One player for all 32 teams who could be traded during the NFL draft
One player for all 32 teams who could be traded during the NFL draft
Jack McKessy, USA TODAYThu, April 9, 2026 at 1:27 PM UTC
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Who could be on the move on draft night?
Trades that happen during the NFL draft usually just involve pick swaps. But every once in a while, teams spice things up with player trades on draft night.
The most recent (and infamous) example was the Tennessee Titans' decision to trade wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for first- and third-round picks during the 2022 NFL Draft. Years before, there was the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers' Eli Manning-for-Philip Rivers swap in the 2004 NFL Draft.
Draft-day trades that include players moving homes don't always involve stars. Last year, Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Sam Howell landed in Minnesota as the result of a trade on Day 3 of the draft.
USA TODAY Sports has compiled a list of 32 players – one from each team – who could be traded during the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Teams listed below in alphabetical order.
Arizona Cardinals: S Budda Baker
Baker's name was among those floating around the trade rumor mill ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. As the Cardinals embrace their rebuild by trading away quarterback Kyler Murray, Baker's name could be next on the list. The eight-time Pro Bowler could fetch Arizona a nice return to let them build up their roster for their QB of the future, whoever that ends up being.
Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts
The Falcons managed to hold on to Pitts with a franchise tag this offseason, but that doesn't mean they can't still trade him away. Atlanta, like Arizona, also seems poised for a rebuild. The Falcons' gamble on first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. seemingly has not paid off, and they just brought in head coach Kevin Stefanski as a fresh face and offensive-minded head coach.
Wide receiver Drake London seems ready to cash in on a massive pay day, as does running back Bijan Robinson, leaving Pitts as something of an odd man out in Atlanta's offense despite his breakout 2025. Rather than extending Pitts on an over-value deal or letting him walk in 2027, Atlanta can recoup draft capital in a sell-high trade.
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Baltimore Ravens: RB Justice Hill
There aren't many obvious trade candidates for the Ravens. Hill is here as a player that doesn't quite fit into Baltimore's core of offensive stars: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers. Andrews' recent contract extension seems to preclude the Ravens from trading him, and Baltimore's other starters make up a squad that, on paper, should keep competing for Super Bowls. Hill can be replaced by a younger running back in the 2026 NFL Draft and proved his value as a complementary back with the Ravens.
Buffalo Bills: WR Keon Coleman
There is arguably no player that deserves a change of scenery more than Coleman. During a January press conference after the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott, team owner Terry Pegula said drafting Coleman was McDermott's decision, not general manager Brandon Beane's.
"He's taken, for some reason, heat over it and not saying a word about it, but I'm here to tell you the true story," Pegula said at the time.
That does not exactly inspire confidence in a young receiver who has struggled early in his career. Perhaps the former second-round pick could find himself a new home on draft night.
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Carolina Panthers: WR Xavier Legette
Legette didn't receive the same "shout out" from the Panthers' team owner, Dave Tepper, but he is another young receiver drafted early who could benefit from a change of scenery. Legette struggled far less with drops in 2025 after a shaky rookie season in 2024, but his production has not lived up to the general standard of a first-round receiver. The wideout drafted one pick before Coleman hasn't crossed the 1,000-yard mark for his career and might enjoy more involvement with a new team in a new offense.
Chicago Bears: QB Tyson Bagent
Bagent, the Bears' backup quarterback, was the subject of trade rumors during the NFL combine in February, during which Bears head coach Ben Johnson said he believes Bagent is a top-32 quarterback in the NFL. If another team feels the same way, the former undrafted free agent could be on the move come draft night.
Cincinnati Bengals: RB Samaje Perine
Like the Ravens, the Bengals don't have an obvious trade candidate. Quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are virtually untouchable with the value they bring to the team's offense. Cincinnati's previously obvious trade candidate was edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, but he walked in free agency, signing a multi-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
That leaves Perine, the Bengals' backup running back to Chase Brown. Perine is in the last year under contract in Cincinnati and has made a career for himself as a complementary back that can catch passes out of the backfield. The Bengals wouldn't receive a massive return for a backup player, but there aren't any other obvious trade candidates.
