Why NFL trades, unlike NBA ones, don't have protected picks

When the Indianapolis Colts traded a package that included two first-round picks to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner at last season's NFL trade deadline, they likely envisioned the 2027 selection would be one of modest value.

Perhaps a mid-first-round choice. Or, with any luck, it would be a late-first-round selection if the Colts finished with a strong record in 2026.

Now, with the 2-7 Colts on track to have one of the NFL's worst records, the Jets could be in line to receive one of the 2027 draft's top picks via the second of the two first-rounders they received from Indy.

But what if the Colts could have made the deal with a caveat?

After all, NBA teams do it routinely.