Projecting stats, impact for top 2025 NFL trade deadline acquisitions: How much will Cowboys, Colts benefit?

The 2025 NFL trade deadline was far from quiet. This week's cutoff for deals brought this year's number of in-season acquisitions to a record high, and the rebuilding New York Jets led the charge, selling a pair of All-Pro talents to add three different first-round draft picks to their offseason arsenal.

Even before Deadline Day, a handful of teams were busy shuffling rosters for the home stretch, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles notably adding three different veterans to their defense, including a pair of former first-round talents in pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Making an in-season splash is one thing. Getting legitimate results from said gambles is another. We know that some deadline deals can have ripple effects for years, but that's for both better and worse. So which of this year's most notable trades figure to have an instant and sizable impact on the NFL standings?

We assessed each of the biggest names to be moved within a week of Tuesday's official deadline, reviewing their career production, new outlook and respective team schedules to forecast their statistical and win-column impact:

2025 NFL midseason team grades: Colts, Patriots earn 'A' for unexpected rise; Bengals get 'F' for poor defense

Tyler Sullivan

WR Jakobi Meyers (Jaguars)

• Projected stats: 38 catches, 417 yards, 3 TDs
• Jaguars' projected final record: 9-8

Meyers is a proven possession target who should see instant action with top wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter both nursing injuries. Accordingly, he should be a fairly safe bet to replicate, if not exceed, his pace of production with the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. On the other hand, no receiver has been a truly safe bet when catching passes in a Trevor Lawrence-led offense. So we're not anticipating his arrival suddenly vaulting Jacksonville to the top of the AFC South.

WR Rashid Shaheed (Seahawks)

• Projected stats: 31 catches, 424 yards, 2 TDs
• Seahawks' projected final record: 12-5

Shaheed feels like the perfect complement to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who's been lights out as the go-to outlet for Sam Darnold. Whereas "JSN" does everything well, Shaheed is a bona fide field-stretcher who should also expand Seattle's deep game. That's why we expect him to average close to 14 yards per catch, a bump from his mark with the New Orleans Saints this year but just below his career average as a big-play threat.

DE Keion White (49ers)

• Projected stats: 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits
• 49ers' projected final record: 11-6

White already made his San Francisco debut after the New England Patriots unloaded him from Mike Vrabel's defensive scheme. He was predictably quiet while trying to integrate to Robert Saleh's designs. We don't anticipate a major bump here, and the 49ers probably don't, either, considering they only swapped late-round picks to secure him. He feels much more like a low-risk, high-reward flyer for 2026.

DT Quinnen Williams (Cowboys)

• Projected stats: 3.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 7 quarterback hits
• Cowboys' projected final record: 7-9-1

Jerry Jones' surprise blockbuster addition, Williams is no doubt set to be the face of Dallas' defense for his first half-season in Arlington, instantly giving the Cowboys' front a proven gap-plugger. Next to Kenny Clark, he shouldn't need much time to get his numbers back on par with his Pro Bowl run with the New York Jets. The issue is the Cowboys still don't necessarily have the fortitude on the back end to get Williams and Co. to the postseason.

DL Dre'Mont Jones (Ravens)

• Projected stats: 3.0 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 7 quarterback hits
• Ravens' projected final record: 10-7

The flurry of Cowboys moves on Tuesday means Baltimore taking a flyer on Jones isn't getting nearly enough attention. While the former Denver Broncos standout didn't exactly live up to big-money standards with the Seahawks from 2023-2024, he helped give the otherwise lowly Tennessee Titans some punch up front. Now he's joining Baltimore at the right time, with lynchpins like Roquan Smith back in the lineup for a last-gasp playoff bid.

LB Logan Wilson (Cowboys)

• Projected stats: 54 tackles, 2 pass breakups, 1 INT
• Cowboys' projected final record: 7-9-1

Jerry Jones' first addition to the Cowboys on Tuesday, Wilson is moving from one atrocious defense to another, leaving a Cincinnati Bengals squad that had him spearheading an opportunistic unit during the club's 2021 Super Bowl appearance. Now 29, Wilson is bound to post high-volume marks at the heart of Dallas' "D," likely getting him more than 100 tackles on the year for fifth straight season. He can't do it all, though, which is the Cowboys' issue.

OLB Jaelan Phillips (Eagles)

• Projected stats: 4.0 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits
• Eagles' projected final record: 13-4

The former Dolphins first-rounder stood out as a logical Philly target ever since his name first surfaced on the trade block, not only because of the Birds' clear need for added edge rushing help but because of his ties to Vic Fangio and longer-term upside at age 26. Durability has been an issue for Phillips, but he figures to work in rotation to start. And Fangio got the best of him during their lone season together in Miami. This marriage feels much more natural than, say, the Robert Quinn rental that never panned out for general manager Howie Roseman back in 2022.

CB Sauce Gardner (Colts)

• Projected stats: 9 pass breakups, 1 INT
• Colts' projected final record: 12-5

The biggest splash of the deadline based on compensation, Gardner is certainly in a better spot, exiting Aaron Glenn's rebuilding Jets defense for a Colts squad boasting a top 10 scoring "D" atop the AFC South. Accordingly, we've got him snagging just his second pick of the last two and a half seasons. His mild ball production means we're not going overboard there; he may instead funnel potential picks to fellow veterans like Cam Bynum. There's little question he makes Indy's secondary better; the question is whether general manager Chris Ballard may regret surrendering two first-rounders to do so ... or if Ballard will stick around beyond 2025 at all.

CB Jaire Alexander (Eagles)

• Projected stats: 4 pass breakups
• Eagles' projected final record: 13-4

He may be the biggest name added to the Eagles' all-star roster as of late, but in truth, Alexander's been a shell of himself for a while. Remember, he was a hyped, albeit affordable, addition to Baltimore's secondary this offseason, only to barely earn snaps as the Ravens' defense folded early in 2025. He might be reinvigorated inside a more talented Eagles unit, but we still expect him to serve more of an emergency/rotational role as an outside corner.

CB Michael Carter II (Eagles)

• Projected stats: 6 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery
• Eagles' projected final record: 13-4

If either of the Eagles' two new corners is likely to have a sneakily high level of impact, it's probably Carter, who drew rave reviews from Howie Roseman for his slot coverage skills after arriving from the Jets. His experience there could enable the Birds to slide youngster Cooper DeJean to the outside on more occasions, giving the secondary added flexibility down the stretch. We like Carter's chances of carving out a longer-term job here.

S Kyle Dugger (Steelers)

• Projected stats: 3 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles
• Steelers' projected final record: 10-7

Dugger already suited up in black and gold during Pittsburgh's Week 9 win over the Colts, and he figures to remain a central piece of Mike Tomlin's secondary while vets like DeShon Elliott, Jabrill Peppers and Chuck Clark nurse injuries. The ex-Patriots prospect may not be primed for a splashy stat line, but his build and experience suggest he'll be on the field for as many snaps as possible as the Steelers scratch their way into the playoff picture.