2025 NFL free agency: Best players available on defense
“We can be this year’s Eagles.” The mantra going through 31 buildings across the NFL as free agency approaches is built around imitating what Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman did last offseason to assemble a Super Bowl champion. While draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean proved to be excellent additions at cornerback, the Eagles thrived by adding one of the best free agent classes in a single offseason.
Most teams will go years without landing a first-team All-Pro in free agency. The Eagles landed two in 2024 with running back Saquon Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun. Barkley flourished in a much better offense alongside quarterback Jalen Hurts, while Baun moved from edge rusher to linebacker and exceeded the wildest of expectations. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who left the team in free agency the prior year, returned to the Eagles and picked off six passes. And former Jets tackle Mekhi Becton moved to guard and had a career year on the interior under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Even amid a stellar class, Roseman had his misses. His biggest investment was at edge rusher, where Bryce Huff quickly fell out of favor and was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. Former Bucs linebacker Devin White signed a one-year, $4 million deal with $3.5 million guaranteed, but after he battled injuries in training camp, Baun’s emergence prompted the Eagles to cut White before the start of the regular season.
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Roseman had four of the best signings in free agency and two of the worst, which is a reminder of how difficult the free agent market can be. Most moves don’t work out. Landing the sort of haul the Eagles hit on a year ago happens once every couple of decades. Every team paying attention knows those risks. As the Eagles showed in 2024, though, the upside can justify the risk.
I’m previewing the free agent market (the legal tampering period opens at noon ET, March 10) by going position by position and sorting players by tiers. It’ll give everyone a sense of what the market looks like at each position, how teams will be competing for players and what the expected return for free agent additions should look like. I’ll also include players who might become cap casualties, either before or during free agency, while passing along thoughts on many potential signings along the way.
Last week, I broke down the players on the offensive side of the ball. Monday, I’m hitting defense. Eleven of the defenders who were named to the 2024 Pro Bowl were acquired in free agency, including seven who were signed last offseason. How many Pro Bowl defenders will change teams this offseason?
Jump to a position:
Edge | DT | LB | CB | S
Edge rusher
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
We have occasionally seen elite edge rushers hit the market, with Julius Peppers in 2010 the most prominent example. Given that edge rusher is the league’s highest-paid position outside of quarterback, though, teams usually go out of their way to lock up their star pass rushers before they get close to free agency.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Josh Sweat, Eagles
With 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl LIX, Sweat was my pick as the game’s MVP. He showed he was capable of both bull-rushing through Chiefs linemen and rushing around them to get after Patrick Mahomes. His ability to squeeze the pocket without creating a lane for Mahomes to escape was excellent, and he was valuable when the Eagles used run twists and stunts.
I don’t want to overstate the impact of one game; after all, Sweat had one sack in eight contests before the Super Bowl. Over four years as a starter, though, he has averaged 8.3 sacks and 19 knockdowns per season in a rotation that keeps his snap count down. He turns 28 in March, so any team acquiring him would be in position to capture a prime season as part of the guaranteed money on his deal. He’s probably closer to Tier 2.5 than Tier 2, but the Super Bowl performance is going to linger as teams make their bids in free agency.
Average annual salary projection: $25 million
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:DeMarcus Lawrence, Cowboys; Matthew Judon, Falcons; Khalil Mack, Chargers; Dayo Odeyingbo, Colts; Haason Reddick, Jets; Chase Young, Saints
Potential cap casualties:Joey Bosa, Chargers; Harold Landry, Titans
This tier mostly consists of veterans who can still get after the quarterback and hold up as the main guy in an edge-rush rotation, although most of them probably aren’t in position to play 90% of the defensive snaps as they did at their peak.
The most interesting name from this group appears to be on his way out with the Chargers. Bosa still flashes frequently enough as a disruptor in the backfield to qualify as Pro Bowl-caliber talent, but seeing him on the field has been an issue. He has missed 23 games over the past three seasons, and that doesn’t include three games he left early or 10 more when he was limited to fewer than 50% of the snaps on defense.
That leaves 17 games over the past three years when the Chargers had something close to the full-time version of Bosa. He had nine sacks and 17 knockdowns in those games, which is about where Sweat has been on a game-by-game basis. There’s more variance with Bosa than any other player in this tier: He is capable of a 16-sack season … or he could play three games and never look right.
The two younger players are also interesting. Young’s career was sidetracked by a serious knee injury in 2021 and the general malfeasance that came with playing for the Daniel Snyder-era Commanders. His trade to the 49ers in 2023 didn’t work out, and given his draft pedigree and age, it was telling that he settled for a one-year deal with the Saints last offseason.
