NFL teams have trimmed their rosters to 53 players. Hundreds of players who were on rosters Sunday morning have become available. And now comes another flurry of activity as teams reconfigure the bottoms of their rosters by adding from this new pool of players.
Throughout the preseason, we have been scouting players in our weekly stock watch, attempting to highlight risers who could be depth options for needy teams. After Sunday, we now know who is and who is not available. Some of the players we mentioned in the stock watch — like Indianapolis Colts linebacker Tahj Chambers and Carolina Panthers tackle Albert Reese IV — made 53-man rosters. Others did not and are possibilities for other teams.
This is our 2026 waiver wire big board. We will focus this list only on players who are available on the waiver wire.
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Players who were let go on cutdown day fall into two primary buckets. Players with four or more accrued seasons are vested veterans. They immediately become free agents and can sign anywhere they please. Players with three or fewer accrued seasons must pass through waivers. Those waived players can be claimed by any other NFL team during the claiming period, which runs through Monday at 1 p.m ET. The 2025 regular-season standings determine the waiver order, meaning the Las Vegas Raiders have the top priority. The team highest in the order is granted the player if multiple teams claim said player.
The players below are all passing through waivers. They are ranked in order by how we would prioritize them if we were searching for talent on the waiver wire.
1. Bralyn Lux, DB, Cincinnati Bengals
Lux played almost exclusively at nickel for the Bengals defense this preseason. He played well in Week 1. After a slightly down Week 2, he put together a really impressive performance in the Bengals’ Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Lux combines awareness and instincts in coverage with physical run defending. His skill set is an ideal fit at this position. He could also potentially play on the outside, though the Bengals did not experiment with him there in games this preseason. Lux is also capable on special teams. He had a kickoff coverage tackle this weekend.
2. Kapena Gushiken, DB, Philadelphia Eagles
Gushiken made the stock watch for the first two weeks of the preseason, and he is high on the board here. He can play nickel and safety. He is comfortable both playing in the box and in the deep part of the field. Gushiken also flashed repeatedly as a special teams coverage player, especially at gunner. He is quite savvy for a rookie. A versatile defensive back with special teams upside should be attractive on the waiver wire.
3. Christian Jones, OT, Arizona Cardinals
Jones has looked very capable in pass protection for the Cardinals this preseason. He has a feel for timing and space when matched up one-on-one with edge rushers. He has quick feet when moving laterally to mirror rushes. Jones is better as a pass protector than a run blocker. But he took a step forward in the run game in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, including a key block on a long touchdown run. Jones played left tackle and right tackle in the preseason. He is the best swing tackle option on the waiver wire.
4. Will Putnam, C, Las Vegas Raiders
Putnam played well in 43 snaps of extended action in Week 2. He only played 10 snaps in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, but he was again very solid in pass protection. That is the better part of his game. He can anchor against bull rushes. He sees and diagnoses twists and stunts well. Putnam could help a team as a backup center.
5. Jordan Dunbar, CB, Buffalo Bills
Dunbar was an undrafted free agent out of Missouri State this year. He flashed in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns with some instinctive plays in zone coverage. Dunbar followed that up in Week 3 with another sound game in coverage. On one play in the second quarter, Dunbar got turned around early in a down while defending an in-breaking vertical route. He reacted quickly, flipping his hips, accelerating downfield and recovering to take away a throwing lane. Dunbar also does well when breaking on routes in front of him. He needs to improve as a run defender, but he has potential in this phase based on some moments he put on tape.
6. Doneiko Slaughter, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Slaughter is another player who made the stock watch for each of the first two weeks of the preseason. He had a down game in Week 3 as the Steelers lost to the Bills. But there was enough on film over the first two games to show that Slaughter has the potential to land on a 53-man roster after waivers. He can play inside and outside, which is valuable in a corner room. He is better at nickel, where he makes plays as a run defender and coverage player. Slaughter plays with an intriguing competitive fire.
7. Gregory Desrosiers, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Desrosiers, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Memphis, showed signs of his vision and speed through the Chargers’ first two preseason games. He put it all together offensively in Week 3, rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the Chargers’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Desrosiers also made several plays through the preseason as a special teams coverage player. That part of his game will be essential if he finds a landing spot on a 53-man. Third and fourth running backs must make an impact on special teams. Desrosiers proved he is capable of that, while also adding some juice to the rushing attack.
Gregory Desrosiers was second in the NFL in the preseason with 166 rushing yards. (Harry How / Getty Images)
8. Damonic Williams, IDL, Arizona Cardinals
Williams flashed some impressive strength and twitchiness in Arizona’s Week 1 game against the Raiders. Williams made the stock watch that week. He petered out over the remainder of the preseason, but those early flashes are enough to land him on the big board. He has the potential to be very disruptive as a run defender and pass rusher if he can find more consistency.
9. Nate Lynn, edge, New York Jets
Lynn did not sign with the Jets until Aug. 18. Three days later, he had two sacks in New York’s win over the Steelers in Week 2. Lynn added another sack in Week 3 against the New York Giants. Lynn also showed up as a special teams coverage player. He is a compact rusher with some pop who can attack around the edge or even rush over guards on the interior. Lynn might have pushed for the Jets’ 53-man if he just had some more time. He had six pressures over two preseason games, according to TruMedia.
10. Coziah Izzard, IDL, Cleveland Browns
Izzard has bounced around quite a bit in his brief NFL career. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He then spent time on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. This offseason, he was signed by the Cardinals on July 22. He was waived Aug. 3 and then claimed by the Browns. Izzard brings some pass-rush upside as an interior player. He has a sudden get-off and quick hands. He understands how to create leverage in tight spaces. He finished with four pressures and a sack in the preseason. He is less effective against the run.
11. Mory Bamba, CB, New York Jets
Bamba stood out in the Jets’ preseason opener with four passes defended. He is 6-foot-2 and can use that frame to play physically at the line of scrimmage in press alignments. Bamba can play inside and outside. He looked comfortable in man and zone coverage. The issue: Bamba suffered an injury in that Week 1 game and did not practice or play again through the preseason. A little risky given the small sample, but that first game was impressive.
12. Sebastian Valdez, IDL, San Francisco 49ers
Valdez was an undrafted free agent in 2025. He spent last season on the 49ers’ practice squad. He had some quality moments as a run defender this preseason, including a tackle for loss in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Valdez is an impressive athlete for his size at 6-foot-3, 301 pounds. He took special teams reps in the preseason on kickoff coverage and punt return.
13. Melvin Priestly, G, Detroit Lions
Priestly is a decent mover and has some power as a run blocker when he gets a head of steam. He is a fit in a rushing scheme that features more outside zone. Priestly, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Illinois, played left and right guard for the Lions this preseason.
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