The 2025 NFL season has leveled the playing field across the entire league. There are no longer 2-3 Super Bowl favorites. Right now, 10+ teams have a legitimate shot at winning their conference.

While there are a ton of great teams, nobody is perfect. Every team has at least one hole they could benefit from filling, and with the NFL trade deadline coming up, I thought we could go through and identify each contender’s biggest need and name a player who could fill that hole.

Kansas City Chiefs: Running Back

Best Fit: Breece Hall

It’s weird to mention a 3-3 team as one of the top contenders in the league, but the Kansas City Chiefs might be the favorites to come out of the AFC. They don’t have a ton of holes on their roster, but if there’s one position they need help at, it’s running back.

Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco aren’t going to win you a Super Bowl. They have Brashard Smith, their seventh-round rookie, but he hasn’t gotten as much work as many initially thought. If the Chiefs want to take their offense to the next level, trading for a running back could be in their best interest.

Alvin Kamara and Breece Hall are both expected to be highly sought after at the deadline, but Kamara has made it known he wants to stay in New Orleans. Hall has also said he wants to stay in New York, but it feels like if either of the two were going to be dealt, it would be Hall.

Indianapolis Colts: Cornerback

Best Fit: Roger McCreary

The Indianapolis Colts don’t have too many weaknesses on their team this year. Their offense certainly doesn’t need any help, but defensively, I think they could benefit from adding a corner to the mix. They’ve had a few key injuries at the position, plus it never hurts to have some depth in the secondary.

There are quite a few options the Colts could look into, but Roger McCreary seems like a good fit. He wouldn’t be too expensive, like some of the other CBs on the block, and he’s still young, so he can play into their long-term future.

Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver

Best Fit: Chris Olave

There are a lot of teams that could benefit from adding a receiver at the deadline, but nobody needs one quite like the Buffalo Bills. They have a bunch of guys who can give them solid production, but they need an alpha in that room who can go for 100+ yards on any given Sunday.

Of all the receivers expected to be available at the deadline, Chris Olave seems to be the top guy. He’s not a true dominant X receiver who can go up and make contested catches all the time, but he’s a smooth route runner with sneaky speed, and with someone like Josh Allen throwing him the ball, he can easily be a consistent 1,000-yard guy.

New England Patriots: Safety

Best Fit: Budda Baker

This is a move I would love to see. Budda Baker’s spent his entire career in Arizona, and his talent has gone to waste. It’s about time he lands with a contender, and the New England Patriots are a young, up-and-coming team who should be in the playoff picture for years to come.

Yes, this move would help New England fill a position of need right away, but it also gives them a pretty long-term solution in the backend of their defense. Baker is 29 years old and still has plenty of years of good football ahead of him. I hope he doesn’t waste them in Arizona.

Los Angeles Chargers: Running Back

Best Fit: Jaylen Wright

With Omarion Hampton out for multiple weeks and Najee Harris done for the year, the Los Angeles Chargers could really use some help at the running back position. They’ve been making calls trying to see who’s available, and while they could target Kamara or Hall, I think Jaylen Wright could be a good fit in their offense.

Wright has blazing speed, but has been benched in Miami despite being healthy. He should get moved before the deadline, and could step in and make an immediate impact in the Chargers’ backfield. Plus, he likely wouldn’t cost all that much to obtain. I don’t think LA wants to overspend on a running back the way someone like the Chiefs would, but they need cheap help at the position, so keep an eye on Wright.

Denver Broncos: Offensive Guard

Best Fit: Kevin Zeitler

With Ben Powers likely out for a while, the Denver Broncos could really use some help at the guard position. Kevin Zeitler is reportedly a name to watch. The Tennessee Titans could have a fire sale at the deadline, and Zeitler is a veteran guard on a one-year deal. A sixth or seventh-round pick would likely get the deal done, and Denver would get a starting-caliber guard to fill in until Powers is back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Right Tackle

Best Fit: Evan Neal

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use some help on the defensive side of the ball, but they really need some help at right tackle. Charlie Heck has been awful this year, giving up 23 pressures and two sacks while posting a 43.7 pass blocking grade.

