With how aggressive teams across the NFL have gotten in roster building in recent years, the big-time trades have only gotten more common. This offseason, that was especially evident, as guys like Jaylen Waddle, AJ Brown, Myles Garrett, and Dexter Lawrence all got moved.
And if it wasn't for the Baltimore Ravens getting cold feet, Maxx Crosby would have been traded as well. At this point, teams are going to focus in on the players they have heading into the 2026 campaign. Months down the road, though, some of the league's worst teams that emerge could be in a position to be sellers at the deadline.
And, on the flip side of that, there could be some teams that are in a buying mode and want to make a big-time move to help a potential Super Bowl run. Let's dive into a handful of players who could be had at the NFL Trade Deadline this coming season.
Identifying way-too-early candidates who could be traded at the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline
Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders
Crosby was nearly traded to the Ravens for two first-round picks, but the Ravens backed out, kept their picks, and signed Trey Hendrickson instead, clearly proving that they preferred the two first-round picks and Hendrickson over Crosby.
Well, if the Raiders had essentially traded him once, why can't that happen again? Las Vegas isn't necessarily in a position to win a ton of games this year, as they seem to be taking the slow game with Fernando Mendoza. Kirk Cousins is the team's likely starter, so the team does not want to rush Mendoza out there.
The Raiders may be eye-balling 2027 as the first year they can truly compete with Mendoza. Crosby would be a year older, and he could still best-suit the team in getting draft picks back to further build this roster up for the long-term.
Jordyn Brooks, LB, Miami Dolphins
In the final year of his deal with the Miami Dolphins, Jordyn Brooks could be another obvious trade candidate. Brooks has seen a ton of his former teammates depart this offseason, and if there is any team in the league clearly embracing a full rebuild, it's Miami. Brooks was an All-Pro in 2025, and he turns 29 during the season, so he clearly does not fit the Dolphins long-term plans. This could be one of the more obvious players shipped away at the deadline.
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