5 Stars Who Could Be Traded During 2026 NFL Draft

Nothing is guaranteed, but a few star players could be on the move ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Of course, the biggest name that'll be mentioned in trade rumors is none other than Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Although he has racked up 5,034 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns since taking his talents to the City of Brotherly Love, there are rumblings about him being unhappy in Nick Sirianni's offense.

Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer recently said that a blockbuster trade involving Brown feels inevitable.

"The Eagles did little to quell a growing sense from league insiders that an [A.J. Brown] trade has become more of an inevitability than an uncertainty," McLane wrote.

Even if Brown stays in Philadelphia for the 2026 season, there are a few names worth monitoring during the NFL Draft.

Expect the Giants and 49ers to be active in trade talks.

Over the past week, Dexter Lawrence has voiced his frustration with the New York Giants. The former first-round pick from Clemson initially requested a new contract despite the fact that two seasons remain on his four-year, $90 million deal.

Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reported Thursday, however, that Lawrence no longer wants a new deal from the Giants.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora, meanwhile, is reporting that Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux could also be on the move.

"They want a three for Thibodeaux but they'll take a four," a general manager told La Canfora. "I think he's worn out his welcome there."

As for the San Francisco 49ers, it's no secret they're unhappy with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk, who hasn't played a snap since suffering a torn ACL on Oct. 20, 2024, had $27 million in guarantees voided from his contract last year. General manager John Lynch has already made it clear that Aiyuk won't be coming back for the 2026 season.

"I think it's safe to say that he's played his last snap with the Niners," Lynch said. "It's unfortunate. A situation that just went awry. And I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. And I think that this was a case where that happened."

All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams has also been floating around in trade rumors, with the Kansas City Chiefs being mentioned as a potential suitor.

As of this moment though, it sounds like the 49ers will work out their differences with Williams.

"What I'll tell you is that in recent weeks I've met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor, and had really good, productive and substantive meetings," Lynch said, via ESPN. "And so, here's what I know. Trent loves being a Niner. We love having Trent as a Niner and it's up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle. There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he's been. He's going to be 38 years old and so there's some things that go into that, but I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where that's going."

We'll see if any of these notable players are dealt before or during the NFL Draft.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 9:11 AM.