While Young wasn’t a starter in New Orleans, he played 63% of the defensive snaps, almost exclusively lining up across from left tackles. He managed only 5.5 sacks, but his underlying metrics were more impressive. He had 21 knockdowns and ranked 22nd among all defenders in pressure rate (10.9%), leading all Saints by both measures. I wouldn’t be surprised if he landed a multiyear guarantee.
And given the paucity of young pass rushers hitting the market, I wonder if Odeyingbo’s deal ends up surprising people. After an eight-sack, 17-knockdown season in 2023, his snap count rose slightly in 2024. He still racked up the same 17 quarterback hits and generated 50 pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but his sack number fell to three. That might be an outlier — pass rushers typically turn about 45% of their quarterback hits into sacks. Odeyingbo was at 46.6% in his career before last season.
The Colts appear committed to Laiatu Latu and Kwity Paye on the edge, which would make Odeyingbo expendable. Coordinator Gus Bradley lined him up as an interior rusher at times on passing downs, which a new team could also try so his 6-foot-6 frame can be a help against guards and centers. Don’t be surprised if his deal exceeds expectations in free agency.
Average annual salary projection: $15 million to $20 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Baron Browning, Cardinals; Calais Campbell, Dolphins; Marcus Davenport, Lions; Dante Fowler Jr., Commanders; Malcolm Koonce, Raiders; Azeez Ojulari, Giants; Charles Omenihu, Chiefs
Potential cap casualties:Leonard Floyd, 49ers; Dre’Mont Jones, Seahawks; Von Miller, Bills; Za’Darius Smith, Lions
Let’s start with the two players who have been around forever. Miller hasn’t been the same since tearing his right ACL two years ago and played limited snaps because of his advancing age (he turns 36 in May) and a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Still, he ranked seventh in the NFL in pass rush win rate among edge rushers with at least 100 rushes last season. And while Campbell will turn 39 before the season begins, the 17-year pro was excellent for the Dolphins last season, racking up 12 tackles for loss while playing 615 defensive snaps. Miller and Campbell will have opportunities if they want to keep playing,
There’s an interesting group of younger players who have battled injuries in this tier. Koonce had a breakout season in 2023 across from Maxx Crosby, with eight sacks and 17 knockdowns, but a torn ACL cost him all of the 2024 season. The Raiders’ latest regime of coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek has no allegiance to Koonce, which might create an opportunity for another team to sign the 2021 third-round pick.
Ojulari’s only full season in four years was when he racked up eight sacks and 13 knockdowns as a rookie in 2021. Since then, he has battled calf, ankle, quad and toe injuries, leading the Giants to draftKayvon Thibodeaux and trade for Brian Burns in 2024. Ojulari has still managed about eight sacks and 14 knocks per 17 games in his career, which would make him useful as a second or third option if he can stay healthy.
Browning also has never completed a full season as a pro, and the Broncos chose to move on from him during the regular season after signing Jonathon Cooper to an extension. He flashed impressive explosiveness during his time with Denver and Arizona, though, as his 21.1% pass rush win rate ranked 15th among regular edge rushers. He was drafted as an inside linebacker before converting to edge rusher — could there still be untapped upside here?
Average annual salary projection: $9 million to $15 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Derek Barnett, Texans; Jonathan Bullard, Vikings; Lorenzo Carter, Falcons; K’Lavon Chaisson, Raiders; John Cominsky, Lions; Clelin Ferrell, Commanders; Michael Hoecht, Rams; Pat Jones II, Vikings; Anthony Nelson, Buccaneers; Emmanuel Ogbah, Dolphins; Joseph Ossai, Bengals; Preston Smith, Steelers; Dawuane Smoot, Bills; Darrell Taylor, Bears; Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Buccaneers; Joshua Uche, Chiefs; DeMarcus Walker, Bears; Jihad Ward, Vikings; Deatrich Wise Jr., Patriots
Potential cap casualties:Yetur Gross-Matos, 49ers; Sam Hubbard, Bengals
At this tier, teams might be signing guys for traits or body types as much as they are for specific players. There’s a wide range here. Hoecht was once a 310-pound defensive tackle who converted to play outside, seemingly so the Rams could drop him into coverage more often than any other player who weighs that much in NFL history. On the other side of the scale, Uche is a 240-pound former linebacker who had an 11.5-sack season with the Patriots in 2022 and nine combined sacks over his other four years in the league. Nominally, they play the same position.
