Sweat's pressure rate of 14.1% ranks outside the top 60 at the position. However, Sweat was impactful with those pressures, resulting in eight sacks. The lack of elite pass-rushers in this class boosts Sweat’s overall value in free agency, given the impact the pass rush can have on a game.
Chris Godwin suffered an ankle dislocation in Week 7 and missed the final 10 games of the season. That will raise some concerns from teams, who may want to see him work out before committing in excess of $20 million per year to the veteran receiver. Prior to the injury, Godwin was on track for a fourth-straight 1,000-yard season and his fifth in six years. When Godwin was targeted this year, Baker Mayfield had a 125.5 passer rating Godwin has made himself an incredibly valuable slot WR across his career. In 2024, he took 61.5% of his snaps from the slot.
A long-time starter for the Seahawks, Packers, and Chiefs, Reed turned 32 in December but still played all 17 games for the third time in the last four seasons (eight starts). Reed regressed from 7.5 sacks in 2023 to 4.5 sacks in 2024, but actually increased his total pressures (43 to 48) and pressure percentage (9.5% to 12.9%). He averaged 37.4 snaps per game, down from 48.5 last year and his fewest since his rookie season in 2016.
Teair Tart only has 3.5 sacks in five seasons. However, he demonstrated early-down value with the Chargers in 2024, recording a tackle on a career-high 17.7% of his run snaps. He also had five tackles for loss, with four of them coming in the run game. Tart turns 28 at the end of February but has played on three consecutive one-year deals. His lack of pass-rushing value could consign him to a similar fate this offseason.
In 2024, Davis allowed just two touchdowns and a 55.3% completion rate when targeted. He only managed two interceptions. Davis is a potential high-reward free agent. He is coming off the best season of his career, with a 77 passer rating allowed. we could see teams hesitant to commit big money over multiple years with those injury concerns.
Byron Murphy is set to head into free agency coming off the best year of his career. He was targeted 119 times in coverage, allowing just a 76.7 passer rating when targeted. That ranked 18th among qualified corners this season. A big part of that was reeling in six interceptions, compared to just four touchdowns allowed when in coverage. This season, his six interceptions tied for the league lead among corners with Marlon Humphrey.
D.J. Reed is perhaps the top option in free agency. While his passer rating allowed (87.1) ranked just 50th this season, it is his consistency that is key. That was the highest passer rating allowed by Reed since his second year in the league. That is five years with a passer rating allowed of 87.1 or lower. Reed has allowed more than two touchdowns in coverage only once in his career, back in 2021.
Trey Smith, 25, has been a cornerstone of the Chiefs' offensive line. In the 2024 season, he started all 17 games. His proficiency in both pass protection and run blocking would significantly bolster the Lions' offensive line. Smith is anticipated to seek a contract in the range of $10 million per year.
After years of injury woes in Washington, Brandon Scherff has stayed healthy since signing with the Jaguars. Scherff played all 17 possible games for the third consecutive season. Scherff didn’t allow a single sack in 592 pass-blocking snaps this season. Among guards, only Trey Smith of the Chiefs (665) had more pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack.
Tee Higgins has put together a very solid body of work since he entered the NFL in 2020. Over the last five years, he has 4,595 receiving yards. While his 65.6 yards per game only rank 26th, he has played four of those seasons effectively as the No. 2 option to Ja’Marr Chase. Throughout his time in the NFL, Higgins ranks 10th at the position in success rate (59.8%) and 13th at the position in terms of touchdowns. The 2024 season was Higgins’ best in terms of touchdowns (10) despite only playing in 12 games.