Cleveland Browns: QB Dillon Gabriel
The Browns drafted two quarterbacks last year, and it seems Colorado product Shedeur Sanders has won the depth chart battle. Veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson – and his nearly $45 million cap hit – is also on the roster. Gabriel is the most obvious odd man out in the Browns' quarterbacks room. The only question is whether the Browns would be able to find a trade partner willing to take a chance on 25-year-old, 5-11 lefty quarterback.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could also be a trade option for Cleveland, but that would leave whoever wins the Browns' quarterback job in dire need of a new lead pass-catcher. It would also leave the Browns eating an additional $11.9 million against the cap, per OverTheCap.
Dallas Cowboys: QB Joe Milton III
In 2023, Cowboys team owner/general manager Jerry Jones traded a Day 3 pick for an unproven young backup quarterback with intriguing tools in Trey Lance. In 2025, he did it again, sending a fifth-round pick to the Patriots for Joe Milton.
Milton has a cannon for an arm but has struggled with developing the other necessary tools to be an NFL starter – or even a top-end backup. Dallas has already signed veteran free agent Sam Howell to compete with Milton for the QB2 job. They could benefit from trading an enticing-yet-raw quarterback like Milton for some extra draft capital to build up the defense rather than potentially cutting him after training camp.
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Denver Broncos: TE Evan Engram
Engram's back-loaded, two-year contract sees his cap hit jump from $6.1 million in 2025 to $14.1 million this year. The veteran tight end will turn 32 in September. He started two games in his first year in Denver, playing a career-low 42% of offensive snaps, and had his lowest yardage total in a full season since 2021. The Broncos could look to offload some of that contract burden and send Engram to a team in need of a tight end.
Detroit Lions: TE Sam LaPorta
LaPorta is entering a contract year in 2026, and the Lions have already extended many of their stars: quarterback Jared Goff, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The bill is about to come due on running back Jahmyr Gibbs. General manager Brad Holmes has offloaded a star tight end in a contract year before (T.J. Hockenson), and we might see it again with LaPorta, whose ceiling remains high despite injuries limiting him to nine games in 2025.
Green Bay Packers: Edge Lukas Van Ness
Van Ness had something of a career year in 2025 playing across from fellow edge rusher Micah Parsons in Green Bay. Though a foot injury limited him to nine games, he made his first career starts in 2025 and set a career high in pressures (27) last year, per Pro Football Focus. Those pressures did not translate into many sacks (career-low 1.5 in 2025), and it's unclear what Green Bay's vision is for their former first-round pick. Trading Van Ness on draft night would allow another team to make a decision on exercising his fifth-year option before the May 1 deadline.
Houston Texans: QB Davis Mills
The Texans should not touch their defense given the dominance the unit has displayed in recent years. Texans GM Nick Caserio has made it clear that he and the team have no intentions of trading quarterback C.J. Stroud this offseason, but what about Mills? Houston's backup quarterback has a solid resume: two years of starting experience, plus a 3-0 record filling in for Stroud in 2025. The Texans likely wouldn't recoup overly valuable draft picks in return for Mills, but there would be a few teams interested in trading for a more competent backup quarterback.
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Houston could go on to draft a quarterback this year to replace Mills, simultaneously preparing a contingency plan for a post-Stroud era in future years. The Texans' starter has regressed since his strong rookie season, and his playoff meltdowns are still fresh. If the Texans aren't convinced he'll bounce back, they should start planning ahead. Trading Mills gives them some of the leeway needed to do so.
Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony Richardson
The writing is on the wall for Richardson's time in Indianapolis. After Daniel Jones' extension, it's just a matter of time before the young gunslinger ends up somewhere else. The good news for the Colts is Richardson is a very enticing prospect with an intriguing skill set mix of cannon arm and excellent running ability. He's also a former first-round pick, allowing prospective trade partners to have a young project quarterback like Richardson for an extra year on a fifth-year option if things work out. All of those factors could net the Colts a nice return of picks, which they could use after trading away two first-rounders for Sauce Gardner last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas has been a subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason. The young receiver followed up an outstanding rookie campaign with a noticeable step back in 2025, his first year with rookie head coach Liam Coen. Given that Jacksonville already has Jakobi Meyers, breakout receiver Parker Washington, tight end Brenton Strange and two-way player Travis Hunter on the roster, it's possible the Jaguars move on from Thomas this offseason. Otherwise, they could risk seeing his value drop further if he takes another step back in 2026.
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Kansas City Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy
After a solid rookie season in 2024, the 2025 season made it appear that Worthy's rookie production may have been a result of Rashee Rice's injury-related absence. The young wideout took a backseat to Rice, tight end Travis Kelce and veteran Hollywood Brown in 2025. The future of the former first-round pick in Kansas City is more uncertain, but it's been proven that NFL teams are willing to take chances on a field-stretching speedster like Worthy in their receiving corps. Perhaps one of those other teams will take that chance on Worthy in return for draft picks.
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Las Vegas Raiders: Edge Maxx Crosby
Obviously. The Raiders already attempted to trade Crosby in a now-infamous transaction with the Baltimore Ravens that Baltimore nixed with medical concerns. If Las Vegas can find another trade partner for Crosby that would offer a similar package, it would have to listen, despite Crosby's seeming desire to stay. The Raiders could really use the extra picks to continue building up the roster around (presumed) incoming quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
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Los Angeles Chargers: RB Kimani Vidal
Vidal proved he has what it takes to be a starting running back in the NFL with his 10-game performance as Los Angeles' starter in 2025. With Omarion Hampton set to return to his starting job after an injury-marred rookie campaign, the Chargers could look to move Vidal to a team more in need of running back help.
Los Angeles Rams: WR Davante Adams
Adams will turn 34 during the season. He'll also be a free agent after 2026. The Rams need to clear the deck for a monster extension that is surely on its way for wide receiver Puka Nacua, so Adams' tenure in Los Angeles is likely done after this season regardless. Head coach Sean McVay even confirmed at the annual league meetings that the Rams considered trading Adams. Why not get back some draft value for a veteran receiver that clearly still has gas left in the tank rather than letting him walk? More picks for general manager Les Snead to draft players with send away in trades? Sign him up.
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Miami Dolphins: RB De'Von Achane
Miami has stripped down its entire roster this offseason under the leadership of new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is gone, wide receiver Tyreek Hill was released, fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle is in Denver after a trade, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was shipped to the Jets, edge rusher Bradley Chubb was released. At this point, why not just complete the overhaul by trading away the last remaining star player for even more draft picks? Load up the roster with young players around new quarterback Malik Willis and see what you've got.
Minnesota Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy
The more moves the Vikings make, the more apparent it is that McCarthy's 2025 season was his one shot at winning the starting job. Minnesota signed two veteran quarterbacks with starting experience this offseason: Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Murray will "compete" with McCarthy for the starting job, and Wentz should be expected to battle for the QB2 spot. Or Minnesota can just rip off the Band-Aid and ship McCarthy elsewhere for more draft picks.
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New England Patriots: WR Mack Hollins
Romeo Doubs is a lock at wide receiver, as should be Kayshon Boutte after another good season in 2026. Hollins would be competing for the third starting spot with DeMario "Pop" Douglas. But Douglas is the younger option and has a higher ceiling than Hollins at this stage in their careers. The Patriots could benefit from flipping Hollins for picks that allow them to work on their trenches in the 2026 draft.
New Orleans Saints: RB Alvin Kamara
Kamara will turn 31 in July, and the Saints seem to have found their new (and younger) lead back in free agency by signing Travis Etienne. Kamara had a rough 2025 season with a knee injury cutting things short, but he finished just shy of 1,500 scrimmage yards in 2024 with eight touchdowns. There are plenty of teams that should be enticed by a veteran running back with the kind of dual-threat abilities Kamara has.