There are second-draft opportunities here for teams that might want to take a flier on former first-rounders. Tryon was the Bucs’ first-round pick the year after they won the Super Bowl and inherited a starting role by Year 2, but he never made it past the five sacks or 14 quarterback hits he had in 2022. Chaisson was anonymous in four years with the Jags, but he showed signs of life with the Raiders in 2024 by playing well enough to get Chiefs tackle Wanya Morris benched in November. The No. 20 overall pick in 2020 had four sacks and six quarterback knockdowns in his final six games in Vegas.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $6 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spots
Free agents:Shaquil Barrett, Buccaneers; Tyus Bowser, Dolphins; Jamin Davis, Jets; Dennis Gardeck, Cardinals; William Gholston, Buccaneers; Jerry Hughes, Texans; Tanoh Kpassagnon, Saints; Carl Lawson, Cowboys; Jacob Martin, Bears; Al-Quadin Muhammad, Lions; Pat O’Connor, Lions; James Smith-Williams, Falcons; Payton Turner, Saints; Brent Urban, Ravens
Potential cap casualties:Cameron Jordan, Saints
The big name here probably is the last one. Jordan is arguably the best player in Saints history outside of Drew Brees, but he has slowed badly over the past two seasons. He had two sacks and six knockdowns in 2023, which was blamed on an ankle injury. The 14-year pro was moved to a reduced role in 2024, and his four sacks included a play when he was unblocked, a snap when the blocking tackle was tripped by the running back and a coverage sack. On any other team, he would be an obvious cap casualty. On the Saints? We’ll see.
Average annual salary projection: $1.25 million to $2 million
Check out some of the stats that convinced the New Orleans Saints to keep Derek Carr as their starting quarterback for 2025.
Defensive tackles
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
The lone franchise player available on the defense a year ago was Chris Jones, who re-signed with the Chiefs. There aren’t any Tier 1 defensive linemen available in free agency this year.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Milton Williams, Eagles
Last seen depositing Patrick Mahomes into the earth with a strip sack in the Super Bowl, Williams has gone from being a two-down run stuffer to a three-down player capable of serving as a 1-technique nose tackle or a 3-technique penetrator. He doesn’t have the silky pass-rushing ability of Jalen Carter, but he can blow up just about any offensive lineman he faces on any given snap.
After a career-high five sacks and 10 knockdowns in the regular season, Williams added two sacks and three knockdowns during Philadelphia’s postseason run. He has been productive on about 48% of the snaps for the Eagles, splitting time with Jordan Davis and occasionally rotating in for Carter. He’ll have a larger role with his new team, and at 25, his best years should still be ahead of him. Williams is similar to Malik Jackson, who parlayed an excellent season and a dominant playoff run for the Broncos in 2015 into a six-year, $85.5 million deal with the Jaguars. Williams could get something close to that range, adjusted for inflation.
Average annual salary projection: $20 million to $25 million
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:D.J. Jones, Broncos; Levi Onwuzurike, Lions
Potential cap casualties:Jonathan Allen, Commanders; Javon Hargrave, 49ers
After Williams, there’s a drop-off to the other young guys in this range. Onwuzurike was one of the few Lions defenders left standing after their brutal run of injuries in 2024. He overcame spinal fusion surgery that cost him all of the 2022 season, and after limited snaps in 2023, the 26-year-old got his first taste of being a starter this past season. He generated 13 QB knockdowns and was solid against the run despite having only 1.5 sacks. But with the Lions giving Alim McNeill a big contract and another on the way for Aidan Hutchinson, Onwuzurike could be sacrificed for a higher-profile addition on the edge.
The 49ers have already agreed to a reduced salary in 2025 with Hargrave, which is almost always a precursor to a player being designated as a post-June 1 release. The Commanders have let Allen explore a trade, which isn’t surprising given the presence of Daron Payne and second-year tackle Jer’Zhan Newton on the interior. Allen is entering the final year of his deal, due more than $16 million in non-guaranteed money and is coming off a season in which he missed nine games with a torn pectoral muscle. I’d expect Washington to find a trade partner for the 2017 first-round pick, but he also could be released.
Dallas’ Osa Odighizuwa would be in this tier, but the Cowboys plan to use the franchise tag on him if the two sides can’t come to terms on a long-term deal, keeping him off the market.
