Feb. 26, 2026, 11:42 a.m. ET

The first deal of the new campaign was struck on Thursday morning, when the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans agreed upon a player-for-player swap involving defensive end Jermaine Johnson and defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat. So, will this prove to be an opening salvo for a bustling offseason?

Well, if it is, then there are plenty of other intriguing names to keep tabs on in the coming weeks. And 15 of those names were tabbed by ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Ben Solak in their rankings of 2026’s top trade candidates, a list that links Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs to the Carolina Panthers.

Graziano writes:

Hobbs was a free agent signing for Green Bay just last year. But he dealt with injuries in 2025 and bounced between slot corner and outside corner duties when he was on the field. He seems better cast as a slot corner, but the Packers aren’t short on those, and it’s possible they could see him as a valuable trade candidate who could help them pick up an extra draft pick or two. He has a $6.25 million roster bonus due on the third day of the league year, so if a deal happened after that, it’d be even cheaper for the acquiring team.

Green Bay wasn’t the only team interested in Hobbs during free agency last year, and if there’s a slot corner market out there, it might make sense for the Packers to see what they can get.

Carolina should be in on that slot corner market, as they’ve struggled to man that position for the past few seasons. Their most recent attempt at a solution was 2024 fifth-round pick Chau Smith-Wade, who has yet to garner full confidence in the role.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

Given the increasing importance of fielding a reliable nickel defender, the Panthers may want to look into Hobbs—who, prior to his stint with the Packers in 2025, recorded 57.5 percent of his career snaps from the slot.

The 26-year-old’s injury-shortened season in Green Bay limited him to 11 games.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.