With the 2026 NFL Offseason approaching, the free agency period is coming, and that's when the major roster shakeups are done. We have seen, in recent years, a massive uptick in aggression. It honestly feels like there's been a bit of a race to the top. Many teams have 'rebuilt' much sooner than expected, so other teams want to then follow.
However, it's blown up in team's faces before, as building a winning NFL roster is incredibly difficult. Mistakes will be made, but stellar decisions also get done as well. As the free agency period approaches in mid-March, teams are gearing up to make some aggressive moves.
Well, the peak of aggression in the NFL is trading a first-round pick for a player. In many instances, we've seen these moves work out, but in other instances, like the Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson trades, the move can set a franchise back for a little bit. Let's talk about a few teams that could trade their first-round pick come April.
These three teams could legitimately trade its first-round pick before April's NFL Draft
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are as obvious a team as any to trade its first-round pick. Denver did seem to have some degree of interest in Miami Dolphins' wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the Broncos clearly did not want to pay the price.
However, it's clear that the front office should have made that move. The Broncos flirted with a Super Bowl berth this year despite missing Bo Nix, JK Dobbins, and other players for the AFC title game. Even with a fully healthy offense, the Broncos do not have a game-changing weapon.
Simply put, this offense is missing a weapon that scares opposing defenses. The Broncos should look to revisit a Jaylen Waddle trade this offseason to add the finishing touches on what could be an exceptional unit.
New England Patriots
Another team in a similar boat to the Denver Broncos is the New England Patriots. The Pats beat the Broncos in the AFC title game and are looking to win a seventh Super Bowl title. New England's breakout season in 2024 was something special, and I am not sure hardly anyone expected them to be this good.
Not only are the Patriots an excellent football team, but perhaps even better, there is a lot of room for improvement. The offensive line could use another solid starter, but Drake Maye could also use another weapon. Many have speculated that AJ Brown could be a good fit, since he has previous history with Mike Vrabel.
With how good the Patriots were this year, de-facto GM Eliot Wolf has to get aggressive this offseason, as Super Bowl windows don't typically last for a long time. Swinging a trade for a game-changing weapon on offense, much like the Denver Broncos could, would be a wise decision.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams lost in the NFC title game to the Seattle Seahawks but are very clearly a team good enough to make the Super Bowl. There was a period of time where the Rams were hesitating to trade first-round picks, but over this past half-decade or so, we've seen GM Les Snead rebuilt this roster with quality draft pick after quality draft pick.
Given how solid the roster is, and given that Matthew Stafford is closer to 40 years old than 30, Snead might be more motivated than ever to search for a massive upgrade at a key position like cornerback, for example. The Rams could also use some help at linebacker and might even try to make a major move along the offensive line.
With how good the rest of the roster is, Snead might be searching for a conference-altering move that could help swing the NFC West back to the Rams' favor for 2026.