Average annual salary projection: $12 million to $20 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Foley Fatukasi, Texans; B.J. Hill, Bengals; Sheldon Rankins, Bengals; Jarran Reed, Seahawks; Teair Tart, Chargers
Potential cap casualties:David Onyemata, Falcons
The Bengals might be starting over at defensive tackle, where they cut Rankins and haven’t yet made a move to bring back Hill. The former Giants defensive tackle is a year removed from a season with 4.5 sacks and 21 knockdowns, the latter of which is a Pro Bowl-caliber figure for a tackle. Last season wasn’t quite as impressive, but as he turns 30 in April, he should still have a couple of seasons of solid play left in him.
Fatukasi is one of the most underrated players on the market. Signed to a one-year deal after he was released by the Jaguars last offseason, he was impressive for the Texans. Houston had the league’s best EPA per play allowed on defense with Fatukasi on the field, but they fell to ninth with him out six games due to injuries.
Average annual salary projection: $6 million to $10 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Taven Bryan, Colts; Byron Cowart, Bears; Leki Fotu, Jets; Poona Ford, Chargers; Morgan Fox, Chargers; Greg Gaines, Buccaneers; Kevin Givens, 49ers; Austin Johnson, Bills; Benito Jones, Dolphins; Sebastian Joseph-Day, Titans; Javon Kinlaw, Jets; Roy Lopez, Cardinals; Derrick Nnadi, Chiefs; Solomon Thomas, Jets; Tershawn Wharton, Chiefs
Potential cap casualties:Denico Autry, Texans; Jordan Elliott, 49ers; Shelby Harris, Browns
In addition to Tart, who is in the prior tier because of his age, teams likely will target what was an effective defensive tackle rotation for the Chargers in 2024. Coordinator Jesse Minter got great work out of Fox and Ford, the latter of whom should be known as the master of the spin move. Both should all get raises this offseason.
Autry was one of the league’s most underrated players and a big addition for the Texans alongside Danielle Hunter a year ago, but the 34-year-old was suspended for six games and had only three sacks and six knockdowns across 10 games. It would be a surprise if he returned for a second season in Houston at the $9 million he’s owed, but another team should be interested because of his ability to play in a hybrid role as an end on early downs and an interior rusher on passing downs.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $6 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spots
Free agents:Adam Butler, Raiders; Sheldon Day, Commanders; Johnathan Hankins, Seahawks; Maurice Hurst II, Browns; John Jenkins, Raiders; Quinton Jefferson, Bills; Linval Joseph, Cowboys; Jeremiah Ledbetter, Jaguars; Mike Pennel Jr., Chiefs; Jordan Phillips, Bills; Kentavius Street, Falcons; Jerry Tillery, Vikings
The NFL has an endless need for 290-plus-pound defensive linemen who can hold up for 15 to 30 snaps per game without wearing out or getting run over. Those guys can become downright itinerant toward the end of their careers.
Joseph, once a Pro Bowler with the Vikings, has played for five teams in six years. Jenkins, a former Saints draftee, has played for seven different organizations in nine years, including two different stints with the Dolphins. They’re good enough to keep getting opportunities, but teams seem to see these third and fourth defensive tackles on their rosters as mostly interchangeable.
Average annual salary projection: $1.25 million to $2 million
Off-ball linebackers
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
Zack Baun was every bit as good as this tier would suggest in 2024, but it was his first year playing at that level. It seems realistic he will drop off to some level closer to the rest of the pack going forward.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Zack Baun, Eagles
Instead, Baun settles in as an easy pick for Tier 2. He essentially led linebackers in every category he could last season: He had the highest tackle share of any linebacker, was comfortably the best coverage linebacker as the nearest defender in coverage per NFL Next Gen Stats, and he tied for the league lead in stuffs (tackles that generate negative EPA for the offense). Then, just to top things off, he forced three turnovers and recovered two fumbles in the postseason.
If he could be this guy every year, Baun would be one of the league’s most valuable players and a likely bargain whatever the top-end price is for linebackers. There aren’t really great comps to look at given just how dominant of a season he had out of nowhere, but we’ve seen off-ball linebackers have great individual campaigns before dropping off after getting a big deal (De’Vondre Campbell‘s three-year run with the Packers is a good example). Unlike Campbell, Baun had spent most of the previous two seasons playing as an edge rusher with the Saints, which means it’ll be easier for teams to make a case that Baun was really a superstar linebacker all along. One thing’s for sure: He won’t be playing for $3.5 million again.
