2026 NFL trade deadline: Jonathan Taylor, Brian Thomas Jr. top candidates
ESPN's new trade deadline rankings put Colts back Jonathan Taylor and Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. atop the list of players who could move before Nov. 10.
Why the 2026 NFL trade deadline is trending
The 2026 NFL trade deadline hits Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. ET, and that search is spiking because ESPN just published its trade deadline rankings. Analyst Matt Bowen and reporter Jeremy Fowler built a list of the top 25 players who would help a new team most if dealt, which is not the same as ranking who is most likely to actually move, and attached each name a percentage chance based on what they are hearing. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. sit at the top of that list.
ESPN is careful about the distinction. All 25 players on the list are at least part of trade conversations right now, with less than two weeks left before the deadline, but the order reflects potential impact, not odds of a deal getting done.
Jonathan Taylor tops the list despite long odds
Fowler puts Taylor's chance of getting traded at 30 percent. Teams he has talked to are not convinced Indianapolis will actually move Taylor even with heavy interest, since he is signed long term and would matter to whoever coaches the Colts next season, current staff or new. Fowler pointed to what Kenneth Walker III has done for Kansas City as proof a premier back can change a team's season just by changing jerseys, and noted the Colts' season has turned ugly enough that more pieces could get moved along with him.
Bowen's tape evaluation backs up the ranking. Taylor is averaging 109.3 total yards per game this season and is tied for the league lead with eight rushing touchdowns. His 17 carries of 10 or more yards are tied for the fourth most in football. Bowen calls him a volume runner with home run speed who also catches the ball on screens and swings, the kind of back who would be an immediate upgrade for a team short a decisive lead rusher. ESPN lists the Seahawks, Commanders, Saints, Broncos and Vikings as fits.
Brian Thomas Jr. drawing more trade buzz than Taylor
Thomas carries a higher predicted trade chance than Taylor, 45 percent, per Fowler, who says league executives are sensing the end of his run in Jacksonville as his targets and playing time have dipped this season. Fowler called it a mystery why the Jaguars and Thomas have not made the fit work, since his size and ability to win deep should be clearing things up underneath for Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, but that plan has not materialized in 2026. Kansas City and Pittsburgh are among the teams already exploring receiver help, per ESPN.
Bowen's read on the tape: Thomas's production has slipped over the past two seasons, but at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds he still has the frame of an X receiver who can separate at multiple levels, which is why teams keep circling.
What's next before the deadline
The clock is as much the story here as any single player. Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 10 to get a deal done, and ESPN's reporting makes clear that interest alone does not mean a trade happens, Indianapolis keeping Taylor remains very possible given his contract. Expect more buzz on both names as the date closes in, with Taylor and Thomas Jr. the two most talked about trade chips on ESPN's board right now.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.