The NFL trade deadline is over, and we saw some crazy trades throughout the past 48 hours. Super Bowl teams are making big swings, and others are getting some much-needed depth. It’s been interesting to see all of this play out, but with the dust settled, it’s time to grade it all. Here’s a grade from every trade that happened at the NFL trade deadline.

Josh Downs to Kansas City

KC: A 

IND: A

Compensation: Indianapolis gets a 2027 fourth-round and 2027 fifth-round pick 

The Colts are still making moves, and this time they are getting rid of another wide receiver. They tarded Allen earlier on Tuesday and, at the end, let go of Downs. It’s a win for the Colts, getting as much as they can from this roster, and they are in a clear blow-it-up type of situation.

For Kansas City, they ended up with some juice at wide receiver. Downs can give them that in the slot. Looking at the Chiefs’ receiver room, it’s a bleak situation with the losses of Tyquan Thornton and Xavier Worthy. A big win for the Chiefs and their quest for another Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes at the helm.

Daiyan Henley to Denver

LAC: B- 

DEN: B 

Compensation: Los Angeles gets a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick 

Just a weird process by the Chargers. An 0-8 team that still refuses to trade its aging pass rusher, Khalil Mack. Instead, they gave up a 26-year-old linebacker who has shown promise in his career and can be around to help turn this franchise around. It’s just been such a weird season for this entire Chargers team and another weird decision.

Denver gets some help in the linebacker room, which they needed. Henley is more of a pass-coverage linebacker, allowing an 85.4 passer rating when targeted. He’s struggled in run defense, but that’s not something the Broncos need him to do down-to-down. A good move by a Super Bowl contender who needed some help on an already dominant defense.

Kirk Cousins to Minnesota

MIN: B 

LV: A+ 

Compensation: Las Vegas gets a 2027 third-round pick 

It’s a great move for the Vikings, but they get a B for it. The fact it’s even come to this is just poor roster management by this franchise. You had Cousins in the building, you had Sam Darnold, you had Daniel Jones, and you had JJ McCarthy. All have walked out the door and looked better than the options this team has rolled out for the past two seasons. The McCarthy situation is a unique one; it was clear both sides needed a fresh start, but for the other three it’s unexcusable. Regardless, Cousins is now in the building, and he should elevate his offense to a degree it hasn’t seen this season. Cousins ranks second in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 20.

The Raiders operated this situation perfectly. Signed Cousins for basically nothing and got nine games out of him. All while the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, got to sit down and learn. It’s a great move by general manager John Spytek, getting something back for Cousins, who wasn’t gonna be on the roster after this year.

Amani Hooker to Buffalo

BUF: A 

TEN: A+ 

Compensation: Tennessee gets a 2027 second-round pick 

This is a win for both teams. Buffalo needed help in its secondary badly. Even with a win on Monday Night Football and holding Minnesota to six points, it was more of a Minnesota problem than the Bills playing well. The Bills currently rank 21st in the NFL in passing success rate allowed. Buffalo runs dime at the third-highest rate in the NFL, so Hooker should make an immediate impact. He can make plays in the box or in the open field. He’s up to five interceptions this season for Tennessee, just a major win for this Buffalo defense. What’ll be intersing tos ee if defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard starts to run some more complicated coverage on the back end. It’s felt like he’s been forced to be more vanilla with the talent he’s been given. Hopefully Hooker can let him expand the playbook.

Pretty much the same reasoning as the Simmons trade for Tennessee. This team isn’t ready to win, and getting a second-round pick for a safety who didn’t fit the timeline is a win. It’ll be intersing tos ee the type of haul the Titans get out of this 2027 draft class.