Average annual salary projection: $16 million to $21 million
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts joins Kevin Negandhi on “SportsCenter” from Walt Disney World and shares how thrilled he is with the team’s defense against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Nick Bolton, Chiefs; Lavonte David, Buccaneers; Dre Greenlaw, 49ers; Ernest Jones IV, Seahawks; Christian Rozeboom, Rams; Jamien Sherwood, Jets; Justin Strnad, Broncos; Bobby Wagner, Commanders; Kyzir White, Cardinals
Potential cap casualties:C.J. Mosley, Jets
The league typically doesn’t value linebacker the way it does most other positions, which means there are plenty of helpful players available in free agency. In this tier alone, there is Bolton, who has been an excellent blitzer and tackler for the Chiefs over the past four years, albeit with a few more missed tackles in 2024 than in previous seasons. David is the quintessential “Hall of Very Good” linebacker. Wagner is an actual future Hall of Famer who played a huge role in rebuilding Washington’s culture last season while posting a solid 89.3 passer rating allowed in coverage.
Greenlaw is going to have an interesting market. He played at a Pro Bowl level in 2022 and 2023, only to suffer a torn Achilles running onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII. He missed most of last season, coming back for only one half of football in Week 15 and four snaps in Week 16 before calf soreness ended his campaign. There’s upside in adding the 27-year-old, but it’s going to be a leap of faith to sign a player who is approaching almost two years without a full game.
New 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was fired by the Jets last October, might try to bring over one of his former players to San Francisco to replace Greenlaw. Sherwood filled in for Mosley, who missed most of the season with toe and neck injuries, and led the league with 98 solo tackles. Sherwood wasn’t great in coverage, but he had the fourth-highest tackle share of any player. The first-time starter could also join another former Jets coach (albeit interim) Jeff Ulbrich, who is now the defensive coordinator in Atlanta.
Average annual salary projection: $8 million to $14 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Jerome Baker, Titans; Derrick Barnes, Lions; Cody Barton, Broncos; Chris Board, Ravens; K.J. Britt, Buccaneers; Oren Burks, Eagles; De’Vondre Campbell, 49ers; Divine Deablo, Raiders; Tyrel Dodson, Dolphins; Willie Gay, Saints; Isaiah McDuffie, Packers; Denzel Perryman, Chargers; E.J. Speed, Colts; Robert Spillane, Raiders; Shaq Thompson, Panthers; Anthony Walker, Dolphins
The most prominent name on this list might be Burks, who filled in for Nakobe Dean for much of the postseason in Philadelphia and did excellent work alongside Baun. The guy who replaced him in San Francisco, Campbell, didn’t have quite as successful of an end to his season, as the 49ers suspended him after he refused to play as a reserve. It remains to be seen whether other organizations will hold that decision against him.
At this tier, teams are really looking at players who probably have to be spotted on certain downs or have a notable flaw. Perryman is a good run defender, but he shouldn’t be on the field on third down or in passing situations. Speed played on all three downs for the Colts last season, but he has a habit of missing tackles. Barnes and Thompson are coming off injury-riddled seasons, with the former Panthers standout having played just six games over the past two years.
The two most interesting players are unheralded veterans. After playing in a reserve role with the Steelers, Spillane has looked capable of being an every-down linebacker, with 17 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Board is a longtime special-teamer for the Ravens and Lions whose role expanded late in the season when the defenders in front of him struggled. I wonder if he gets a chance to play more defensive snaps in 2025.
Average annual salary projection: $2.25 million to $5 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Krys Barnes, Cardinals; Devin Bush, Browns; Akeem Davis-Gaither, Bengals; Troy Dye, Chargers; Kamu Grugier-Hill, Vikings; Malik Harrison, Ravens; Neville Hewitt, Texans; Eric Kendricks, Cowboys; Troy Reeder, Rams; Elandon Roberts, Steelers; Isaiah Simmons, Giants; Devin White, Texans; Eric Wilson, Packers
This might be the end of the line for some former stars. Former Cowboys coordinator Mike Zimmer brought Kendricks in to man the middle and create some A-gap pressures, but the 32-year-old was stretched badly in coverage, and quarterbacks such as Brock Purdy and Drew Lock made him look slow in the open field. White was cut by the Eagles without playing a single snap and caught on with the Texans, but he was a healthy scratch by the end of the season. It’s tough for third or fourth linebackers who aren’t playing on special teams to be active on game day, which makes the future uncertain for this pair of former Pro Bowlers.
I also wonder what’s next for Simmons, the former Clemson star and eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, by the Cardinals. Arizona had a habit of drafting hybrid defenders and failing to get the most out of them (including Deone Bucannon, Haason Reddick and Zaven Collins), but the Giants also couldn’t crack the code on the 26-year-old. He isn’t fast enough to play safety or physical enough to hold up at linebacker.
