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The NFL trade deadline is almost here, and you can feel the tension building across the league. Every year, this stretch separates the contenders from the pretenders, teams either going all in on a playoff push or starting to pack it in for next season. This deadline could get wild, with plenty of clubs sitting right in the middle of the standings.

Championship hopefuls know one move can make all the difference, whether that be a veteran pass rusher, a reliable receiver, or a shutdown corner. On the other hand, a few struggling franchises may be ready to face reality, willing to offload veteran contracts and accumulate future draft picks.

With every trade deadline, there are also those surprise names that appear. The players who aren’t necessarily being shopped but could become available if the right offer were to come along. Whether it’s a star looking for a fresh start or a role player buried on the depth chart, every team has a decision to make before the deadline passes.

As the rumors heat up and the front offices start working the phones, don’t be surprised if a few unexpected deals shake up the playoff picture.

With all that in mind, here are a few names to keep an eye out for, and some mock trades our team at A to Z Sports put together ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Lions trade for EDGE Jaelan Phillips

Lions get: Edge Jaelan Phillips
Dolphins get: 2026 fourth-round pick

A to Z Sports Detroit writer Mike Payton kept it real with this huge trade involving Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. Miami is struggling right now, and looks to be having a flash sale with some of their premier players, which is exactly why Payton broke down the trade between the two clubs.

“Let’s start with the why and the fit. It’s really simple for that. This is the best edge rusher available for trade right now without a doubt. The former 18th overall pick is just 26 years old, and there is still a lot of upside for him as a starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson. This is the Lions’ chance to grab a guy they can look to re-sign and that can grow with the team over time. They’re not getting that elsewhere.

“Yes, Phillips has some injury history, and I know that turns Lions fans off, but he is not Marcus Davenport. These were freak injuries that were somewhat related to each other. They actually do the Lions a favor in the re-signing process, too, because that drives his value down.

“They could get away with something like a four-year deal worth up to $80 million, where there’s a lot of injury incentives and protections for the Lions laid out in the deal. They could also backload it because of that, and that allows them to still get other big deals done.” —Mike Payton

Bills trade for WR Chris Olave

Bills get: WR Chris Olave
Saints get: 2026 second-round pick, 2026 fifth-round pick, WR Curtis Samuel

Writing emails isn’t the only content you’ll get out of me. I write for A to Z Sports Buffalo, and broke down why Chris Olave to the Buffalo Bills would be a dream come true for quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills Mafia. Although there might be a different receiver on the Saints team that could be easier to snag, Olave is much more fun in this hypothetical trade situation.

“The Saints could be open to hearing offers for the talented pass catcher, and Buffalo should absolutely be looking into what it would take to acquire him. Adam Schefter had floated Olave as a possible trade candidate, and Buffalo makes sense. If the Bills can’t get Olave, at least productive conversations with Mickey Loomis could lead to a deal for Rashid Shaheed.

“The fanbase is clamoring for a difference-maker on the offensive side of the football to pair with quarterback Josh Allen. The ‘everybody eats’ mantra that the team deploys on offense just isn’t cutting it for the fanbase, especially after the loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

“Olave would fit right in with the Bills’ offense and provide Allen yet another reliable weapon. Olave has a pair of 1,000-yard receiving seasons to his name and has 39 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown through six games this season.

“Perhaps the Saints would be interested in a second and fifth-round pick and Curtis Samuel for Olave. Or perhaps the team could package a trade involving Samuel and a sixth-round pick for Shaheed. If the Bills traded for Olave at the deadline, the team would absorb around $1.6 million in salary this year, plus a guaranteed $15.4 million fifth-year option in 2026. To be fair, the Saints have no reason to ship out Olave, and they might hang up the phone on Beane with anything other than a first-round pick.” —Adam Zientek

Cowboys trade for S Jamal Adams

Cowboys get: S Jamal Adams, 2026 sixth-round pick
Las Vegas Raiders get: 2026 fifth-round pick

A to Z Sports Dallas writer Mauricio Rodriguez highlighted 10 potential trade candidates the Cowboys could be looking at, ranking them from most likely to least likely. While Rodriguez took a shot at landing Bengals’ superstar Trey Hendrickson, Adams makes more sense in this hypothetical situation.

