Updated Trade Value for NFL Stars After 2026 NFL Draft Declaration Deadline Passes

The matchup for Super Bowl LX is set, and most fans will spend the next two weeks following the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks as they prepare to play for the Lombardi Trophy. The rest of the NFL, though, is already eyeing the offseason and the 2026 draft.

With the East-West Shrine Game set for Tuesday and the Senior Bowl week underway, the predraft process is in full swing, and the player pool is shaping up.

The deadline for players who participated in the College Football Playoff to declare for the draft passed on January 23. The list of notable players who will be returning to school includes Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Alabama safety Keon Sabb, Oregon defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington, and Oregon edge-rusher Matayo Uiagalelei.

Having several surprises among the group of returning players may impact the trade value of some of the offseason's top trade candidates.

With the draft class largely set, let's make updated predictions about the biggest names who could be traded in the coming months.

A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Projected Trade Value: 2026 5th-Round Pick, 2026 Late-Round Pick Swap, Conditional 2027 Third-Round Pick

A.J. Brown's trade value shouldn't be substantially impacted by the draft pool. The three-time Pro Bowler is a legitimate No. 1 target when at his best. However, he'll turn 29 in June, and it feels like his stint with the Philadelphia Eagles has run its course.

With Brown struggling to be a centerpiece of the offense and Philly bowing out in the wild-card round, now's probably the right time to move the talented pass-catcher.

Of course, Brown's contract, which still includes $72.5 million in dead money, complicates matters for the Eagles. Presumably, they'll try to convince a trade partner to take on some of that dead money.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently projected on The Breer Report (beginning around the 1:35 mark) that Brown might bring a third-round pick and a Day 3 pick swap. The prediction here is that he instead brings a conditional 2027 third-rounder that could become a second-round pick with certain statistical thresholds.

Who might be willing to take on Brown this offseason? The Buffalo Bills loom as a logical trade partner. The reloading Bills desperately need to find a true No. 1 target for Josh Allen, and Brown would be a massive upgrade over every other receiver on Buffalo's roster.

Top Landing Spot: Buffalo Bills

Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Projected Trade Value: 2026 4th-Round Pick, Conditional 2027 6th-Round Pick

Like Brown, cornerback Marlon Humphrey's future shouldn't be heavily impacted by the 2026 draft. However, his future with the Baltimore Ravens is uncertain after the team missed the playoffs and replaced head coach John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter.

"I just wait and see if I'm part of the plans going forward or if I'm not," Humphrey said, per Ryan Mink of the team's official website.

The issue for Humphrey is the fact that he'll turn 30 in July and is set to carry a cap hit of $26.3 million in 2026, the final year of his contract. Cashing in Humphrey a year before he hits the open market could make some sense for the Ravens.

Given Humphrey's age, Baltimore might not expect more than a middle-round pick for Humphrey this offseason.

While Humphrey was part of a bad defense in 2025, his status as a former Pro Bowler will likely draw interest from several cornerback-needy teams.

The Los Angeles Rams, whose secondary struggled in the NFC Championship Game, might be near the front of the line to take a flier on Humphrey. Much will depend on whether Matthew Stafford is back for another run, but if he is, L.A. may go all-in on chasing a championship next season.

Top Landing Spot: Los Angeles Rams

Jermaine Johnson II, Edge, New York Jets

AP Photo/Ella Hall

Projected Trade Value: 2026 3rd-Round Pick, 2027 5th-Round Pick

The New York Jets began the teardown portion of their latest rebuild at last year's trade deadline. They moved standout defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and No. 1 cornerback Sauce Gardner for draft capital in-season.

New York may look to continue selling off pieces this offseason, and Jermaine Johnson II would be a logical trade candidate. The 2022 first-round pick was a Pro Bowler in his second season but missed most of 2024 with a torn Achilles and struggled when on the field in 2025.

Johnson logged 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss during his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign but had just three sacks and five tackles for loss this past season. Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, the 27-year-old may be more valuable to the Jets as a trade chip.

New York might not expect a massive return for Johnson, given his recent injury history, but a third-round pick is probably a good starting point. That's what the Miami Dolphins got for Jaelan Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline.

The Eagles acquired Phillips from Miami and are widely expected to extend him this offseason. However, it wouldn't be a shock to see Philly also make a move to add Johnson.

Philadelphia could use additional edge depth, and it could give New York back the third-round pick it owes for the Haason Reddick trade. Eagles senior personnel director Joe Douglas was also the Jets' general manager when Johnson was drafted.

Top Landing Spot: Philadelphia Eagles

Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Ella Hall

Projected Trade Value: 2026 6th-Round Pick, Conditional 2027 7th-Round Pick

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara wanted to stay with his team despite drawing interest at the trade deadline, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. However, he missed the final six games of the season with a sprained MCL and is now entering the final year of his contract.

With Kamara set to carry an $18.6 million cap hit in 2026, the Saints may be eager to move off of the 30-year-old (31 in July).

However, the talented runner and receiver should draw some interest on the trade market, even if his value is hurt some by a deep free-agent running back class. The 2026 draft class has some intriguing prospects—including Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love—but one promising player is returning to college.

Michigan's Justice Haynes entered the transfer portal instead of the draft and is now headed to Georgia Tech.