Keenan Allen to San Francisco

SF: B 

IND: A 

Compensation: Indianapolis gets a 2027 sixth-round pick 

The 49ers have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season at the receiver position, so this trade isn’t surprising. The reason it’s a B for me is getting another aging receiver who could deal with injuries, and where does Allen fit when everyone comes back? Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, and De’Zhaun Stribling are all injured at the moment. When they do come back, it’ll be hard to see how Allen gets on the field consistently. But for the time being, this move should prove worthwhile for the 49ers.

Looking at the Colts, it’s not a major move. The team needs as many picks as possible for the rebuild that it’s undergoing.

Jordan Davis to Jacksonville

JAX: B+

PHI: A 

Compensation: Philadelphia gets a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick 

This is a heavy price to pay for Davis, who hasn’t been playing like his 2025 self so far this season. But with the loss of Davon Hamilton, the Jaguars needed interior defensive line help, and Davis should provide that. Davis ranks 38th in run-stop percentage, which will have to go up to make this trade worth it. The Eagles gave Davis a three-year, $78 million contract extension this offseason after he ranked top-15 in run-stop percentage in 2025.

Davis fills the exact need Jacksonville has. If he can create more second- and third-down longs for this Jaguars defense. Anthony Campanile knows how to turn up the heat at the right times with pressure looks. The reason this gets a B+ is the concern that Davis doesn’t live up to the draft capital given up, or that the Jaguars don’t make a deep run in the postseason.

For the Eagles, this is easily an A. It’s clear this current version of the Eagles won’t win a Super Bowl, and general manager Howie Roseman understands that. Philadelphia now has two first-round picks in back-to-back drafts.

Jessie Bates III to Jacksonville

JAX: B+  

ATL: A 

Compensation: Atlanta gets a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick 

Again, I can’t blame an NFL team going all-in to win a Super Bowl. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone clearly learned from his former boss, Rams general manager Les Snead. He doesn’t give a damn how many picks it’ll take; he’s gonna get the players he wants to make his roster competitive. That’s the reason this trade doesn’t get an A: giving up a second-round pick for a safety who will be a free agent this offseason.

On the football side, Bates is another addition to this defense that will make an immediate impact. Looking at the numbers, the Jaguars’ defense is a top-10 unit in most metrics and top-five in EPA allowed. The one place the defense lacks is in the middle of the field, where it struggles to create disruption through pass breakups, ranking 17th in the league. Campanile wants to run dynamic looks at the line of scrimmage, which means the team needs to have defensive backs who can operate in a complicated system and be sure-fire tacklers. Bates can do that and will thrive in this scheme. It’s good to see him finally compete on a Super Bowl-caliber team.

For Atlanta, it’s a great get for a player who likely wanted a high payday in a couple of months. Atlanta is fighting for its division, but it’s hard to turn away a second-round pick for a safety entering his 30s.

Davon Godchaux to Jacksonville

JAX: B 

NO: B- 

Compensation: New Orleans gets a 2028 sixth-round pick 

This is more of a rotational player for the Jaguars, which is why this trade won’t be graded as highly. The Jaguars need players who can stop the run after losing Hamilton. Davis helps with that, but Godchaux also contributes. Jacksonville runs a light-box 46.9 percent of the time, ranking 10th highest in the NFL. Campanile doesn’t want to waste resources on stopping the run, meaning he wants big bodies who can eat space. Godchaux is 330 pounds, so he certainly helps with that.

For New Orleans, they’ve already struggled to stop the run, and losing Godchaux doesn’t help. Getting a pick for a player you likely weren’t going to extend is always a win for a franchise, but with them trying to compete for the NFC South, it’s hard to look past getting rid of a player like Godchaux. He hasn’t played as well as he did in New England earlier in his career, but was one of the better defensive tackles the Saints had.

Andre Cisco to Detriot

DET: B- 

NYJ: B 

Compensation: New York gets a 2028 sixth-round pick 

Detriot ranks 28th in EPA per pass allowed, and it’s the main reason many don’t consider the Lions a Super Bowl team. The offense can get it done, but the defense has let this team down throughout the season. Cisco isn’t a needle mover, but adds another body to a defensive back room that needs talent. He’s primarily played the free safety role in his career and has one pass breakup in seven targets. The reason Detroit doesn’t get a higher grade is that this doesn’t necessarily fix their needs. It’s a start, but I would’ve liked to see them be a bit more aggressive.