Opposing quarterbacks went 13-of-15 for 139 yards with two touchdown passes when Simmons was in coverage last season, and while former New York coordinator Don Martindale thought Simmons could be a valuable blitzer, Simmons had one sack and two quarterback knockdowns on 111 pass-rush opportunities over the past two years. (He did create the pick that all but ended Mac Jones‘ career in New England, albeit as an unblocked rusher.) It’s hard to believe a team can’t find a useful role for a player who was so dynamic in college, but this might be Simmons’ last shot at regular playing time.
Average annual salary projection: $1.5 million to $2.25 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spots
Free agents:Zach Cunningham, Broncos; Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, 49ers; Luke Gifford, Titans; Amen Ogbongbemiga, Bears; Duke Riley, Dolphins
Outside of Cunningham, who spent most of the year bouncing between the practice squad and the active roster for the Broncos, these guys are more likely to feature on special teams than on defense in 2025.
Average annual salary projection: $1 million to $1.5 million
Cornerbacks
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
A year ago, L’Jarius Sneed would have qualified here if he had hit the open market, but the Chiefs used the franchise tag to retain their rights before eventually trading him to the Titans.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Byron Murphy Jr., Vikings; Charvarius Ward, 49ers
Unless there’s a truly spectacular zone corner in the prime of his career, I’m always going to lean toward corners who have proved they can hold up under heavy doses of man-to-man responsibilities as the best options on the market. Both of these guys have done so in multiple schemes with multiple teams.
Murphy earned a well-deserved debut Pro Bowl nod after producing his best season with the Vikings, allowing a 76.7 passer rating in coverage. He has spent most of his career in blitz-happy defenses, which have often left him on an island. The majority of his time has been in the slot, but he allowed a 67.7 passer rating on 378 snaps as the nearest defender in coverage when lining up outside a year ago. As a player who just turned 27 and still has peak years to come, he’s going to interest teams that want to emulate what the Vikings did with their pass rush last season.
Ward endured an impossibly difficult year, which makes it impossible and unrealistic to evaluate his play. In 2023, he was a second-team All-Pro, picking off five passes while allowing a 64.5 passer rating in coverage, which ranked 10th among regular cornerbacks. That version of the 49ers’ defense didn’t play man at an extremely high rate, but he played his fair share of man coverage with the Chiefs in 2021, when he also had an excellent season.
Average annual salary projection: $16 million to $20 million
Adam Schefter joins Pat McAfee to discuss how the free agency market is affecting the Vikings’ quarterback decision of Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy.
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Paulson Adebo, Saints; Carlton Davis III, Lions; Rasul Douglas, Bills; Kristian Fulton, Chargers; Stephon Gilmore, Vikings; Donte Jackson, Steelers; D.J. Reed, Jets; Asante Samuel Jr., Chargers
Potential cap casualties:Jaire Alexander, Packers; Jamel Dean, Buccaneers; Marshon Lattimore, Commanders; Darius Slay, Eagles
The cornerback market has stayed relatively flat, if not slightly declined, over the past decade (after adjusting for the rise of the salary cap). Just three corners have signed multiyear contracts with average annual salaries worth more than 10% of the cap in that span, a figure that would amount to about $28 million per year now. Even Pat Surtain II‘s market-resetting deal came in at only $24 million per season, surprisingly low for a superstar corner with no obvious flaws.
One of those three corners was Jalen Ramsey, who is no longer on that deal he signed with the Rams. The other two are potential cap casualties in Alexander and Lattimore. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst’s focus on youth and Alexander’s inability to stay healthy have made the $36.6 million he’s owed over the next two seasons look like a burden. And while the Commanders traded three picks to acquire Lattimore in November, the 28-year-old couldn’t stay healthy and struggled down the stretch.
At a position in which salaries were steadily rising, Alexander getting $18.3 million per season and Lattimore being on the books for $16.2 million over the next two years wouldn’t be onerous. But with the current stagnant corner market, those figures seem surprisingly high. Lattimore and Alexander are fourth and sixth, respectively, in cash owed to cornerbacks in 2025. Their teams might think they can better use that money elsewhere.
There should be meaningful markets for Adebo and Samuel, but injuries will impact their deals. Adebo was allowing a 71.9 passer rating in coverage before he broke his leg in October. And Samuel was off to a solid start in Los Angeles before the 2021 second-round pick suffered a stinger in practice, ending his season after four games. Teams will need to lean on medical reports to help inform their aggressiveness in targeting Adebo and Samuel, but their upside as starting-caliber cornerbacks still entering their primes should keep teams interested.
