NFL trade deadline proposals: One move for each of eight Super Bowl contenders

Brian Thomas Jr., Khalil Mack and Budda Baker headline our proposed moves for the NFL's leading championship contenders

Oct 16, 2026 at 10:07 am ET • 4 min read

The NFL trade deadline is less than a month away, which means the hot stove is about to really heat up. Two major trades have already gone down, with Joey Porter Jr. heading to Dallas and Marvin Harrison Jr. heading to Houston. Several more will take place before the Nov. 10 deadline.

The most likely teams to make trades, of course, are the Super Bowl contenders. Everyone wants to make the move that solidifies their position or puts them over the top. So, we're here today to identify one move that each of the contenders should make.

To denote the Super Bowl contenders, we're going to use the top eight teams in Super Bowl odds over at DraftKings, all of whom have shorter than +2000 odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy: the 49ers, Rams, Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Seahawks, Jaguars and Bengals.

Without further ado...

San Francisco 49ers (+620): Jauan Jennings

Things didn't end on the best of terms for Jennings and the 49ers, admittedly. He wasn't happy about his contract situation. There was at least one sideline argument with Kyle Shanahan. But the Niners are hemorrhaging wide receivers, Jennings has a ton of familiarity with the system and Jennings isn't seeing the ball or even the field as often as he would probably like to in Minnesota. Why not bring him back to hold down the fort until guys like Deebo Samuel and/or De'Zhaun Stribling are ready to return?

Los Angeles Rams (+700): Tackle depth

The Rams are going to get a lift from Myles Garrett's return, so the idea of trading for another defensive lineman doesn't make much sense. Their biggest issue outside of that is probably at tackle, where Alaric Jackson has already been suspended for one game and has a domestic violence case hanging over him, and Warren McClendon is probably the weakest link on the offense. The issue here is with identifying a specific tackle to trade for. Teams don't just trade quality tackles willy-nilly. They keep them around. You'd probably have to try to buy low on someone who has fallen out of favor or isn't playing well, like an Austin Jackson in Miami. And how attractive is that proposition?

Buffalo Bills (+800): Tarheeb Still

The Bills definitely need help in the defensive backfield, and the slot is the most obvious place for an upgrade. They're playing Dee Alford there, for the most part, and according to Pro Football Focus, he's allowed opponents to complete 12 of 17 passes for 197 yards when throwing his way lined up inside. Still has lined up both outside and in the slot for the Chargers and played well in both roles, but especially when kicked inside. Opponents are just 7 of 12 for 53 scoreless yards targeting him there. With the Chargers struggling, maybe they're willing to part with him for a draft pick.

Baltimore Ravens (+800): Khalil Mack

The Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson to upgrade their pass rush, but right now, they still check in with a below-average pressure rate of just 35.1% (20th in the NFL), according to Tru Media. Baltimore is never afraid to double down and turn a relative weakness into a strength, and with the Chargers' aforementioned struggles, Mack could probably be had at a reasonable price.

Kansas City Chiefs (+950): Brian Thomas Jr.

The Chiefs are in desperate need of wide receiver help — especially (and I can't believe I'm saying this) after they lost Tyquan Thornton to a potentially season-ending injury. They have Rashee Rice to work the underneath zones, but nobody to beat defenses down the field or even truly threaten them deep to open things up for Rice and the run game. When Thomas is at his best, as we saw during his rookie season, that's what he does. The Jaguars probably don't want to trade him, but he seems to be falling out of favor and even out of the lineup with Josh Cameron's recent emergence; he hasn't played more than 62% of snaps in any game this year. If Marvin Harrison Jr. can be traded, so can Thomas.

Seattle Seahawks (+1200): Tony Pollard

The Seahawks cannot run the ball at all, as we have seen throughout this season and that was on full display on Thursday night against the Broncos. Pollard is no great shakes, but he's got 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons and is at least a professional runner who can get what's blocked and a bit more. The Seahawks should be getting Zach Charbonnet back fairly soon, but we don't know if or when Jadarian Price will return. Pollard would be an upgrade over Emanuel Wilson and/or George Holani as a complement to Charbs. It's not the sexiest deal in the world and might not even be the best possible use of resources, but the Seahawks do need help in the backfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+1200): Budda Baker

This is the best fake trade target of the bunch. The Jaguars have a good defense, but the weak link is at safety. The Cardinals probably aren't going anywhere any time soon, and Baker has just this year and next year left on his contract. Inserting Baker into the back end of the Jaguars' defense would just take things to another level and solidify them as one of the favorites in the AFC. 

Cincinnati Bengals (+1900): Cornerback depth

The Bengals got better up front defensively with the additions of Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell. They added Bryan Cook to upgrade the safety slot. They have DJ Turner II holding down one side of the field at corner, but they could use an upgrade over DJ Ivey, or at least someone to provide depth behind him. Someone like Zyon McCollum in Tampa or KeiSean Nixon in Green Bay could be an interesting target.