Time flies when you’re having fun, and that’s certainly the case for the 2025 NFL season. It feels like the year has just begun, but we’re already six weeks in — a third of the way through.
That means enough time has passed for the league’s 32 teams to assess whether they truly believe they’re contenders or pretenders ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline. Through six weeks, here are the AFC and NFC postseason contenders that should consider making a move to supplement their roster.
AFC: Indianapolis Colts (5-1), Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1), Los Angeles Chargers (4-2), New England Patriots (4-2), Buffalo Bills (4-2), Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2), Denver Broncos (4-2), Kansas City Chiefs (3-3).
NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1), Green Bay Packers (3-1-1), San Francisco 49ers (4-2), Philadelphia Eagles (4-2), Seattle Seahawks (4-2), Detroit Lions (4-2), Los Angeles Rams (4-2), Atlanta Falcons (3-2), Minnesota Vikings (3-2), Washington Commanders (3-3)
Given every contender’s respective needs/holes through six weeks, here’s one move that each should aim to make before the 2025 trade deadline to bolster its roster for a playoff push.
AFC
Record: 5-1
Despite being 36 years old, two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis can be a plus-starter for an NFL contender in 2025. Pro Football Focus grades Davis among football’s 10 best inside linebackers this season — his overall PFF defensive grade (81.1) ranks ninth, and his run defense is fifth (90.2). His 33 tackles on designed rushing plays are sixth-most in the NFL, according to TruMedia.
Indianapolis has attempted to fix their inside linebacker spot next to Zaire Franklin by signing the recently-released Germaine Pratt, but adding Davis could give them the depth in the middle of their defense that coordinator Lou Anarumo craves.
Record: 4-1
Perhaps the Steelers have surprised themselves with their 4-1 start and an ever-growing AFC North lead thanks to having 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, plus both Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl signal-caller Joe Burrow and Baltimore Ravens MVP Lamar Jackson sidelined by injuries.
That has the Steelers positioned to be buyers this season, and they could desperately use another wide receiver alongside Pro Bowler DK Metcalf with Calvin Austin III (shoulder) banged up. Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, even at the age of 33, would make a lot of sense. He’s caught nine of his 13 targets this season for 178 yards (19.8 per catch) and two receiving touchdowns without a drop. PFF’s 92.1 offensive grade for Hopkins is second-highest in the NFL at wide receiver behind only Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowler Puka Nacua’s’s 92.6 grade.
The acquisition cost for Hopkins shouldn’t be high given his age, and the Ravens won’t need his services much longer with one of football’s worst defenses making it nearly impossible for whoever lines up at quarterback for them to win games. It seems like a win-win deal for two bitter AFC North rivals with the Ravens even getting a single pick back for a 33-year-old receiver on a one-year deal.
Los Angeles Chargers: New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara
Record: 4-2
The Chargers’ offense is as injury-riddled as it gets with offensive tackle Rashawn Slater (torn patellar tendon, out for the season), offensive tackle Joe Alt (ankle), running back Omarion Hampton (ankle, on injured reserve) and wide receiver Derius Davis (knee) all banged up. Quarterback Justin Herbert could use some help, particularly an easy checkdown option given his depleted offensive line.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara could help Herbert and the Chargers both on the ground and through the air. The five-time Pro Bowler’s 595 career catches are fourth-most in NFL history by a running back. Kamara is now 30-years-old, and New Orleans is off to a 1-5 start in Kellen Moore’s first season as the Saints’ coach.
While the Saints have notoriously kept members of their aging core to their salary cap’s detriment, perhaps Kamara would be interested in a change of scenery the closer the trade deadline gets. The Chargers should at least make a call and push to acquire Kamara, especially given that Hampton is on a rookie deal and what the refinement Kamara’s mentorship for Hampton could provide their 2025 first-round pick.
