Trade season is upon us, which means rumors and speculation will be rampant. Sometimes the potential trade bait is obvious -- like wide receiver Zay Jones, who was dealt from Buffalo to Oakland last week -- but other candidates seem to come out of nowhere.
One way to discover these potential sleeper picks is to sort through the league's deepest position groups, where there is usually an odd man. Yes, having quality depth is important, but for a contending team, trading a bench player for a regular contributor at another position could help toward a Super Bowl run. For a rebuilding team, a future draft pick can help accelerate the plan.
Here are 10 of the league's deepest position groups, as well as a player from each that makes sense as a potential trade piece at the deadline:
Los Angeles Chargers running backs
The group: Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, Troymaine Pope
We'll start with the obvious one. Gordon unsuccessfully held out the first four weeks of the regular season while backup Ekeler shredded the NFL for 490 scrimmage yards (fifth among running backs) and six offensive touchdowns (first).
Meanwhile, second-year back Jackson racked up 142 yards on only 18 carries (7.9 YPC). Gordon, who couldn't come to an agreement with the Chargers this past offseason, is headed to free agency after the campaign, meaning the 26-year-old will have a new home no later than March.
Ekeler (a restricted free agent this offseason) and Jackson (signed through 2021) are near locks to return in 2020. Gordon makes sense as the one to go if the injuries continue to push the Chargers out of the playoff race.
Odd man out: Gordon
What he could bring in trade: 2020 Day 2 and Day 3 draft picks
Green Bay Packers cornerbacks
The group: Jaire Alexander, Tramon Williams, Kevin King, Josh Jackson, Tony Brown, Chandon Sullivan, Tremon Smith, Ka'dar Hollman, Natrell Jamerson
This one might be a long shot considering the injuries in the secondary for Green Bay, which is a playoff contender.
That said, the Packers are so loaded at cornerback that Jackson, their 2018 second-round pick, has been getting significant run at safety. Green Bay has been rolling with Alexander, Williams and King as its starting corners but struggled to find snaps for Jackson prior to Darnell Savage Jr.'s injury (he's expected to miss a few more weeks). The Packers like 2018 undrafted free agent Brown; Sullivan, a former member of the Eagles, has been solid in limited work, and Hollman was a sixth-round pick in April.
If the Packers make a move to acquire a player of significance, King could be the bait, as he's signed only through 2020 and isn't quite as versatile as Williams -- who isn't quite as valuable to non-contending teams at age 36 -- or Jackson.
Odd man out: King
What he could bring in trade: A starter along the interior offensive or defensive line
San Francisco 49ers defensive line
The group: Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, DeForest Buckner, D.J. Jones, Arik Armstead, Ronald Blair III, Solomon Thomas, Sheldon Day, Jullian Taylor
The 49ers' defense has finally turned the corner, and its heavy investment in the defensive line is a main reason for it. Five of the players listed above were first-round picks; four of them play a significant role. The exception is Thomas, who was the third overall pick in the 2017 draft. He's only 23 but simply hasn't lived up to his pedigree, though he did have a sack on Sunday.
Thomas is versatile enough to play both inside and on the edge, but a lack of effectiveness has led to him playing roughly 32% of snaps this season. Headed to an offseason in which the 49ers probably will decline his fifth-year option, Thomas makes sense for a contending team looking to improve at another position.
Odd man out: Thomas
What he could bring in trade: Impact defensive back, wide receiver or Day 3 draft pick
San Francisco 49ers wide receivers
The group: Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis, Kendrick Bourne, Richie James Jr., Jordan Matthews
Speaking of the 49ers, they're in an interesting situation at wide receiver. They have a lot of young talent in the form of Samuel, Pettis, Bourne, James, Jalen Hurd (IR) and Trent Taylor (IR), as well as seasoned veterans Goodwin and Matthews. However, they're missing a clear No. 1. That could be problematic for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The 49ers could be in the market for a player like A.J. Green at the deadline, and if that's the case, someone has to go. That could be Pettis, who showed flashes as a rookie after being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft. Pettis, though, fell out of favor during the offseason and has been targeted only 15 times this season, though he has played a larger role the past two weeks. If Green is in fact the target, some combination of Pettis, the aforementioned Solomon Thomas and a draft pick could do the trick.
Odd man out: Pettis
What he could bring in trade: 2020 Day 3 draft pick
Tennessee Titans off-ball linebackers
The group: Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans, Wesley Woodyard, Daren Bates, David Long
Woodyard is nearing the end of his 12-year NFL career, but the 33-year-old figures to have more left in the tank. After trailing only Jurrell Casey in snaps during his first five seasons with the team, Woodyard lost his starting job to 2018 first-round pick Evans during the offseason. With Evans and Brown locked in atop the depth chart, Woodyard had played only 18% of the snaps through Week 5, though he played 56 snaps on Sunday.
