5 Hypothetical NFL Trades That Would Compare to Myles Garrett Blockbuster

The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world with their trade for Myles Garrett on Tuesday. Because the move shifted the league's power structure significantly, it may have jump-started an arms race amongst Super Bowl contenders.

Garrett's departure from the Cleveland Browns was the latest in what has been a thrilling trend of big-name veterans changing hands. It's unlikely that the edge rusher and A.J. Brown—who the Philadelphia Eagles dealt to the New England Patriots on Monday following months of speculation—will be the last superstars to get traded before the 2026 NFL season kicks off.

With that in mind, let's highlight some hypothetical trades that could involve some of the league's biggest names this summer.

Maxx Crosby to San Francisco 49ers

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Las Vegas Raiders receive: 2027 first- and second-round picks, 2028 third-round pick

San Francisco 49ers receive: Edge Maxx Crosby

With Myles Garrett off the market following his blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Rams, teams still hoping to deal for a game-changing edge rusher should set their sights on Maxx Crosby.

Crosby has been back with the Las Vegas Raiders after a trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell through back in March. While the edge defender and team have both maintained that he's happy to continue his career in Sin City, it may not be long before another deal materializes.

The Raiders would have returned a pair first-round picks for Crosby's services had Baltimore not reneged, similar compensation to the haul the Cleveland Browns received for Garrett earlier this week. The market is clearly still red-hot for Pro Bowl-caliber edge rushers, making this an ideal time for Vegas to attempt another deal.

An organization like the San Francisco 49ers, who appear to be a piece or two away from making yet another Super Bowl run, could offer a first-round pick plus additional compensation for Crosby. He may not net Vegas another set of first-rounders after failing Baltimore's physical, but some Day 2 picks could be enough to get the Raiders to move on from Crosby for a second time this offseason.

Crosby was one of the few bright spots on a downtrodden roster that finished with the league's worst record in 2025, tallying 10 sacks in 15 games. Crosby reached a double-digit sack total for the third time in the last four seasons and earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

Considering how much of a force Crosby has been despite being saddled with lackluster teammates, he could take his game to another level in the Bay Area. Bookending him with Nick Bosa, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, would give San Francisco arguably the best edge rushing tandem in the NFL.

While the costs of acquiring Crosby will be high, that investment would be well worth it for a 49ers team desperate to return to the top of the NFC West and finally claim a Lombardi Trophy under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Justin Jefferson to Buffalo Bills

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Buffalo Bills receive: WR Justin Jefferson

Minnesota Vikings receive: 2027 first-, second- and fourth-round picks, 2028 third- and fifth-round picks

The Minnesota Vikings have built their offense around Justin Jefferson, but they haven't found much playoff success even with the superstar receiver making some herculean efforts. During Jefferson's six years in the Twin Cities, the Vikings have made the playoffs just twice and failed to win a game during either trip.

While Jefferson clearly hasn't been the problem—he's amassed an eye-popping 8,480 yards and 42 touchdowns over his first 94 career games—the six-year veteran's record four-year, $140 million contract will start accounting for approximately 15 percent of Minnesota's salary cap space during the 2027 and 2028 seasons. It's a hefty amount to commit to a player who hasn't been able to will this franchise to the next level.

Minnesota's main troubles have been at the quarterback position, issues that Jefferson himself appeared frustrated with in wake of missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons . With J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray set to battle for the QB1 role during training camp, the Vikings could have further woes under center during the 2026 season.

Dealing Jefferson in exchange for a massive amount of capital would position the Vikings to land one of the coveted quarterback prospects set to be available in the 2027 draft. With a slew of high-end signal-callers set to enter the league next offseason, Minnesota can't afford to miss out if it wants to return to prominence in the brutally tough NFC North. 

A team all-in on winning a Super Bowl this coming season would be the ideal suitor for Jefferson. The Buffalo Bills would be an intriguing choice after they came up painfully short last season. While they did trade for DJ Moore to bolster an undermanned receiving corps, they failed to land a true needle-mover to pair with star QB Josh Allen.

An Allen-Jefferson battery could put up historic numbers akin to what Randy Moss and Tom Brady accomplished with the 2007 New England Patriots. It would cost the Bills a haul of future picks to bring the tandem together, but doing so would give the club perhaps its best shot yet at a championship.

Sam LaPorta to Kansas City Chiefs

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Detroit Lions receive: 2027 first-and third-round draft picks

Kansas City Chiefs receive: TE Sam LaPorta

Sam LaPorta may have lit the league on fire during a scintillating 86-catch, 889-yard, 10-touchdown rookie season a mere three years ago, but even he isn't safe from being traded.

LaPorta is gearing up for the final year of his rookie deal, one set to pay him a modest $5.8 million in 2026. Despite his immense contributions when healthy, the Lions have yet to reach a long-term extension with the tight end.