Record: 4-2
Veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers asked to be traded out of Las Vegas before the season, and the impending free agent’s thoughts are likely the same with the Raiders off to a 2-4 start. Meanwhile, the Patriots are first place in the AFC East through at least six weeks of the season for the first time since the 2019 season — Tom Brady’s’s last in Foxborough.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is playing like a top 10 to top five passer through six weeks, and New England should do everything in its power to accelerate his growth in his second NFL season. Trading for Meyers is a no-brainer with the 28-year-old spending his first four seasons (2019-22) in New England, including the first three under current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
McDaniels also brought him to Las Vegas as a free agent in 2022 when he became the Raiders’ head coach. Adding Meyers alongside four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs would be a huge boost for Maye, and that’s why trading for him is what the Patriots should do at the trade deadline.
|
Completion Percentage |
73.2% |
2nd |
|
Pass Yards |
1,522 |
5th |
|
Pass Yards/Attempt |
8.5 |
4th |
|
Pass TD |
10 |
T-9th |
| Passer Rating | 112.5 | 4th |
| Expected Points Added (EPA)/Play | 0.10 | 10th |
Buffalo Bills: Seattle Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen
Record: 4-2
The way the AFC is shaking out early on with the Chiefs off to a bumpy 3-3 start, 2025 could finally be the year for the Bills’ breakthrough to reach a Super Bowl with 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen. However, their defense could use some reinforcements, particularly in the secondary.
No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford, who allowed just 0.5 yards per snap in coverage last season among cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps in 2024 — the second-fewest among that group per NFL Pro — is slipping a little bit early on. Entering Week 6, Benford had allowed more than half of the receptions that he allowed in total last season (33 in 2024 and 18 entering Week 6 in 2025) and double the amount of receiving touchdowns in coverage, two last season and four entering Week 6 this season. Opposite of him on the outside is Tre’Davious White, who is now 30 years old and has suffered ACL and Achilles tears all within the past four years.
Adding reinforcements to the secondary is critical for the Bills, and that’s why they should aim to trade for bid-bodied Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen, who stands at 6-foot-4-inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. The Seahawks are deep at cornerback, as evidenced by their 20-12 Week 6 road win at the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars with Woolen sidelined with a concussion.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone
Record: 4-2
The Jaguars just made a deal at the cornerback position, sending Tyson Campbell and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Greg Newsome II and a 2026 sixth-round pick this past Thursday. However, their pass defense is still a work in progress after getting lit up by Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks in Week 6: the Jaguars are allowing the third-most passing yards per game (256.3) in the entire NFL.
However, they’ve been able to race out to a 4-2 through opportunistic play: their 14 takeaways, including 10 interceptions — both figures lead the NFL. Trading for Bengals safety Geno Stone would only increase Jacksonville’s ability to mask its pass defense via takeaways. Stone’s 12 interceptions since 2023 are tied for the second-most in the NFL, trailing only Lions safety Kerby Joseph’s 16 in that span. The Bengals are sinking ship with Burrow (turf toe) sidelined, and Stone is a pending free agent. This is a deal that Jacksonville should make.
Denver Broncos: Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews
Record: 4-2
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has been up and down in Year 2 with nine passing touchdowns to four interceptions through six games in 2025. Denver trading for three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who is 30-years-old and a pending free agent, could make plenty of sense.
The AFC West feels as up for grabs as it has been in years with the nine-time defending division champion Chiefs off to a 3-3 start. Denver should pounce and bolster Nix’s arsenal of playmakers with Andrews, a player who had a career-high 11 receiving touchdowns just last season.
The Ravens, who are off to a 1-5 start thanks to a horrific defense and Jackson sidelined by injury, have already begun to tear it down, trading former first-round pick edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers. They shouldn’t have an issue trading Andrews to Denver.
Record: 3-3
Jets running back Breece Hall’s talent isn’t in question, but his future in New York certainly is. He’s set to be a free agent next offseason, and the Jets, who are off to an 0-6 start, likely won’t prioritize re-signing a running back.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs could use more juice on offense, including an upgrade at running back. Isiah Pacheco has rushed for under 55 yards in every game this season, and he’s gone 12 consecutive games without a rushing touchdown.