Given Kamara's age and price point, New Orleans can't expect to get more than a conditional late-round pick in return. However, they may not need to go far to find a trade partner.

The Denver Broncos may need a back to pair with RJ Harvey, as J.K. Dobbins is slated to be a free agent. Kamara, of course, spent a good chunk of his career under former Saints and current Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

Top Landing Spot: Denver Broncos

Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Projected Trade Value: 2026 5th-Round Pick

The Chicago Bears reached the divisional round of the playoffs but fell short due in no small part to a lackluster defense. While the Bears were great at taking away the football during the regular season, they ranked just 29th in yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed.

Facing a cap deficit of more than $9.6 million, Chicago may have to part with a couple of offensive pieces to afford rebuilding its defense.

Expect tight end Cole Kmet's name to come up often in trade chatter this offseason, for a couple of reasons. For one, the Bears found themselves a tremendous tight end in 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland, which makes Kmet a bit of a luxury. Secondly, Chicago could save $8.4 million by trading Kmet before March 15.

While Kmet saw a greatly reduced role during Loveland's rookie campaign, he has three 500-yard campaigns on his resume and will turn just 27 in March. He can be a solid long-term starter for a team in need of a pass-catching tight end.

The Carolina Panthers should be interested in adding a tight end of Kmet's caliber. Carolina won the NFC South and appears poised to take another positive step. However, it could use a more dynamic tight end to aid quarterback Bryce Young.

Tommy Tremble led Panthers tight ends with just 249 receiving yards this past season.

Top Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Projected Trade Value: 2026 2nd-Round Pick

A few quarterbacks may find themselves on the trade market, including Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray. The 28-year-old has never delivered any postseason success, and Arizona's offense actually operated more efficiently with him out of the lineup this past season.

The Cardinals will be rebuilding with a new head coach in 2026, so it may be the right time to move in a new direction at quarterback. Of course, his 2026 cap hit of $53.3 million could make it difficult for Arizona to maximize Murray's trade value.

However, the Cardinals may catch a break by having Moore return to college in 2026.

"One less quarterback on the market makes desperation increase," one source said, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.

Another source believes that the starting price point for Murray will be a second-round pick, per Weinfuss, and that if the Cardinals can move the two-time Pro Bowler, they will.

The Jets might be the one team desperate enough to expend draft and cap capital to take a flier on Murray. They were widely expected to take Moore at No. 2 overall—the Las Vegas Raiders will presumably snap up Indiana's Fernando Mendoza at No. 1—before he announced he wouldn't enter the draft.

With no other QB prospect worthy of the second pick, New York may look to resurrect Murray's career instead.

Top Landing Spot: New York Jets

Daron Payne, DL, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Projected Trade Value: 2026 4th-Round Pick

With top defensive line prospects like Washington and Uiagalelei headed back to college, a veteran defensive lineman like Daron Payne might have an increased market in 2026.

The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, may be eager to move the 28-year-old standout defensive tackle.

Washington needs to regroup after regressing in 2025, and it needs to overhaul a defense that ranked dead-last in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed. Moving Payne could help the Commanders find the cap space needed to do it.

The final year of Payne's contract is set to include a cap hit of $28 million. Trading him would save $16.8 million in cap space.

Payne, who logged three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 46 combined tackles in 2025, is a high-level starter who should draw plenty of interest and bring Washington a solid return in a trade. A team desperate for defensive help, like the Cincinnati Bengals, should be willing to make a strong offer.

Cincinnati has now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons largely because of its terrible defense. Last season, the Bengals ranked 31st in yards per carry allowed and 32nd in rushing yards allowed.

If the Bengals hope to stop wasting Joe Burrow's prime years and return to the playoffs in 2026, adding a front-line defender like Payne would be a good first step.

Top Landing Spot: Cincinnati Bengals

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Projected Trade Value: Conditional 2027 6th-Round Pick

Moore isn't the only prolific quarterback who is eschewing the 2026 draft for another college season. As most expected, Texas' Arch Manning will return for another year. So will South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Even with Mendoza trending as the only sure-fire first-round QB prospect, Tua Tagovailoa won't have much value on the trade market.

The Dolphins can't expect anything resembling a sizeable return for Tagovailoa. He's an athletically limited passer with an alarming injury history and an unwieldy contract that will carry a 2026 cap hit of $56.4 million. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley have no ties to the Alabama product, and most expect the new front office to find a way to dump Tagovailoa in the not-too-distant future.

"There's a feeling around the league that has persisted that Tua Tagovailoa has played his last down in Miami," ESPN's Adam Schefter said on NFL Live (h/t Nick Schultz of On3). "The only question now is how and when the team moves on from him."

Trading Tagovailoa would save $11.2 million in cap space, though convincing a team to take on his deal would be tough, and would likely yield a low return.

We probably won't see a team actively pursue Tagovailoa on the trade market, though the aforementioned Jets may be desperate enough to consider him if Murray can't be acquired and they can't land a free agent like Malik Willis or Daniel Jones. Outside of New York, it's hard to even fathom a team taking a chance on Tagovailoa via a trade.

Top Landing Spot: New York Jets

*Cap and contract information from Spotrac