NOReceived
#1999 first · No. 5Ricky Williams.All-in draft trade · April 17, 1999
Mike Ditka's entire-draft wager on Ricky Williams
New Orleans sent every available 1999 selection plus 2000 first- and third-round picks to Washington to move from No. 12 to No. 5 for Ricky Williams.
See where this happened in the 1999 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
The arrows show what each team received—not which direction a player left.
WASReceived
Washington
#1999 first · No. 12
#1999 third · No. 71
#1999 fourth · No. 107
#1999 fifth · No. 144
#1999 sixth · No. 179
#1999 seventh · No. 218
#2000 first · No. 2
#2000 third · No. 64
Why it happened
The bet each side made
Mike Ditka treated one Heisman-winning runner as a complete draft class. Washington chose volume and immediately began moving the incoming choices again.
Why history remembers it
Williams became a productive back but lasted three Saints seasons. Washington's trade tree helped produce Champ Bailey and LaVar Arrington, making the deal the enduring warning against overconcentrating draft capital.
The family tree
Where the picks and rights went
Selections, swaps and later trades are traced separately so a downstream player is not mistaken for a direct one-for-one return.
- 01
1999 trade-down tree · traded
Champ Bailey and additional selections
Washington used part of the package to move from No. 12 to No. 7 for the future Hall of Fame cornerback.
- 02
2000 No. 2 · selected
LaVar Arrington
The future first became the Penn State linebacker and a three-time Pro Bowler.
- 03
2000 No. 64 · selected
Lloyd Harrison
Washington used the future third directly on the cornerback.
What changed
The consequences
- New Orleans went 3–13 in the trade's first season and dismissed Ditka.
- Williams helped the Saints earn their first playoff victory the next season.
- Washington spread the return through further moves rather than making eight direct selections.
Principal profiles