2026 NFL trade deadline: 10 needs for 10 contenders

NEED: Difference-maker in the secondary

Former sixth-round pick Christian Benford has proven to be an absolute steal for Brandon Beane, showcasing the ability to shadow receivers of all sizes, speeds and alignments. Shoot, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has even expanded his coverage capacity to the tight end position of late, masterfully manning up Brock Bowers in Buffalo’s Week 6 win at Las Vegas. He’s become this secondary’s jack of all trades. But beyond Benford, the Bills’ coverage team leaves a lot to be desired. This is a big problem, given the potent passers highlighting a number of AFC contenders. Whether it’s a playmaking safety or a sticky cornerback, Buffalo certainly could use another stalwart in the defensive backfield.

NEED: Bell-cow back

In 2025, Chase Brown provided a silver lining to another bummer of a season for the Bengals, eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing and looking like a potential fixture alongside the certified stars of Cincinnati’s offense. Unfortunately, he’s been one of the most inefficient RB1s in the league this year, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry with bottom-tier figures in the advanced metrics and only one touchdown to his name. Now he’s even ceding carries to Samaje Perine, a 10th-year vet who’s the epitome of solid third-down back. When the Bengals made the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, Joe Mixon earned Pro Bowl honors by finishing third in rushing yards (1,205) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (13). Joe Burrow undoubtedly likes to do things his way, and the quarterback raised eyebrows when he said Cincy should “throw it more” following a 22-17 loss to Jacksonville that saw him attempt 54 passes, but the Bengals need to give Mr. Brrr some balance if this team wants to do real damage in January.

NEED: Cornerback

Travis Hunter is rounding into form as a defensive stopper -- purportedly even fake stumbling to bait quarterbacks into interceptions -- but the rest of Jacksonville’s cover men are trending down. Montaric “Buster” Brown has struggled with ineptitude and injury since signing a lucrative extension in March, Jarrian Jones has yielded the second-most passing yards in the league (379, per Next Gen Stats) and 31-year-old slot Jourdan Lewis has shown some signs of his advanced age. The Jaguars’ breakthrough 2025 campaign came to an abrupt conclusion on Wild Card Weekend, when Bills QB Josh Allen fought through multiple injuries to complete 80 percent of his passes against Jacksonville, going 5-for-5 for 53 yards on the game-winning drive. If the Jags want to advance in the postseason tourney, they need to close more passing lanes.

NEED: Field stretcher

Tyquan Thornton’s ankle dislocation garnered more attention for its gruesomeness than its harm to the Chiefs’ offense, but the 4.2 burner had carved out a critical role in Kansas City as Patrick Mahomes’ deep threat, something the franchise lacked for years following the Tyreek Hill trade. In 18 games over the past two years with the Chiefs, Thornton caught 30 passes for a whopping 657 yards (21.9 a pop!) and five touchdowns. His mere presence forced defenses to stay honest for fear of getting beat over the top. With Thornton now sidelined for at least a few months, opposing defenses will surely look to crash downhill quicker to stop the league’s leading rusher, Kenneth Walker III. Xavier Worthy boasts 4.2 speed of his own, but the 5-11, 165-pounder has yet to prove himself as a downfield playmaker. K.C. needs someone to pop the top off the defense, or this offense could begin to feel constrained once again.

NEED: Outside receiver

The Raiders gave Jalen Nailor a three-year, $35.03 million deal back in March, hoping Minnesota’s WR3 would emerge from the shadow of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to shine in Las Vegas’ paper-thin receiving corps. Through five games with the Silver and Black, Nailor has six receptions. At this point, the Raiders’ top two pass catchers are tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Yes, Tre Tucker has provided some explosives from multiple alignments, but the 5-8, 182-pounder still feels like he’s ideally suited for the slot. Vegas needs a true outside threat -- not just for Kirk Cousins in the here and now, but also for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in the long view. Klint Kubiak’s done a remarkable job to field a top-10 passing attack in his early days as a head coach, but it sure feels unsustainable when you take a glance at the Raiders’ WR depth chart.

NEED: Cornerback

With Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson currently parked on injured reserve, Carolina’s starting cornerbacks are fourth-round rookie Will Lee III and special teams ace Akayleb Evans. That might work against Tanner McKee and the rapidly deteriorating Eagles -- who could only produce 187 net passing yards and 14 points against the Panthers in Week 6 -- but it’s a frightening prospect versus forthcoming opponents like Jordan Love and Lamar Jackson. Not to mention, Mike Jackson turns 30 in January and is ticketed for free agency in March, so the position could use an influx of talent for this season and beyond.

NEED: Disruptor on the defensive front

Widely viewed as Chicago’s Achilles’ heel entering this season, the Bears’ defense has exceeded expectations through six weeks by ranking sixth in points allowed and seventh in total D. But one underlying metric -- the unit’s 31st-ranked mark of 6.03 yards per play allowed -- strongly suggests Dennis Allen is achieving success through smoke and mirrors. Eventually, the truth with come out, and I’m afraid it won’t be pretty. Chicago might need help at corner, considering Jaylon Johnson’s startling decline and Tyrique Stevenson’s extensive injury history, but I think the more pressing issue is the underwhelming group up front. Montez Sweat is currently serving the second week of a two-game suspension, but even when he returns, the Bears’ second-highest-paid player (behind Johnson) is no longer a true difference-maker on the defensive line. And neither is the team’s third-highest-paid player, DT Grady Jarrett.

NEED: Edge rusher

Dallas already made a splashy trade by acquiring CB Joey Porter Jr., but Jerry Jones is still openly expressing his desire to improve the roster before the deadline. And the team that traded away Micah Parsons still needs edge juice. Through six games, the Cowboys have just eight sacks -- tied for second-fewest in the league -- and rank 24th in QB pressure rate (33.5%, per Next Gen Stats). Even at 2-4, Dallas still strikes me as the best bet to win the NFC (L)East, so I won’t be surprised if Jerrah throws more chips in the pot by acquiring an established QB hunter.

NEED: Man-coverage ace

Giving up nearly 300 yards per game through the air -- a league worst 297.4, to be exact -- Detroit’s pass defense has hit bottom. Brian Branch’s impending return should provide a significant boost at safety, but cornerback remains a problem. D.J. Reed has yet to validate the three-year, $48 million contract he signed in the 2025 offseason, while 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold was released over the summer due to serious legal issues. With an underwhelming collection of corners, Kelvin Sheppard has mostly dialed back Detroit’s usage of man coverage, though the embattled defensive coordinator did just deploy it at a season-high clip of 51.9% percent of the snaps last time out. Clearly, Dan Campbell’s Lions favor aggressiveness, but if they want to play their coverage of choice, they must aggressively pursue a proven asset on the island.

NEED: Speedy wideout

Even before the Rams lost Davante Adams for 6-10 weeks, this offense had concerning limitations. According to Next Gen Stats, Matthew Stafford averaged a season-low 4.8 air yards per attempt in the shocking loss to the Cardinals. Now, with Adams joining dynamic tight end Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve, Los Angeles’ passing game really needs a shot in the arm. Puka Nacua’s an absolute beast, to be sure, but the Rams could use a true burner to give the attack more explosiveness. Someone with more size and less gimmickry than Tutu Atwell; someone who can create chunk gains for the team’s 38-year-old quarterback. In addition to being wildly disappointing, this alleged dream team just feels slow.