In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1987 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one
^No. 3: Buffalo → Houston (D). Buffalo traded its first-round selection (3rd) to Houston in exchange for the Oilers' first- and second-round selections (8th and 36th).
^No. 5: San Diego → Cleveland (D). San Diego traded its first- and second-round selections (5th and 32nd) to Cleveland in exchange for LB Chip Banks and the Browns' first- and second-round selections (24th and 53rd).
^No. 14: Miami → Minnesota (D). Miami traded its first-round selection (14th) to Minnesota in exchange for the Vikings' first- and fifth-round selections (16th and 128th).
^No. 20: L.A. Rams → Houston (PD). L.A. Rams traded its first- and fifth-round selections (20th and 133rd), its first-round selection in 1988, G Kent Hill and the rights to DE William Fuller in exchange for the Oilers' rights to QB Jim Everett.
^No. 25: Washington → San Francisco (PD). Washington traded its first-round selection (25th) and tenth-round selection in 1986 (270th) to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers' second-round selection in 1986 (45th).
Round two
^No. 29: Tampa Bay → Buffalo (D). Tampa Bay traded its second-round selection (29th) to Buffalo in exchange for the Bills' second- and fourth-round selections (36th and 87th).
^No. 30: Indianapolis → Washington (PD). Indianapolis traded its second-round selection (30th) to Washington in exchange for the Redskins' rights to DE Walter Murray.
^No. 31: Green Bay → Atlanta (D). Green Bay traded its second-round selection (31st) to Atlanta in exchange for the Falcons' second- and third-round selections (41st and 69th).
^No. 35: Houston → Kansas City (D). Houston traded its second-round selection (35th) to Kansas City in exchange for the Chiefs' second- and fourth-round selections (46th and 105th).
^No. 36: multiple trades: No. 36: Detroit → Houston (PD). Detroit traded its second-round selection (36th) to Houston in exchange for OT Harvey Salem. No. 36: Houston → Buffalo (D). see No. 3: Buffalo → Houston. No. 36: Buffalo → Tampa Bay (D). see No. 29: Tampa Bay → Buffalo.
^No. 37: Philadelphia → San Francisco (PD). Philadelphia traded its third-round selection in 1986 (64th) and this second-round selection (37th) to San Francisco in exchange for QB Matt Cavanaugh.
^No. 42: L.A. Raiders → N.Y. Jets (D). L.A. Raiders traded its second-round selection (42nd) to N.Y. Jets in exchange for the Raiders' second- and fourth-round selections (48th and 102nd).
^No. 48: multiple trades: No. 48: N.Y. Jets → L.A. Raiders (D). see No. 42: L.A. Raiders → N.Y. Jets. No. 48: L.A. Raiders → Washington (D). L.A. Raiders traded this second-round selection (48th) to Washington in exchange for the Redskins' second- and fifth-round selections (52nd and 120th).
^No. 50: San Francisco → Tampa Bay (PD). San Francisco traded its second- and fourth-round selections (50th and 106th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for QB Steve Young.
^No. 51: New England → Tampa Bay (PD). New England traded its second-, seventh- and tenth-round selections (51st, 190th and 246th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for G Sean Farrell.
^No. 55: Denver → N.Y. Giants (PD). Denver traded its second- and sixth-round selections in 1986 (51st and 139th) and second-round selection in this draft (55th) to N.Y. Giants in exchange for CB Mark Haynes.
^No. 56: multiple trades: No. 56: N.Y. Giants → St. Louis (PD). N.Y. Giants traded its second- and seventh-round selections (56th and 195th) to St. Louis in exchange for RB Ottis Anderson. No. 56: St. Louis → Miami (D). St. Louis traded this second-round selection (56th) to Miami in exchange for the Dolphins' third- and fifth-round selections (70th and 126th).
^No. 71: L.A. Raiders → Green Bay (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its third-round selection (71st) and fourth-round selection in 1988 in exchange for WR James Lofton.
^No. 77: Seattle → Cincinnati (PD). Seattle traded its third-round selection (77th) to Cincinnati in exchange for OT Mike Wilson.