Average annual salary projection: $9 million to $14 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Shaquill Griffin, Vikings; Mike Hilton, Bengals; Nate Hobbs, Raiders; Jonathan Jones, Patriots; Benjamin St-Juste, Commanders
Several of these defenders are primarily going to play in the slot, which can be limiting if teams don’t think they can play outside. Hobbs had one of the highest missed tackle rates (19.7%) of anyone in the league, and while that’s an outlier for his career, he was still running missed tackle rates just under 10% in each of his first three NFL seasons.
Nominally the Commanders’ top cornerback heading into the 2024 season, St. Juste allowed a passer rating of 101.2 as the nearest defender in coverage, per NFL Next Gen Stats. With rookie Mike Sainristil establishing himself and Noah Igbinoghene surprising in the slot, St-Juste was squeezed out of the starting lineup when Lattimore was healthy. The 27-year-old went from being an every-down player to lining up for just 24 snaps during Washington’s playoff run.
Average annual salary: $4 million to $8 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Tre Brown, Seahawks; Brandin Echols, Jets; Kendall Fuller, Dolphins; Noah Igbinoghene, Commanders; Dane Jackson, Panthers; Michael Jackson, Panthers; Jourdan Lewis, Cowboys; Fabian Moreau, Vikings; Isaiah Oliver, Jets; Jeff Okudah, Texans; Brandon Stephens, Ravens; Eric Stokes, Packers; Kindle Vildor, Lions; Tre’Davious White, Ravens; Daryl Worley, Titans
Most NFL fans will be familiar with White, the former Bills star who endured a litany of injuries toward the end of his run in Buffalo. His 2024 was a tale of two locations. He was a mess early in the season with the Rams, allowing four touchdowns in four games before being benched and eventually released. He was picked up by the Ravens, allowing a passer rating more than 80 points better than the mark he had in L.A. Returning to Baltimore might make sense, especially with Stephens likely to leave in free agency.
There will be a team willing to take a shot on Stokes, a 2021 first-round pick who couldn’t stay healthy for most of his time in Green Bay. He played a full season in 2024, but he allowed a 102.3 passer rating as the nearest defender in coverage, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Scouts will still have their draft grades on him, and he isn’t that far removed from an impressive rookie campaign in 2021. There was a failed former first-round pick in Igbinoghene who had some success with the Commanders in 2024; maybe Stokes could end up impressing outside of his original organization, too.
Average annual salary: $1.5 million to $3 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spots
Free agents:Eli Apple, Chargers; Corey Ballentine, Packers; Kris Boyd, Texans; Artie Burns, Seahawks; Michael Davis, Commanders; Khalil Dorsey, Lions; Bryce Hall, Buccaneers; Justin Hardee Sr., Titans; C.J. Henderson, Steelers; Troy Hill, Buccaneers; Darnay Holmes, Raiders; Adoree’ Jackson, Giants; Kevin King, Falcons; Avonte Maddox, Eagles; Jalen Mills, Jets; Emmanuel Moseley, Lions; Trayvon Mullen, Ravens; Amani Oruwariye, Cowboys; James Pierre, Steelers; Isaiah Rodgers, Eagles; Tremon Smith, Broncos; Cameron Sutton, Steelers; Marco Wilson, Bengals; Ahkello Witherspoon, Rams; Rock Ya-Sin, 49ers; Isaac Yiadom, 49ers
We could build an entire depth chart out of former NFL starters here, with Davis and Witherspoon as big bodies on the outside, Jackson providing a speedier element, and Maddox and Moseley operating out of the slot.
None of them played significant snaps for their respective teams last season outside of Witherspoon, though he was already on the veterans minimum despite an impressive 2023 season with the Rams. It would be surprising if many of these guys see hundreds of snaps next season.
Average annual salary projection: $1 million to $1.5 million
Safeties
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
As it turns out, no Tier 1 players hit free agency this offseason.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Jevon Holland, Dolphins
Holland hasn’t yet made a Pro Bowl, but he’s right at that level. After seemingly not enjoying his time under coordinator Vic Fangio while playing almost exclusively as a deep safety in 2023, Holland spent more time near the line of scrimmage in 2024, where his physicality can be a plus. His passer rating allowed in coverage was lower for the second consecutive season. And having just turned 25, he will be one of the youngest free agents available this offseason, which is often more important to teams than fans realize.
