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The 2025 trade deadline provided the NFL's most action-packed trade deadline of the 21st century

Twenty-seven players were traded in season in 2025, the most during a year in the past 25 seasons. Three first-round picks changed hands and went over to the New York Jets in their star-studded moves that shipped All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. The 2025 Jets are the only two in the last 45 years to trade two former first team All-Pros in the same day, per CBS Sports Research. 

With roster around the league solidified with the traded deadline now in the past, here's a look at which NFL teams improved the most, and which teams should have picked up the phone. 

Who improved the most

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys entered the 2025 NFL trade deadline with a defense that has played like hot garbage through the first half of the season. They're allowing the second-most points per game (30.8 points per game) in the league. They're also the second-worst third down defense (52.6% third down conversion rate allowed) in the last 50 years ahead of only the 1982 Kansas City Chiefs (52.8%). 

One can certainly argue about the price the Cowboys paid (a 2026 second-round pick, better of Cowboys and Packers 2027 first-round pick and DT Mazi Smith) to acquire New York Jets All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. However, it's inarguable that the 27-year-old All-Pro can make a major impact for Dallas in both the run game and the pass game. Williams' 40.0 career sacks are the third-most among 300-pound players since he joined the NFL as the third overall draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He can also shine against the run since his 13 runs stuffs for a loss or no gain are the second-most in the NFL this season, according to Next Gen Stats via NFL Research. 

Adding veteran linebacker Logan Wilson in exchange for a seventh-round pick is a nice flier on a player who could at least send the struggling Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn to the bench.

New York Jets

The 2025 New York Jets (1-7) are the only team with multiple in-season trades for first-round picks in the past 25 seasons. New York isn't one of the most improved teams on paper today, but they are one of the league's most improved teams in terms of their future outlook. They now have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2026 and a whopping three first-round picks in 2027. There's obviously the mystery element with who they end up picking, but they should be able to fill out their roster nicely over the next two years. 

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are currently the AFC's No. 1 seed with a 7-2 record in large part to having the best scoring offense in football (32.2 points per game). 

Defensively, Indianapolis had some holes. They enter Week 10 ranked 26th in pass defense (244.8 passing yards per game allowed), 29th in third down defense (45.7% third down conversion rate allowed) and dead last in passing yards per game allowed outside the numbers (152.2 passing yards per game allowed). 

That weakness was shaping up to be a problem, especially if they're looking at facing quarterbacks like Josh Allem, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert and potentially Lamar Jackson in the postseason. They paid a steep price for a 25-year-old All-Pro in cornerback Sauce Gardner, but he helps fix Indianapolis' Achilles Heel. He's forced a tight window throw on 52% of the passes thrown his way, the highest rate of any player targeted at least 20 times in coverage per Next Gen Stats, via NFL Research.   

If Daniel Jones proves his five-turnover performance at the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 was just an aberration and not an omen of things to come, the Colts are a real deal Super Bowl contender. 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks just gave quarterback Sam Darnold, who leads the NFL with a 9.6 yards per pass attempt average, one of the best deep receiving wide receivers in the league by trading for Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints. Shaheed has 11 career touchdowns of 40 or more yards since 2022, the third-most in the league in that span behind only two All-Pros in Tyreek Hill (12) and Ja'Marr Chase (13).

Shaheed was also coached by current Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in New Orleans last year. Seattle has a shiny new weapon for Darnold to go along with 2025 NFL receiving yards leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba (948 yards receiving) and 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The Seahawks' passing game capabilities are now up there with the NFL's best. 

Who should have made moves

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs needed help at the running back position. Their running backs have combined to rank 28th in the league in scrimmage yards per game and 27th in the league in scrimmage yards per touch. 

The New York Jets ran a fire sale on most of their core, and running back Breece Hall, who is in the last year of his rookie deal, would have made so much sense for the Chiefs. Hall is one of three active players averaging over 60 yards rushing per game and 30 yards receiving per game for their career along with  Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey. Big miss by the defending AFC champs. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield looks like one of the league's best, but his ceiling could be limited in the playoffs because of his offensive line's durability. Both guard Cody Mauch and offensive tackle Luke Goedeke are on injured reserve, and three of his five offensive linemen have missed at least three games this season. 

Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio, one of Mayfield's former blockers in Cleveland, would have made perfect sense. He is one of five players with a Pro Bowl selection in each of the last seven seasons, and he's only missed two games in the last nine seasons. The 2025 season is also a contract year for him, so Bitonio could have been had for cheap. That's a big miss by the Buccaneers front office. 

Buffalo Bills 

The Buffalo Bills (6-2) have a clear area of need on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Josh Allen needs receiver help: he is averaging the shortest average pass length targeting wide receivers (8.5) in the NFL this season despite his rocket launcher right arm. Wide receiver Keon Coleman has taken a big step back this season: he's averaging just 9.8 yards per catch this year after producing a 19.2 yards per catch average a season ago. That's the largest year-over-year decrease (-9.4) by any player since 2000, minimum 35 targets. Allen needs a deep ball target badly. 

Buffalo's defense is also rough in terms of their run defense: they rank 31st in the NFL in yards per carry allowed this season (5.4), and defensive tackle Ed Oliver is out indefinitely with a torn biceps injury. Defensive tackle depth remains a critical issue for the Bills.