^No. 78: San Francisco → Buffalo (PD). San Francisco traded its third- and fifth-round selections (78th and 135th) to San Francisco in exchange for RB Joe Cribbs.
^No. 81: multiple trades: No. 81: Washington → New England (PD). Washington traded its third-round selection (81st) to New England in exchange for the Patriots' rights to WR Ricky Sanders. No. 81: New England → L.A. Raiders (D). New England traded this third-round selection and its tenth-round selection (81st and 274th) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' two fourth-round selections (98th and 102nd).
^No. 82: multiple trades: No. 82: Chicago → L.A. Rams (PD). Chicago traded its third- and sixth-round selections (82nd and 166th) to L.A. Rams in exchange for the Rams' rights to QB Doug Flutie and the Rams' fourth-round selection (101st). No. 82: L.A. Rams → Cleveland (D). L.A. Rams traded this third-round selection (82nd) to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns' fourth-, fifth- and twelfth-round selections (108th, 136th and 332nd).
^No. 91: Houston → L.A. Rams (PD). Houston traded a seventh-round selection in 1986 (172nd) and its fourth-round selection in this draft (91st) to L.A. Rams in exchange for WR Drew Hill.
^No. 109: Washington → Buffalo (D). Washington traded its fourth-round selection (109th) to Buffalo in exchange for the Bills' fifth- and sixth-round selections (117th and 144th).
^No. 110: Chicago → L.A. Raiders (D). Chicago traded its fourth-round selection (110th) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' fifth- and sixth-round selections (120th and 154th).
Round five
^No. 113: Tampa Bay → New England (PD). Tampa Bay traded its fifth-round selection (113th) to New England in exchange for the Patriots' sixth-round selection in 1986.
^No. 115: Green Bay → San Diego (PD). Green Bay traded its first-round selection in 1986 (14th) and its fifth-round selection (115th) to San Diego in exchange for the Chargers' rights to S Mossy Cade.
^No. 116: San Diego → New England (PD). San Diego traded its fifth-round selection (116th) to New England in exchange for S Vencie Glenn.
^No. 127: L.A. Raiders → St. Louis (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its fifth-round selection (127th) to St. Louis in exchange for CB Lionel Washington.
^No. 128: multiple trades: No. 128: Minnesota → Miami (D). see No. 14: Miami → Minnesota. No. 128: Miami → Kansas City (D) Miami traded this fifth-round selection (128th) to Kansas City in exchange for the Chiefs fifth- and eighth-round selections (132nd and 212th).
^No. 135: New England → Tampa Bay (D). New England traded its fifth-round selection (135th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for the Buccaneers' fourth-round selection in 1988.
^No. 137: Washington → Tampa Bay (PD). Washington traded its fifth-round selection (137th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for the Buccaneers' rights to QB Doug Williams.
^No. 139: Denver → Cincinnati (PD). Denver traded its first- and third-round selections in 1986 (21st and 78th) and its fifth-round selection (139th) to Cincinnati in exchange for the Bengals' rights to LB Ricky Hunley.
Round six
^No. 141: Tampa Bay → Pittsburgh (PD). Pittsburgh traded its sixth-round selection (141st) to Pittsburgh in exchange for C Dan Turk.
^No. 143: multiple trades: No. 143: San Diego → Atlanta (PD). San Diego traded its sixth-round selection (143rd) to Atlanta in exchange for LB Tom Benson. No. 143: Atlanta → San Diego (PD). Atlanta traded LB Ronnie Washington and this sixth-round selection (143rd) back to San Diego in exchange for QB Ed Luther. No. 143: San Diego → Tampa Bay (PD). San Diego traded this sixth-round selection (143rd) to Tampa Bay in exchange for the Buccaneers' rights to LB Andy Hawkins.
^No. 191: Cleveland → Green Bay (PD). Cleveland traded its seventh-round selection (191st) and rights to LB Tommy Robison to Green Bay in exchange for WR John Jefferson.