The NFL trade deadline is less than one week away, meaning movement is bound to happen across the league prior to November 10.

Teams have been identified as buyers or sellers ahead of the deadline with some organizations looking to upgrade their roster and others looking to trade valuable pieces for future draft capital.

The New England Patriots has been regarded as a buyer in this year's trade deadline conversation due to the pool of injuries that have plagued the Patriots roster. However, others argue that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel are looking to make their team younger and acquire picks at the deadline.

If the Patriots were to buy-in, one position they'll certainly be inquiring about is edge rusher. The conversation around the Patriots needing an edge rusher has been loud over the past several years. This season, New England may have solved their EDGE issues with the emergence of Elijah Ponder and second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas.

ELITE: #PATRIOTS ROOKIE EDGE GABE JACAS HAS BEEN A STEAL.

Through 8 games:
• 3 sacks
• 24 tackles
• 4 TFLs
• 1 INT
• 11th in PFF grade
• 12th in pass-rush grade
• 9th in pass-rush win rate

Jacas ranks FIRST among all rookies in the last three categories.

WHAT A PICK. pic.twitter.com/vcyM4zSiMx

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 3, 2026

Jacas, who leads other rookies at his position in multiple statistics, went down in the second half of New England's victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Right now, his injury designation is listed as a knee issue, which leaves the severity of Jacas' injury up in the air.

While more information will be replaced on Wednesday, when the first injury report is released, the Patriots will need to find a suitable replacement if the injury sidelines the rookie for an extended period of time.

New England also rosters Dre'Mont Jones at defensive end, and they have a number of practice squad players who can play on the perimeter of the line (Jose Ramirez, Xavier Holmes). If the Pats decide to look out-of-house for an Jacas replacement, here's who they should target:

1. YaYa Diaby (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Diaby is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound linebacker for Tampa Bay, who is generating a lot of interest from teams looking for an outside linebacker.

The fourth-year player has been an essential piece to the Buccaneers defense, which has kept its offense in a lot of games that haven't swung their way. Diaby is on the final year of his rookie contract. which means a rental situation could make the price of him much lower than other names on this list.

Unfortunately, Diaby sustained a grade two MCL sprain during Tampa Bay's 16-0 win over Atlanta on Sunday, and is expected to miss several weeks because of it. This makes the rental value of Diaby significantly less, but would also mean the Patriots wouldn't have to give up much for him.

It's unlikely that the front office adds to the hospital waiting room-like lineup they already have by adding another injured player, but if Diaby's return time is sooner than Jacas', there's a chance he's included in a deal.

2. Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers)

The 13-year veteran might not be as nimble as he was years ago, but his defensive impact is certainly still seen in the locker room and on the field. The 0-7 Chargers are looking to find value in their veteran pieces.

Mack is proving that his career isn't on a sharp decline, as he's registered three sacks and 21 tackles this year, and still finds himself on the field for 70% of defensive snaps.

Adding a veteran force in the 35-year-old Mack could make all the difference for this punishing Patriots defensive line. Mack's physical ability fits the mold that Vrabel seeks in his trench players on defense. The $4.4 million cap hit on Mack's contract for the remainder of this season fits well with the cap space New England has after recently restructuring Hunter Henry's contract.

3. Jermaine Johnson II (Tennessee Titans)

Johnson II is a former Pro Bowl defensive end who's on the last year of his rookie contract. Similar to Diaby, Johnson might be a useful rental piece for the Patriots.

Johnson was an offseason trade acquisition for the Titans, coming from the New York Jets. He's emerged as one of the top defensive free agent prospects of the 2027 offseason. Vrabel's history with bringing people from Tennessee to New England could translate here, depsite the two never overlapping in Nashville.

As a member of the 1-7 Titans, Tennessee will also be a team to watch as they move on from their valuable pieces, like Jeffery Simmons, who they sent to Chicago in exchange for two first-round picks among other draft capital.

Johnson has three sacks and 20 tackles on the year, and is a valuable rental option to finish the season with New England before purusing a contract somewhere else.

4. Will McDonald IV (New York Jets)

It's rare for a trade within the division to happen so close to the deadline, especially with a player as talented as McDonald IV.

Between 2024 and 2025, McDonald registered 18.5 sacks, but his role has been downplayed this season due to the arrival of first-round pick David Bailey in New York.

McDonald has one year left on his rookie contract and may try to build a name for himself as a top defensive end before he becomes a free agent in 2028.

5. Tuli Tuipulotu (Los Angeles Chargers)

Should New England call the Chargers about a trade for a defensive end, it might not be Mack they inquire about, but instead Tuipulotu. The fourth-year player meets the theme of almost of every other name on this list by having an expiring contract.

Tuipulotu has three sacks and 30 tackles on the season while also forcing two fumbles. In 2025, he had 13 sacks and 20 tackles for losses en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Similar to Johnson, it's unlikely the Patriots resign Tuipulotu if they acquire him, unless they were to move around other players. Christian Gonzalez's record-breaking contract extension ahead of Week 1, and Drake Maye's eventual record-breaking extension next offseason make long-term trade acquisitions difficult to come by for the Patriots in November.

While there are certainly better options out there for the Pats to pursue at defensive end, these five names make the most sense due to less financial commitment and smaller prices than players like Maxx Crosby or Josh Sweat.