New York would certainly be happy to absorb as many draft picks as it can get amid a rebuild, and the Chiefs are obviously in win-now mode. This is a deal that Kansas City should push to make.
NFC
Record: 5-1
The Dolphins are off to a disappointing 1-5 start, All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill is out for the season after a gruesome knee injury and coach Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat.
That’s why it would make sense for the fire sale to begin in South Beach. Oft-injured edge rusher Jaelan Phillips is only 26 years old and a pending free agent. Plus, his 20 quarterback pressures this season are the same as Houston Texans Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter.
The Buccaneers are off to a 5-1 start and the NFC’s top overall seed, so they should be doing everything to bolster their roster. Boosting their pass rush with the addition of Phillips is a crucial and necessary move so that their 24th-ranked scoring defense (25.2 points per game) can do a better job of complementing their sixth-ranked scoring offense (27.5 points per game).
Green Bay Packers: Arizona Cardinals DT Calais Campbell
Record: 3-1-1
The Packers’ pass rush has certainly been bolstered by the addition of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons (29 quarterback pressures in 2025, tied for fourth-most in the NFL) despite the four-time Pro Bowler missing all of training with the Dallas Cowboys in a contract holdout. Green Bay ranks ninth in the NFL quarterback pressure rate (39.8%) and eighth in quarterback pressures (86).
However, the team’s sack numbers could be improved with the Packers’ 12 teams sacks tied for 19th in the NFL and their 5.6% sack rate standing at 20th in the league. Starting defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt’s knee injury in Week 4 at the Cowboys caused him to be ruled out of the Packers’ Week 6 win over the Bengals despite having a Week 5 bye.
Green Bay should bolster the interior of its pass rush by trading for ageless wonder and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell. His Arizona Cardinals are off to a 2-4 start, and Campbell is 39 years old. It doesn’t make any sense for him to waste what could be his 18th and final NFL season on a team that appears doomed to miss the postseason.
Acquiring Campbell could create more knock back for the Packers in the middle of the line of scrimmage while Wyatt is out, thus creating more sack opportunities for Parsons, Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary and others. This is an inexpensive trade that Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst should make.
San Francisco 49ers: Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson
Record: 4-2
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2025 season is likely doomed with Burrow (turf toe) sidelined and the team out to a 2-4 start. Cincinnati has balked at giving the NFL’s 2024 leader in sacks, Trey Hendrickson, a multiyear extension the past two offseasons. Now would be the time to sell high.
The 49ers have the bones of a team that could compete in the wide-open NFC, but they desperately need help along their defensive front without Nick Bosa (torn ACL). Hendrickson could be the perfect rental to fill the void left by Bosa’s injury, and the 49ers have the cap space, $21.2 million, according to OverTheCap.com, to absorb the final year of the four-time Pro Bowler’s contract.
Record: 4-2
The Eagles’ pass rush was one of their superpowers en route to dominating the Chiefs in a Super Bowl LIX victory over the Chiefs to conclude the 2024 season. Following the departures of Milton Williams and Josh Sweat in free agency this offseason, Philadelphia is now just around league average at pressuring the quarterback and one of the NFL’s worst at actually bringing the quarterback down.
They rank 15th in quarterback pressure rate (36.7%) with only nine sacks this season, tied for the seventh-fewest in the NFL with Titans. It makes sense for the Titans to struggle with getting after the quarterback because they’re 1-5 and have spent the most time trailing (4:35:56) in the entire league this season.
The Eagles should go get 29-year-old edge rusher Arden Key to bolster their pass rush, given that Key has 1.5 sacks while playing for Tennessee — a team that already fired its head coach — this season. Any help up front would be critical for Philadelphia, especially after edge rusher Za’Darius Smith’s sudden retirement this week.
Seattle Seahawks: Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
Record: 4-2
The Seahawks are off to a strong start after signing Sam Darnold to be their new quarterback this offseason, and they should capitalize on that start by bolstering the back end of their defense. Safety Julian Love (hamstring) has missed three of Seattle’s six games this season, so the Seahawks should be looking to bolster their depth at the position.
