With the NFL Draft deadline approaching, teams forecasted as sellers will look to utilize the deadline as an opportunity to unload some cap space as well as gain draft capital to assist with rebuilds.
A team like the New Orleans Saints could cash in at the deadline given they have a player who could be considered a prize for the teams considered buyers at the trade deadline. Take a player like Chris Olave who is under team control through 2026. Any team who trades for him will have him for the remainder of 2025 and 2026 with the option of extending him.
With this talent, teams like the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants should be on the phone seeing what it would take to get him out of New Orleans. With the price being a potential first round pick, teams like the Patriots and Giants may steer away considering those two franchises are still building.
A team that could be a Chris Olave away from the Super Bowl are the Bills. Would they spend a first-round pick on a player who would excel catching the ball from Josh Allen?
2026 NFL Draft: Olave to Bills shakes up the draft board
The question to that answer is yes. One of the Bills top needs going into the 2026 NFL Draft will be at wide receiver. It makes sense for them to give up a mid-to-late first round pick for Olave who would be instantly the No. 1 receiver on the squad. The addition of Olave would take pressure off Keon Coleman and give Allen another sure bet option down the field.
On the other side of the trade, the Saints gain another first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft which would give them flexibility at the top of the draft as well as options to use those picks in other trades to gain more draft capital. A big win for both teams and a NFL Trade Deadline trade that shakes up the draft board.
2026 NFL Mock Draft Top 5: Jets land hottest QB prospect, Ravens land top playmaker
In a draft order determined by current record, the New York Jets start it off with the No. 1 overall pick.
No. 1: New York Jets – Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
The New York Jets will have their choice between the hottest quarterbacks in the nation with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. In a hard decision between Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, the Jets go with Mendoza who has been lighting it up for the undefeated Hoosiers. This decision may come because of a Week 7 battle between Indiana and Oregon in which Mendoza outdueled Moore. What will stand out is how Mendoza bounced back in that game after throwing a crucial interception.
No. 2: Cleveland Browns – Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Don’t let Oregon’s loss to Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers fool you, Dante Moore is still one of the top 2 or 3 quarterbacks in the nation and will go to the Browns at No. 2. The idea here is that the Browns will see what they have in both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders the rest of the season and will add another talented arm for another summer of QB competition. With the roster the Browns have, an elite caliber prospect like Moore could be the icing on the cake for this organization to have the type of complete team that can run the AFC North.
No. 3: Baltimore Ravens– Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Raven are 1-5 and on the brink of giving up on the 2025 NFL season. There is still a chance the Ravens bounce back when Lamar Jackson returns, but in the meantime two big areas of need has been exposed. The Ravens’ defense needs a boost, and they also need a top receiver. With the No. 3 overall pick, they go with a sure bet wide receiver in Jordyn Tyson who Lamar Jackson will love. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver has already racked up 523 receiving yards this season and has a big matchup against the undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders in Week 8. A big game could solidify him as a top 5 2026 NFL Draft prospect.
Since we don't play football today, enjoy 7 minutes of Jordyn Tyson receptions 🎬 pic.twitter.com/tdYHbcszYz
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 4, 2025
No. 4: Miami Dolphins – Rueben Bain Jr., ED, Miami (FL)
With Tyson off the board, the Dolphins take a big opportunity to add an edge rusher to their defense. With the No. 4 overall pick the Dolphins take Rueben Bain Jr who is already dominating while playing in South Beach. As one of the most ferocious pass rushers in the nation, Bain will replace either or both Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips who could go at the trade deadline. The Dolphins will have a long way to go to fix their defense, but Bain Jr. up would be one, explosive first step.
No. 5: New Orleans Saints – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The Saints potential blockbuster trade at the 2025 NFL Draft deadline sending Chris Olave to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 NFL Draft first round pick will allow the Saints to address another area of need at No. 5. With Spencer Rattler looking like a staring-caliber QB, the Saints decide to replace Olave with USC’s Makai Lemon with the No. 5 overall pick. The second-ranked WR in the draft and second receiver taken in the top 5, Lemon has the skillset to do many of the things Olave does, he’s fast, big and can get up and snag the ball over defenders. He will be an impactful piece in the Saints’ rebuild.