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New York Giants: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux is entering a contract year in 2026. The Giants likely won't extend him given the other talented pass-rushers, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, on the roster. Dexter Lawrence's trade request could end in an extension, leaving less capital for a future Thibodeaux deal. New York could either recoup draft capital by trading Thibodeaux now or wait until he walks in free agency and get nothing in return.
New York Jets: RB Breece Hall
The Jets placed the franchise tag on Hall this offseason, but if progress stalls on extension talks, Hall could find his way out of New York. The young running back will be 25 in May and was the subject of trade rumors at last year's deadline. He's made clear his frustrations with the Jets over the years, including a recent cheeky comment that Gang Green was spending a lot of money in free agency as he still waited for his long-term extension.
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Philadelphia Eagles: WR A.J. Brown
Could lightning strike twice? Brown was involved in a draft-night trade in 2022 and is once again among likely candidates to be on the move on draft night here in 2026. The Eagles' star receiver is coming off a 2025 season that featured both his worst production in Philadelphia and his most outspoken grievances with his team. As a result, he's been one of the biggest subjects of trade rumors this offseason. Perhaps the Eagles will take the draft as an opportunity to move Brown for more picks. They will just have to hope whoever replaces him fares better than former Titans first-rounder Treylon Burks.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: LB Patrick Queen
Queen's 2025 follow-up to a 2024 Pro Bowl season was disappointing. The veteran linebacker set a career high in missed tackles while seeing his performance in pass coverage decline as well. As Queen enters his walk year in 2026, Pittsburgh could seek out a team looking to improve its linebacker corps and give the veteran a change of scenery before hitting free agency. The Steelers could use the extra draft capital to keep improving its offense after a shaky 2025 season.
San Francisco 49ers: WR Brandon Aiyuk
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the league meetings that the team is still hoping to trade Aiyuk this offseason. While it seems clear that Aiyuk's time with the 49ers is up, the 28-year-old receiver still could have a No. 1 wide receiver ceiling and a floor as a strong No. 2 receiver. Perhaps the draft will provide the catalyst the 49ers need to move the disgruntled veteran in return for some draft capital.
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Seattle Seahawks: Edge Uchenna Nwosu
Derick Hall's breakout as a rotational pass-rusher could make Nwosu a redundancy for the Seahawks despite coming off of a seven-sack season. Both players are set to hit free agency after 2026, so the draft could be a good time for Seattle to capitalize on Nwosu's value as a pass-rusher after one of the best seasons of his career. Seahawks GM John Schneider could use the return of picks to keep Seattle's roster young and in position to contend and simultaneously make his edge rusher free agency decision easier with Hall the one player to extend.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Bucky Irving
Veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin's large 2026 cap hit precludes him from being the Bucs' most likely tradeable asset on draft night. That leaves running back Bucky Irving as a more likely option. After an excellent rookie season, Irving missed seven games with injuries in 2025 and didn't provide the same level of production when healthy. Though Tampa Bay let Rachaad White walk in free agency, it could still bolster its running backs room with other option in the draft. Trading away Irving would get the Buccaneers a return of picks that would let them build up the offensive line in the draft as well.
Tennessee Titans: DT Jeffery Simmons
Simmons was easily the Titans' best player in 2025, earning himself All-Pro honors for a season in which he tallied 11 sacks in 15 games. That's astounding production on the interior, and he's still under contract for two years. As rough as trading away Simmons would appear in the short-term, his value may never be higher. In a long-term vision for the team, Tennessee could really use the extra draft picks to keep building the roster around young quarterback Cam Ward after his promising rookie season.
Washington Commanders: DT Daron Payne
Payne's production in the last three seasons has failed to reach the same highs of 2022, when his 11.5-sack season earned him a Pro Bowl nod and $90 million extension. As he enters his walk year in 2026 at age 29, the Commanders could benefit from flipping the veteran for picks. Such a move would allow them to draft promising young players to lower the average age of the roster that was the oldest in the NFL in 2025. Those new, young players could help Washington return to contention after a severely disappointing 2025 season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL draft night trades: One player from each team who could be moved
Source: “AOL Sports”