Why not versatile, five-time Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick? The Dolphins are 1-5 and could be the next team to fire its head coach, which would trigger a clear rebuild. The Seahawks should swoop in at the opportunity to add a fun chess piece for coach Mike Macdonald to deploy on his defense in a year where the NFC looks open as ever.
Detroit Lions: Miami Dolphins CB Rasul Douglas
Record: 4-2
The Lions could use another cornerback with cornerback D.J. Reed on injured reserve (hamstring) and cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) missing for the next few weeks. Veteran Rasul Douglas knows the NFC North from his time with the Packers (2021-23) and could be a steadying, veteran presence in Detroit. It would also make all the sense in the world for the Dolphins to see if they could get a pick back for the pending free agent.
Los Angeles Rams: Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
Record: 4-2
With Pro Bowl wide receiver Puka Nacua suffering an ankle injury in a Week 6 win against the Baltimore Ravens, it would be wise for Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead to bolster quarterback Matthew Stafford’s’s receiving core. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (11 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in six games this season) has become a forgotten man in the 1-5 Baltimore Ravens’ offense, especially with Jackson sidelined. Snead should give the Ravens a call to see if they would be willing to exchange Bateman for a pick or two with their defense and offensive line in desperate need of a reboot.
Atlanta Falcons: Cincinnati Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt
Record: 3-2
The Falcons have the NFL’s No. 1 total defense (253.4 total yards per game allowed), No. 7 scoring defense (20.0 points per game allowed) and No. 1 pass defense (139.4 passing yards per game). Atlanta should double down on that strength by bolstering its outside cornerback spot opposite A.J. Terrell that is currently occupied by Mike Hughes.
Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is a pending free agent, and Cincinnati has started him just once in his five games played this season. Taylor-Britt just turned 26 years old, and he’s someone who could add crucial cornerback depth, which could further aid the development of rookie edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker.
Record: 3-2
The 2-4 Giants have made 2022 seventh overall pick offensive lineman Evan Neal a healthy scratch in every game this season while building around rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Coach Brian Daboll has chosen to do this instead of giving Neal a shot to prove himself at guard.
The Vikings have been just league average in pass protection, allowing a quarterback pressure rate of 36.2% this season, which is 16th in the NFL. Neal could be a low-cost swing for a Minnesota team that has seen its offensive line hit with some injuries thus far in 2025.
Record: 3-2
Following three consecutive wins to get above .500 for the first time this season, the Bears have hope. However, they’re without No. 1 corner Jaylon Johnson after he underwent surgery for a core muscle injury that he aggravated in Week 1. If the Saints intend to let soon-to-be 27-year-old cornerback Alontae Taylor walk in free agency this offseason after a 1-5 start to 2025 under new coach Kellen Moore, the least they could do is get a pick back for him.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen made Taylor his first second-round pick as the Saints’ coach (2022-24), so Taylor wouldn’t need much time — if any — to acclimate in Allen’s Chicago system. Taylor would fill a major need for the Bears for this season and potentially beyond, so general manager Ryan Poles should pick up the phone and see if he can get a deal done for Taylor.
Washington Commanders: Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku
Record: 3-3
The Commanders need to get 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels more receiving help. Daniels’ go-to-guy Terry McLaurin has missed three of the team’s six games this season, and 35-year-old Zach Ertz is a fun red-zone target, but he shouldn’t be relied upon to be a team’s top three pass catcher in the year 2025.
Fortunately for the Commanders, the Browns are 1-5, and their leader in catches (28) and receiving yards (254) happens to be rookie third-round pick tight end Harold Fannin Jr. That makes tight end David Njoku, who is set to become a free agent next offseason, expendable for the rebuilding Browns.
Washington should do what it takes to get the former Pro Bowl tight end added to Daniels’ arsenal in order to salvage its 2025 season.
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