The biggest issue surrounding LaPorta right now is health. Although he appeared in every game during his breakout rookie season and only missed one game during his somewhat underwhelming sophomore outing, LaPorta was sidelined for nearly half of 2025 with a back injury.

Head coach Dan Campbell spoke about LaPorta's recovery early in the offseason, noting that the timeline for a return was murky due to the nature of the injury. LaPorta went on to miss OTAs and it remains to be seen if he'll be back in time for the start of training camp.

While LaPorta did ring up 489 yards and three touchdowns on 40 receptions in the nine games he suited up for last year, he's still a risky choice to issue a long-term deal given this Lions squad will soon be strapped for cash. Detroit extended Jack Campbell in May, but still needs to get deals done for fellow 2023 draftees Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Although the Lions would be taking a hit in 2026 without LaPorta, they could be well-positioned for future stability by dealing the 25-year-old for a package of premium draft picks. If Detroit's brass isn't sold on his LaPorta's health, it's a tough but shrewd move to make.

The Kansas City Chiefs make sense as a trade partner for the Lions. LaPorta would immediately slot in as Travis Kelce's much-needed heir, working alongside the aging tight end in 2026 and taking over as one of the primary receiving threats in Kansas City's dynamic offense once the future Hall of Famer hangs up his cleats.

Jonathan Taylor to Tennessee Titans

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Indianapolis Colts receive: 2027 second- and third-round draft picks, 2028 third-round draft pick

Tennessee Titans receive: RB Jonathan Taylor

The Indianapolis Colts employ one of the NFL's top talents in Jonathan Taylor, but the superstar running back could provide more value to the organization as a trade chip than on the field at this juncture of his career.

While Taylor has been a high-level contributor and key to Indianapolis' success, he's entering his seventh season and has racked up a ton of mileage since entering the league. Only Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs have more touches than the 1,738 combined receptions and carries that Taylor has logged in that span.

Taylor has posted consistently strong stat lines during his time in Indianapolis, but the Colts haven't found a way to convert that production into victories. The team is 41-42-1 in games the back has appeared in and has made the playoffs just once during his tenure—a Wild Card round loss during Taylor's rookie season.

With Taylor set to be a free agent next offseason, the Colts could get ahead of a potential departure by dealing him for draft capital. There are plenty of hopeful contenders with a hole in the backfield that would love to add a star like Taylor into the mix, a list of suitors that could be headlined by the Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee is hoping to emerge from a lengthy rebuilding period in Year 2 of the Cam Ward era. With new regime at the reins, acquiring a piece like Taylor could push this offense over the top and into the playoffs. Tennessee innately understands just how good Taylor is, having given up more rushing touchdowns (nine) to him than any other team.

The Titans are fresh off bolstering the receiving corps with first-round rookie Carnell Tate and free-agent pickup Wan'Dale Robinson, but a rushing platoon headlined by Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears remained stagnant and still leaves something to be desired.

The Titans would likely need to give up several early- to mid-round picks to get a deal done with an AFC South rival, but it would give the franchise a perfect complement to Ward and its best backfield threat since Henry's departure in 2024.

Brian Thomas Jr. to Washington Commanders

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Jacksonville Jaguars receive: 2027 first-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick

Washington Commanders receive: WR Brian Thomas Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars appeared to have one of the biggest steals of the 2024 NFL draft on their hands after Brian Thomas Jr., the No. 23 overall selection that year, exploded for nearly 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 87 receptions as a rookie. A confounding follow-up campaign, one in the wideout recorded a modest 48/707/2 stat line, could lead to a surprisingly early exit from Duval.

Thomas struggled with physical and mental health during his disastrous sophomore season. While he managed to appear in 14 games in 2025, he appeared reticent to go across the middle and recently admitted that it "hurt to run" at times:

While it seems that the wideout is finally trending in the right direction, the Jags fared well without him starring last year. The team brought in Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline to reinforce the receiver's room and issued him a three-year extension shortly after.

BTJ may be rendered expendable due the presence of Meyers and fellow incumbent Parker Washington, along with the return of two-way star Travis Hunter Jr. and addition of two rookie sixth-rounders in Josh Cameron and CJ Williams. The receiving corps is crowded heading into training camp, a logjam the Jags could loosen by dealing Thomas.

Health issues aside, Thomas also suffered from a concerning number of drops and didn't appear to be a good fit in new head coach Liam Coen's scheme. If he doesn't display significant improvement in both of these areas during training camp, the Jags would be wise to take what they can get for the 23-year-old while his standout Year 1 efforts are still relatively fresh.

The most sensible suitor for Thomas would be a team on the rise that could pair BTJ with a young signal-caller and develop the duo together. The Washington Commanders should be interested, as the move would provide Jayden Daniels with a big target with WR1 upside.

The Commanders may already have a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout in Terry McLaurin, but McLaurin is now on the wrong side of 30 and missed seven games with injury last year. The addition of Thomas would give the club a young, high-ceiling weapon who has the potential to stick around for the long haul.