Average annual salary projection: $16.5 million to $20 million
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Camryn Bynum, Vikings; Talanoa Hufanga, 49ers; Tre’von Moehrig, Raiders; Justin Reid, Chiefs; Justin Simmons, Falcons
Potential cap casualties:Tyrann Mathieu, Saints
Reid is not far from the Pro Bowl tier considering how useful he is as a run defender and tackler. Quarterbacks generated just under zero EPA throwing at him as the nearest defender in coverage over his three years in Kansas City, per NFL Next Gen Stats, so he hasn’t been a liability against the pass, either. Reid’s ability to do just about anything is a boon to a coordinator such as Steve Spagnuolo, who wants to mask his players’ responsibilities pre-snap. Reid also just turned 28, so he shouldn’t have trouble finding a significant third deal.
What happens with Hufanga seems more much difficult to predict. He turned 25 last month and was a 2022 first-team All-Pro, which would typically generate a significant deal in free agency. A torn ACL cost him half of the 2023 season and part of the 2024 campaign, though, and he followed that by missing seven games with torn wrist ligaments. After six turnovers in 2022 and three in 2023, he didn’t force a fumble or pick off a pass in seven games in 2024. Teams will still be interested in Hufanga, but I wonder whether he’ll be best off signing a one-year deal with no-franchise-tag terms and hoping to hit the market again in 2026 coming off a big season.
Average annual salary projection: $9 million to $14 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Unrestricted free agents:Julian Blackmon, Colts; Jeremy Chinn, Commanders; Andre Cisco, Jaguars; Chuck Clark, Jets; Marcus Epps, Raiders; Jordan Fuller, Rams; Damar Hamlin, Bills; Ifeatu Melifonwu, Lions; Jason Pinnock, Giants; Juan Thornhill, Browns; Xavier Woods, Panthers
Potential cap casualties:Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaguars; Marcus Williams, Ravens
Restricted free agent:Ar’Darius Washington, Ravens
Chinn has had a strange career. He was second in the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting, but as the Panthers cycled through coaches and defensive coordinators, each successive arrival seemed to like him less. He eventually lost his starting role before joining the Commanders in 2024 and serving as a useful box safety and thumper. Chinn’s passer rating allowed figures are ugly, but he’s a valuable run defender. He made $4 million on a one-year deal in 2024, but after turning 27 last week, he could land a more significant guarantee this time around.
Most restricted free agents don’t merit much discussion, but Washington has an interesting case. After he was inserted into the starting lineup for the benched Williams at midseason, the Ravens took a massive leap forward. Washington allowed a 78.1 passer rating in coverage and missed only 5.9% of this tackle attempts. Baltimore is probably going to give Kyle Hamilton a market-resetting contract this offseason, so would it really be aggressive matching a potential offer for Washington? It would be a leap of faith from another team, given that he played just 145 defensive snaps before 2024. If the Ravens don’t tender Washington at the first- or second-round level, he could attract interest.
Average annual salary projection: $4 million to $8 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Unrestricted free agents:Ashtyn Davis, Jets; Quandre Diggs, Titans; Richie Grant, Falcons; Will Harris, Saints; Damontae Kazee, Steelers; Marcus Maye, Chargers; Eric Murray, Texans; Jordan Poyer, Dolphins
Restricted free agents:Markquese Bell, Cowboys
The market wasn’t kind to veterans such as Diggs and Poyer last offseason, and it’s tough to see them having a better go of it this time around. Diggs allowed a 137.2 passer rating in coverage before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury, while Poyer was up at 111.2. Both players were much better as deep safeties as recently as a couple of years ago. They should get offers if they want to continue playing, but in the same $2 million to $3 million neighborhood they saw a year ago.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $4 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spots
Free agents:Ugo Amadi, Saints; Vonn Bell, Bengals; Elijah Campbell, Dolphins; Mike Edwards, Buccaneers; Tashaun Gipson, 49ers; Ronnie Harrison, Colts; John Johnson, Rams; Tarvarius Moore, Bears; Rodney McLeod, Browns; Ryan Neal, Buccaneers; Siran Neal, Dolphins; Nick Scott, Panthers; M.J. Stewart, Texans; K’Von Wallace, Seahawks
The Rams got much better when they inserted Johnson back into the starting lineup in 2023 but his 2024 was sidelined after two games by a fractured scapula. Though initial reports suggested he would be out four to six weeks, he wasn’t designated to return from injured reserve until January and then played only four snaps during the postseason. He hasn’t attracted much interest over the past two offseasons, but he’s a good player and the best option in this tier.
Average annual salary projection: $1 million to $2 million
