks are often discounted, but the absence of protection meant one bad season could dramatically change the economics, exactly what happened. Baltimore accepted a one-year delay and turned a second-round pick into a top-five selection and franchise running back. The Ravens receive an elite grade for the patience and payoff. Atlanta's return was useful, but surrendering the pick that became Lewis for a complementary tight end makes this one of the clearest losses in the batch.