It’s hard to find a tackle in the middle of the season, but Evan Neal is a name that could be available. His time in the Big Apple hasn’t gone as planned, and a change of scenery could be beneficial. There’s no guarantee that he’d be an upgrade, but for a cheap cost, it could be worth finding out if he has anything left in him.

Detroit Lions: Defensive Back

Best Fit: Tariq Woolen

The Detroit Lions have had their secondary decimated by injuries this season. They’ve lost so many guys on the backend and could use help at both safety and cornerback, but after surveying the options, I think Tariq Woolen would benefit them the most.

Woolen is a long, speedy corner who started his career off hot, but has cooled down the last couple of seasons. He’s still capable of playing at a high level, but I think he needs to get out of Seattle sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Seattle Seahawks shop him, especially if they bring in a cornerback of their own…

Seattle Seahawks: Cornerback

Best Fit: L’Jarius Sneed

L’Jarius Sneed is probably going to be the top corner on the trade block. The two-time Super Bowl champion signed a four-year deal with the Titans in 2024, but got injured last year and is on a team that’s going to be selling some of their veterans at the deadline.

The Seahawks need cornerback help. I know it’s a bit counterintuitive to think they may trade Woolen then, but Woolen’s name has been brought up a ton in trade conversations. It just feels like his time in Seattle is coming to a close. If they decide to dump him, they’ll almost certainly look to add another corner via a trade, and Sneed could be one of their top targets.

Los Angeles Rams: Cornerback

Best Fit: L’Jarius Sneed

Yes, I am also putting L’Jarius Sneed as the Los Angeles Rams’ ideal trade target. The fact of the matter is that a lot of teams need cornerback health, and not that many of them will be shopped. It’s a premium position, and teams won’t just go out and shop their corners willy-nilly.

The Rams don’t necessarily NEED a healthy cornerback, but looking at their roster, that’s probably the position they could use some help at the most. Maybe they don’t go for someone of Sneed’s caliber; it just depends on the cost, but they should look to at least add some depth there.

Philadelphia Eagles: Edge Rusher

Best Fit: Trey Hendrickson

The Philadelphia Eagles were hit hard by Za’Darius Smith’s retirement. He leads their edge rushers with 1.5 sacks this year, and now he’s just gone. They’ve been able to manufacture pressure with Zack Baun and their defensive tackles, but they need some help off the edge, and if anyone’s going to make a splash trade, it’s going to be Howie Roseman.

Trey Hendrickson’s name is one that’s come up in trade conversations since last season, and with the Cincinnati Bengals struggling this year without Joe Burrow, it might be time for him to actually get dealt. It would cost an arm and a leg, but the Eagles have never been scared to pull the trigger.

Green Bay Packers: Defensive Tackle

Best Fit: Shelby Harris

The Green Bay Packers traded away Kenny Clark this offseason to acquire Micah Parsons, and now their former first-round pick, Devonte Wyatt, is dealing with a knee injury. Yes, they could look to add another receiver or defensive back, but where they really need help is at defensive tackle.

DT is another position that doesn’t see too many trades. When you have an elite DT, you usually want to keep him around, but Shelby Harris is a name that could be dealt. He’s a veteran who’s still playing at a relatively high level and wouldn’t cost much to acquire. If the Packers think they need help on their defensive line, he could be a name to watch.

San Francisco 49ers: Edge Rusher

Best Fit: Jaelan Phillips

The San Francisco 49ers are another team that could use some help at edge rusher with Nick Bosa out for the season. They could be in the mix for Trey Hendrickson, but then they’d have to pay two elite edge rushers a ton of money if they want to keep him around long-term.

Instead, I think they could target someone like Jaelan Phillips, who can come in and help right away, but won’t cost a ton of capital. The Dolphins should be sellers at the deadline, and they could still get a decent pick for Phillips if they decide to move him.