It was clear Cisco wasn’t a long-term option for New York. He hasn’t seen more than 60 snaps since Week 3 of this season. It’s a miracle they got anything for him, so they get a B.

Jacoby Brissett to Baltimore

BAL: B-

ARI: A 

Compensation: Arizona gets a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick 

This was a lot to give up for Brissett, who has been a journeyman throughout his career. The Ravens are currently fighting to make the AFC Playoffs, sitting at 4-5 and last place in the AFC North. While he’s a better option than Joe Fagnano, I don’t know how much he’ll raise the ceiling of this Baltimore offense. He won’t add the dual-threat aspect that offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has been used to in Baltimore, but he can operate the offense at a basic level. It’s hard to throw in the towel on a season in early November, so it makes sense why Baltimore made this move. Just think it’s too much for a quarterback who just got benched for Gardner Minshew.

This is a win for Arizona getting a fourth-round pick for Brissett. They had to give up a fifth-rounder in the process, but getting anything back for Brissett, who wasn’t the long-term starter, is a win.

Jeffery Simmons to Chicago

CHI: A+ 

TEN: A 

Compensation: Tennessee gets a 2027 first-round pick, a 2027 fourth-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick 

In two games with Chicago, Simmons has five pressures, two sacks, and five run-stop tackles. It’s a lot to give up for a defensive tackle, but not when it’s the best defensive tackle in the league. He’s impacted the Bears’ defense in bigger ways than just getting pressure; he’s changed the entire complexion of it. Dennis Allen loved to turn up the heat and pressure quarterbacks with double-mug looks. Throughout the past two weeks, the Bears have gone from a top-five blitzing team prior to Simmons to the 24th-highest blitzing team with Simmons. Now, Allen still is using those double-mug looks but is using more stunts and simulated pressures. Simmons has made Chicago into a Super Bowl contender, which is worth the capital given up.

It hurts to lose a franchise icon, but for two first-round picks it’s worth it. Simmons wasn’t on the same timeline as the Titans with him in his prime. Tennessee can now use the additional capital to help build a more sustainable roster around Cam Ward.

DeForest Buckner to San Francisco

SF: A- 

IND: B+ 

Compensation: Indianapolis gets a 2027 fourth-round pick

San Francisco is trying to make a run for the Super Bowl, and they needed more bodies along the defensive line. So, why not trade for an old franchise star? Bucker started his career in San Francisco and gives the 49ers exactly what they were missing. A powerful defensive tackle who can rush the passer and stop the run. With San Francisco’s long rookie Gracen Halton this past Sunday, the trade looks even better for the 49ers.

The Colts probably could’ve held out and maybe gotten more for Bucker. That was my initial thought. It’s still clear this team needs as many picks as possible, so getting rid of Buckner hurts, but it’s a great move for Indianapolis.

Quenton Nelson to Seattle

SEA: A 

IND: B 

Compensation: Indianapolis gets a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick 

As much as I liked the initial trade for the Seahawks, it hasn’t panned out, but we’ll stay put at an A for now. He’s currently week-to-week dealing with a knee injury, which held him out for Week 9. Still, he’s exactly the type of player this Seahawks team needs to help get this run game going for Seattle. He looked good against the Bears in his debut and truly opened up some nice lanes in the running game. Nelson has been a top-three guard for years in the NFL; the only reason the Colts didn’t get more was the age of Nelson. He’s 30 years old heading into the back half of his career.

For the Colts, I’ve said it multiple times. It sucks to get rid of franchise legends, but they need picks. They don’t have a first-round pick this year, so anything helps this team in its current rebuild.