Granted, Woodyard is a team leader and captain, but if Tennessee begins to fall out of the playoff race or needs to shore up another position, he makes sense as a trade piece. That's especially the case if the team wants to get the rookie Long some run down the stretch. Teams eyeing a veteran linebacker figure to give Tennessee GM Jon Robinson a call this month.
Odd man out: Woodyard
What he could bring in trade: Midround draft pick or help at right guard
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackles
The group: Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Halapoulivaati Vaitai
The nice thing about having solid players at nearly every position? Luxury picks during the NFL draft. That was the case for the Eagles in April, when they selected Dillard No. 22 overall.
Of course, with Johnson locked in at right tackle and Dillard in line to replace the 37-year-old Peters -- for whom Philadelphia needs a long-term replacement -- Vaitai could become expendable.
A 2016 fifth-round pick, Vaitai has made 17 starts and is headed to unrestricted free agency after this season. Eagles GM Howie Roseman is always invested in the trade market, and a team in need of tackle help very well could covet Vaitai in a deadline deal.
Odd man out: Vaitai
What he could bring in trade: Help at wide receiver, defensive tackle or cornerback
Indianapolis Colts cornerbacks
The group: Kenny Moore II, Pierre Desir, Rock Ya-Sin, Quincy Wilson, Marvell Tell III, Shakial Taylor
Moore, Desir and Wilson were solid as the Colts' cornerback trio during 2018's playoff run, but the team still tried to upgrade the group by spending a 2019 second-round pick on Ya-Sin. The rookie quickly leaped Wilson on the depth chart and has been working the perimeter opposite Desir on a full-time basis, with Moore locking down the slot.
That has left 2017 second-round pick Wilson on the outside looking in. He is blocking the path of rookies Tell and Taylor, who could hold down the fort as reserves down the stretch. Wilson could attract cornerback-needy teams and has the benefit of having one year left on his rookie contract.
Odd man out: Wilson
What he could bring in trade: 2020 Day 3 draft pick
Minnesota Vikings cornerbacks
The group: Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Mike Hughes, Jayron Kearse, Kris Boyd, Marcus Sherels, Holton Hill
The Vikings love investing in cornerbacks to the point that GM Rick Spielman's wife joked that he should not come home if he took another one during the draft. He did ... but not until the seventh round (Boyd).
That said, the investment in the position has led to a bit of a logjam. Rhodes is 29 but signed through 2022. Waynes (2015) and Hughes (2018) are recent first-round picks. Alexander has been solid manning the slot, but injuries have opened the door for Kearse and Hughes to help out inside.
With so many options, it makes sense that Waynes could be part of a deadline deal. Both he and Alexander are impending unrestricted free agents, though Waynes' pedigree and ability to hang on the perimeter would be more attractive to cornerback-needy teams. If Waynes is moved, Hughes could slide in opposite Rhodes, with Alexander and Kearse inside and Boyd as depth.
Odd man out: Waynes
What he could bring in trade: 2020 third-round pick
New England Patriots defensive line
The group: John Simon, Chase Winovich, Adam Butler, Lawrence Guy, Michael Bennett, Danny Shelton, Deatrich Wise Jr., Byron Cowart
The Patriots' defense has made a habit of starting slow and finishing great, but Bill Belichick's unit has been nothing short of elite out of the gate this season, allowing only three touchdowns through six games.
Strong depth along the defensive line has been a big part of the success, though most of the production has come from seasoned veterans like Simon, Shelton, Bennett and Guy. Wise, a 2017 fourth-round pick, has been left out of the mix, for the most part. He has yet to emerge as a full-time player, instead playing the role of a versatile depth option at end and tackle.
New England is always active on the trade market, and Wise, who is signed through 2020, could attract teams looking for a young lineman who can play inside and out.
Odd man out: Wise
What he could bring in trade: 2020 late-round draft pick or help on the offensive line or at tight end
New York Jets defensive line
The group: Leonard Williams, Quinnen Williams, Henry Anderson, Steve McLendon, Nathan Shepherd, Folorunso Fatukasi
The injury-plagued, 1-4 Jets likely aren't going anywhere in 2019, so there's little doubt they'll be thinking about the future leading up to the trade deadline. The team has invested heavily in the defensive line in recent years, selecting Leonard Williams in the first round in 2015, drafting Quinnen Williams third overall this past April, signing Anderson to a three-year extension in March and selecting Shepherd and Fatukasi in the 2018 draft.
All but one of those players are under contract for a few more years, with the exception being Leonard Williams. He was the subject of trade rumors during the offseason, so he makes a ton of sense as an impending unrestricted free agent.
Similar to Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson in recent years, Leonard Williams, 25, may no longer be needed in New York but could be a valuable starter elsewhere. The Jets have major short- and long-term needs at multiple positions, including offensive line, edge rusher and corner. Swapping Williams for an impact player at another position makes sense.
Odd man out: Leonard Williams
What he could bring in trade: 2020 Day 2 draft pick