ESPN analyst ranks NFL players by trade value ahead of 2026 season
Daniel Barnwell’s latest trade value guide highlights a league-wide shift where teams are increasingly willing to trade for established superstars, with quarterbacks and edge rushers commanding the highest returns.
ESPN writer Daniel Barnwell has published a comprehensive trade value guide for the 2026 NFL season, ranking 155 players who he estimates are worth at least one first-round draft pick in a trade. The analysis evaluates player ability, position, contract status, and age, noting a league-wide shift where teams are increasingly willing to trade for established superstars.
Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are valued highest at seven first-round picks. Drake Maye and Trevor Lawrence follow at six picks. Other high-value quarterbacks include Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Caleb Williams, each valued at four picks.
The guide indicates that positions such as quarterback, edge rusher, and wide receiver command higher trade returns than running back, tight end, or off-ball linebacker. The article references recent high-profile trades, including the Cowboys trading Micah Parsons to the Packers, the Jets acquiring Sauce Gardner, and the Rams trading for Myles Garrett.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement limits teams to trading draft picks up to three years into the future. The author adjusts valuations based on the 2025 draft class being perceived as weak, leading to a more conservative approach for players selected outside the top 10.