“Talk about a blast from the past. At the 2019 trade deadline, the Cowboys were ready to give up a first-round draft pick for then-New York Jets safety Jamal Adams. A trade never materialized as the Jets wanted more. One year later, Adams went viral for saying he was ‘trying’ to get to Dallas. What about making it work in 2025?

“Adams — who now plays linebacker — isn’t nearly as costly at 30. And he fits what the Cowboys need: Better coverage at linebacker. He could be a hybrid linebacker-big nickel type player like he’s been in Las Vegas.

“Among linebackers, he’s top 10 per PFF’s coverage grade. His six yards per catch allowed is the 12th best in the league. He’s also been a successful blitzer in limited opportunities and could provide a good opportunity to manufacture pressure. Adams may not be the game-changer that will fix the Cowboys’ defense, but he would be an upgrade for LB/nickel depth at worst and a significant role player at best.” —Mauricio Rodriguez

Green Bay Packers trade for CB Roger McCreary

Packers get: CB Roger McCreary
Tennessee Titans get: WR Dontayvion Wicks

A to Z Sports Tennessee writer Easton Freeze and A to Z Sports Green Bay writer Wendell Ferreira broke down why the trade makes sense from both sides. For Tennessee, it adds some much-needed insurance to the receiving room, and the Packers add a player that can slot in and compete immediately.

“McCreary fits that bill, and he has one of the most proven track records of starting-caliber play on this roster. The 35th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has played in 53 games and started 36, primarily as a slot corner.

“His rookie contract is up after this year, and I’m not sure he’s in this front office’s team-building plans. His soundness in coverage looks like it should be undercut by his first percentile (yes, literally 1%) arm length, but on the inside, it’s not often a problem. He’s also played a healthy dose on the boundary in a pinch, where his lack of length crops up more often, but he compensates with anticipation and athleticism well enough to survive.

“I wouldn’t call him the most likely player to be traded on this roster simply because the Titans already shipped starting CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to the Jets this season, and L’Jarius Sneed is back to playing good football, but should still be considered fragile until further notice.

“Like I said, you need bodies to field a unit at the end of the day. The reason why McCreary could be moved is that rookie Marcus Harris is behind him on the depth chart, and he profiles similarly to McCreary. He could be a player this staff would like to get more reps down the stretch of a rebuilding season, and moving McCreary would allow for that.” —Easton Freeze

“Wicks has had only 12 receptions for 129 yards through five games, and that’s with the Packers missing Christian Watson for every game, Jayden Reed for three and a half games, and with Matthew Golden and Savion Williams only getting acclimated to the NFL. The former fifth-rounder has an impressive ability to create separation and has avoided drops that killed his 2024 season, but if he can’t make a huge impact while Watson and Reed are out, it’s hard to project much improvement with less volume.

“Contract-wise, it would be smarter for the Packers to trade away Romeo Doubs, who’s in a contract year and might not be extended. But Doubs has been a much more important part of the offense, and Green Bay simply can’t afford to take him off the offense right now in the middle of a contending timeline. Wicks is under contract through 2026, which is actually more valuable to the Titans after all.

“The Packers already have Watson, Reed, Golden, and Williams under contract for 2026, so it’s reasonable to move on from Wicks even if the possibility of keeping Doubs is still up in the air.” —Wendell Ferreira

Steelers trade for WR Jakobi Meyers

Steelers get: WR Jakobi Meyers
Las Vegas Raiders get: 2026 third-round pick

A to Z Sports Las Vegas writer Justin Churchill broke down why the veteran receiver could be on the outs. Meyers is on an expiring deal, requested a trade over the summer, and is on one of the worst teams in football.

“The Las Vegas Raiders are clearly not a team in a position to compete anytime soon, like Pete Carroll said they would in the offseason. This is a bad team, possibly just as bad, or even worse, than last season, which won just four games. So why would Las Vegas be willing to give Jakobi Meyers a contract extension when this new regime is heading in a different direction?

“They should be willing to trade him with the emergence of Tre Tucker this season, and the fact that they drafted Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech. They will want to develop those guys and build the passing game around them and Bowers, of course. Getting something in return for Meyers before he walks this offseason would be a good idea.” —Justin Churchill

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