Cleveland traded wide receiver Clifton McNeil to San…
Cleveland traded wide receiver Clifton McNeil to San Francisco on September 2, 1968 for the 49ers' 1969 second-round selection, No. 42 overall. That pick later moved through Cleveland to Pittsburgh, which selected Warren Bankston, so Bankston should not be treated as a Browns player return. Cleveland did receive valuable second-round draft capital, but it gave up a receiver who immediately became one of the NFL's best pass catchers.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 1969 second-round pick (#42; later transferred to Pittsburgh, Warren Bankston )
San Francisco 49ers Received
- player Clifton McNeil
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco acquired Clifton McNeil from Cleveland on September 2, 1968, sending the Browns its second-round choice in the 1969 common draft. The selection was No. 42 overall. Draft-transaction records show that the pick ultimately reached Pittsburgh, which used it on Warren Bankston, so Cleveland's return should be valued as the draft capital rather than Bankston's career.
McNeil Breaks Out
The 49ers received the best season in the deal immediately. McNeil started all 14 games in 1968 and caught 71 passes for 994 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the NFL in receptions, earned a Pro Bowl berth, and was named first-team All-Pro. For a team paying one second-round choice, that is premium short-term production.
Cleveland's Draft Capital
Cleveland did acquire a meaningful asset. A second-round pick in that era carried real value, and No. 42 was a substantial return for a receiver the Browns chose to move. The complication is downstream attribution: the pick was later involved in other Cleveland-Pittsburgh business, and Pittsburgh ultimately made the selection. The Browns therefore deserve credit for acquiring the pick, not for Bankston's later play.
Comparing the Returns
San Francisco turned one future selection into an established receiver who immediately produced at an elite level. Cleveland received useful flexibility, but the realized value directly attributable to this trade never approached McNeil's first 49ers season. His reception title and postseason honors create a decisive gap.
Final Verdict
San Francisco 49ers Win. San Francisco earns an A for buying immediate All-Pro production with one second-round pick. Cleveland earns a C because the pick was legitimate value, but trading away a player just before a league-leading season left the Browns clearly behind in the exchange.
McNeil immediately became an All-Pro receiver in San Francisco, outweighing Cleveland's valuable but ultimately less productive second-round draft capital from the deal.