Kansas City moved down from No. 21 to No. 26 in the 2011…
Kansas City moved down from No. 21 to No. 26 in the 2011 draft and added the 70th pick, sending Cleveland the selection used on Phil Taylor. The Chiefs took Jonathan Baldwin at 26 and Justin Houston at 70. Baldwin was a major miss, but Houston became a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's premier pass rushers. Taylor gave Cleveland useful early seasons, yet Houston's career makes Kansas City the clear winner.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 2011 1st round pick (21st overall, Phil Taylor)
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 2011 1st round pick (26th overall, Jonathan Baldwin )
- pick 2011 3rd round pick (70th overall, Justin Houston)
Trade Analysis
Cleveland entered the 2011 draft wanting an interior defensive lineman and decided Phil Taylor was worth moving up for. The Browns sent picks 26 and 70 to Kansas City for No. 21, then selected the Baylor defensive tackle. Taylor started immediately and showed real ability as a run defender and interior presence. His first seasons gave Cleveland useful value, but injuries became a recurring problem and prevented him from developing into a long-term anchor.
Kansas City's first use of the return looked disastrous. The Chiefs stayed in the first round at No. 26 and selected wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, whose combination of size and athletic ability never translated into sustained NFL production. Baldwin lasted only two seasons in Kansas City before being traded, and viewed alone, that portion of the exchange would have favored Cleveland.
The additional third-round pick changed everything. At No. 70, Kansas City selected Georgia linebacker Justin Houston. Houston became a premier edge rusher, earned four Pro Bowl selections with the Chiefs and produced 22 sacks in 2014, narrowly missing the single-season league mark at the time. He supplied years of high-level pressure production and became one of the best defensive players of the franchise's pre-championship era.
That outcome illustrates why extra draft selections matter. Cleveland successfully targeted a player it liked and Taylor was not a bust, but moving up cost the Browns the pick that became the best player in the deal by a wide margin. Kansas City absorbed a first-round failure and still emerged ahead because Houston's peak and longevity were so substantial.
Taylor's early contribution keeps Cleveland from receiving a failing mark, while Baldwin prevents Kansas City's side from being perfect. Even so, the star value created by pick 70 gives the Chiefs a decisive historical victory.