6. Carolina Panthers: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE (Free Agent, Eagles)
The Carolina Panthers actually made a handful of pickups that could have landed them really high on this list overall.
I loved the addition of Devin Lloyd, especially getting him at just $15 million per season, considering how impactful he was last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Panthers also fortified their offensive line with offensive tackle prospect Monroe Freeling, a prospect who had been projected as high as the 6th overall pick in this draft.
Getting those upgrades was impressive, but stealing Jaelan Phillips away from the Eagles was their best move. And it's a major needle-mover. Just like the Jonathan Greenard move for the Eagles, the Panthers' acquisition of Jaelan Phillips comes with inherent injury risk. It's also important to note he's never had more than 8.5 sacks in a season, which came back in his rookie year.
But this is a player whose ceiling has always been exceptionally high, and injuries have been the only thing to derail him.
5. Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Downs, SAF (1st round pick, NFL Draft)
The Dallas Cowboys have made a lot of really important additions in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade last year. As unpopular and, frankly, bad as that trade was, the Cowboys have picked up the piees admirably.
You can't consider Quinnen Williams for this particular spot because he was acquired during the 2025 season, but he's going to be a major impact on the Dallas defense in 2026. The same can be said of safety Caleb Downs, one of the best prospects in this year's draft class and a player with a high ceiling and a high floor.
The Cowboys probably didn't run many pre-draft scenarios where Downs was still on the board in their range, but when he got close, they moved up one pick to secure him. This is a player who is as smart as he is athletic and physical. He's going to be a good pro for a really long time, and is a serious boost to one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Add us as a preferred source on Google