5 players on defense Jets could target via trade during 2026 NFL Draft
· Yahoo Sports
The NFL Draft is less than a week away and the 2026 season is make or break for the New York Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets were very active in free agency, signing veteran players who not only have experience playing for Glenn, but also to serve as leaders for the younger players on the roster.
The cupboard in free agency is very bare and while the Jets could still look for talent at bargain prices, there will be plenty of players available on the trade market over draft weekend. New York could take advantage of another team's cap situation as they continue to make improvements to their roster before training camp begins in July.
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Here are five players on defense who could be available during draft weekend:
Maxx Crosby
To say the situation in Las Vegas between the Raiders and one of their star players is awkward would be an understatement. The Raiders had agreed to a deal to trade Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for multiple first-round picks, but the trade wouldn't be official until the start of the new league year. In a stunning move, the Ravens backed out of the deal right before the free agency period began after Crosby failed his physical and he is now back with the Raiders.
For the time being, Crosby is stuck between a rock and a hard place with a team that doesn't really want him. Making matters worse, the longer he stays with the Raiders, the more awkward things get between player and team. He's one of the top pass rushers in the league at 28 years old and finished with 10 sacks last year, giving him double-digit sacks in three of his last four seasons. But, he also signed a three-year extension for over $100 million last year, so any team that acquires him is on the hook for close to $72 million over the next two years.
The Jets badly need to improve a pass rush that ranked towards the bottom of the league and while they added players in free agency like Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare and David Onyemata, adding a pass rusher like Crosby is a game changer and pairing him with Will McDonald would make them an elite unit. But, the money owed to Crosby and the drama surrounding his knee injury makes trading for him a major risk.
Kayvon Thibodeaux
The fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft has been a bit of a disappointment over his last two years and while the Giants picked up his fifth-year option for this season at $14.6 million, Thibodeaux is a prime candidate to be traded as he'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
After an 11.5 sack season in 2023, Thibodeaux has only 8 combined sacks over his last two years with Big Blue. There's also been some durability issues as he's missed 12 games over those two seasons as well. While the Giants have expressed interest in keeping him, they're also strong at defensive end with Brian Burns and last year's first round-pick, Abdul Carter. After the Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, they could shop Thibodeaux during the draft to see if they can get something in return rather than letting him walk for nothing after the season.
Budda Baker
The Arizona Cardinals are officially in rebuild mode for 2026 with the hiring of former Rams and Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as head coach and Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. If they're looking to potentially add some draft capital during next weekend, Baker could be a target for the Jets secondary.
The Jets overhauled their secondary during the offseason, acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins as well as signing former New York Giant Dane Belton. They brought back Andre Cisco on a one-year deal and also have Malachi Moore, their fourth-round pick from last year.
Baker's numbers dropped last season, but he's still a top safety in the league and just turned 30 years old back in January. He's under contract until 2028 and carries cap hits of $19 and $20 million over the final two years of his deal. He probably won't cost much in picks and it's fair to wonder if his best days are behind him. The Jets will most likely add a safety in the draft to round out the unit, but Baker could be a good veteran addition next to Fitzpatrick in the Jets secondary.
Patrick Queen
Linebacker continues to be a very underappreciated position on most defenses, especially with the Jets. They did address the position in the offseason by bringing back fan favorite Demario Davis on a two-year contract. But, Davis is 37 years old and Jamien Sherwood is coming off a very disappointing season after signing a new deal with the Jets last year.
Queen will be 27 before the start of the season, but he's been a bit of a disappointment with the Steelers. While he did have 17 pressures last year, ranking him 14th out of 88 linebackers, he only had one sack and struggled in coverage with opposing quarterbacks having a combined passer rating of 115.5 against him.
The Jets will most likely use multiple defensive fronts with Aaron Glenn calling plays and they're expected to select Ohio State LB/DE Arvell Reese with the second overall pick in Thursday's NFL Draft. But, they could still use more of a veteran presence at linebacker besides Davis to protect against another disappointing season from Sherwood. Queen will be a free agent after this season and it probably wouldn't cost much in draft capital if the Steelers are seriously considering moving him.
Daron Payne
Payne signed a four year, $90 million contract to stay in Washington in 2023 coming off a season where he had 11.5 sacks. However, Payne's stats fell off and he didn't register more than four sacks in either of his next three years with the Commanders.
He'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season and it's highly unlikely the Commanders will commit big money to him on a new contract. While the Jets are probably set at defensive line with a rotation of T'Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs and David Onyemata, it never hurts to get even stronger at a key position on the defense. Payne's cap hit would be the major hurdle ($26.9 million), but he'll be plenty motivated to have a big season knowing he can cash in as a free agent in 2027 and Aaron Glenn could take advantage of that in order to keep his job.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: 5 players on defense Jets could target via trade during 2026 NFL Draft