Za’Darius Smith cashed in with Green Bay after recording 8.5 sacks during the last year of his rookie contract. Smith’s four-year, $66 million seemed rich for someone who had been a rotational edge rusher in Baltimore, but he proved that he could scale his production up in a larger role. Smith went on to make the Pro Bowl in three out of four seasons between 2019 and 2022, with the only exception being 2021 when he played only one game with a back injury. He recorded double-digit sacks in each of his three healthy seasons, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2020 with the Packers.
Stephon Gilmore had some inconsistencies with injuries during his five seasons in Buffalo, N.Y., but peaked in 2016 with five interceptions and his first Pro Bowl nod. The Bills declined to franchise tag him, allowing the cornerback to join New England on a five-year, $65 million deal that made him the eighth-highest paid corner at the time. Gilmore made game-sealing plays in the 2017 AFC Championship Game versus the Jaguars and Super Bowl 53 versus the Rams. He topped that in 2019 by leading the NFL in interceptions (six) and passes defended (20), becoming the first cornerback in a decade to win Defensive Player of the Year.
An extremely durable three-time Pro Bowler, Andrew Whitworth had an excellent 11-year run with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, as Whitworth has documented in his post-playing career, the Bengals’ frugality (specifically owner Mike Brown) did not allow him to finish his career in Cincinnati.
Mack unfortunately broke his leg after five games that year but bounced back to start all 16 games and reach the Pro Bowl in 2015. By then, Shanahan had moved on to Atlanta, leading the Falcons to sign Mack away from the Browns. The fit was perfect in Atlanta. Mack made the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons with the Falcons, including the first year in 2016 when Atlanta made the Super Bowl. In six years after leaving Cleveland, Mack started 49 out of 52 possible games and reached the Pro Bowl four times.
Shaquil Barrett never got much shine. In four seasons with Denver, Barrett played more than half the snaps just once and never had more than 5.5 sacks in a season.
Upon leaving for Tampa, Fla., Barrett demonstrated what he could do in a bigger role. He led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019 and then had 18 sacks the next two seasons as a vital member of the
Buccaneers’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2020. While his run with Tampa Bay dipped after three seasons, that stretch proved that Barrett deserved a bigger role than he had with the Broncos.
Texans signed Mathieu to a one-year, $7 million prove-it deal. He stayed healthy and started all 16 games in 2018, recording two interceptions and three sacks for an 11-5 Texans team. That led Mathieu to cash in on a three-year deal with Kansas City, where he elevated his game further. In three years with the Chiefs, Mathieu started 47 out of 49 possible games, had 13 interceptions, was first-team All-Pro twice, and played in two Super Bowls (winning one).
Autry was a versatile pass-rusher who accumulated 20 sacks in three seasons with the Colts. Autry missed multiple games in each of his three seasons with the Colts (eight total), and he left for the division rival Tennessee after the 2020 season. Autry took his game up a level in Nashville, Tenn., recording 28.5 sacks in three years with the Titans. He played every game in two out of three seasons with the Titans and recorded at least eight sacks every year.
After a much-hyped college career at LSU, Fournette was mostly a league-average starter in three years with the Jags and had numerous off-field issues that led to fines and criticism about his dedication. After a one-game suspension for a fight versus the Bills in 2018, the Jaguars voided the guarantees on his rookie deal and released him. Though he never rushed for more than 812 yards in three seasons with Tampa Bay, Fournette earned a reputation as “Playoff Lenny.” In six playoff games with the Buccaneers, Fournette scored six touchdowns and averaged 95 scrimmage yards per game. That included 135 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl 55 win over the Chiefs.
Hudson earned the nod due to his three Pro Bowl berths over six seasons after signing with the then-Oakland Raiders. Hudson started 31 out of 32 possible games from 2013-14 with the Chiefs, but never quite fulfilled the promise expected of a former second-round pick. That promise was fulfilled in Oakland (and Las Vegas), where Hudson started all but four possible games with the Raiders.
Nixon was not a big player on defense with the Raiders, averaging 86 snaps per season on defense in three seasons with the franchise. That led Nixon to leave after his three-year undrafted rookie contract expired. However, the Packers tapped into a new skill set, allowing Nixon to return kickoffs for the first time. He immediately rewarded that decision by leading the NFL in kick return yards both 2022 and 2023, earning first-team All-Pro honors both seasons.
Eric Weddle was one of the Los Angeles Chargers’ most accomplished players during their time in San Diego. The former second-rounder gradually improved and was named a first- or second-team All-Pro in five straight seasons from 2010-14. However, Weddle and the Chargers had significant tension over his contract during his final season. He made the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons with Baltimore. Weddle capped off his career with two more seasons with the Rams, including the 2021 campaign when he came out of retirement for the playoffs and helped Los Angeles win the Super Bowl.
Olivier Vernon developed into a nice pass rusher for Miami, recording 25.5 sacks over his final three seasons with the team from 2013-15. The Giants chose to pay him like a superstar in the 2016 offseason, handing Vernon a five-year, $85 million deal. That made him the third-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL at the time. Vernon did make a Pro Bowl for the Giants in 2018 and second-team All-Pro in 2016, hence his inclusion on this list. Still, he never had more than 8.5 sacks in three seasons with New York.
Even though Tom Brady only played three seasons in Tampa, he turned around one of the NFL’s most hapless franchises and delivered three playoff appearances, two division titles, an MVP runner-up finish, and a Super Bowl title. 40-passing-touchdown seasons with Tampa Bay and helped the Buccaneers snap a 12-season playoff drought with the franchise’s second Super Bowl title in 2020.
The team drafted Davis in the third round in 2012 but let him walk to the Browns after his rookie contract expired. Davis played one year in Cleveland before returning to New York to start all 16 games in 2017, leading the NFL with 97 solo tackles. That season finally earned Davis a multi-year deal with the Saints, where he has thrived since. In seven seasons with New Orleans, Davis has made the first- or second-team All-Pro five times. He’s also been an ironman for the Saints, missing only two games in those seven seasons.
Javon Hargrave's career improved after leaving Pittsburgh. Initially pegged as a run-stuffing nose tackle, Hargrave didn’t play more than 500 snaps until his final season with the Steelers in 2019. At that point, he departed for a bigger role with the Eagles, where he produced far more as a pass rusher. Hargrave never accumulated more than 6.5 sacks in a season with the Steelers but had years of 7.5 and 11 sacks with the Eagles. He became a two-time Pro Bowler, first with Philadelphia in 2021 and then San Francisco in 2023.
Derrick Henry led the NFL with 280 carries in 2023 but averaged a career-low 4.2 yards per carry and nearly 30 fewer rushing yards per game compared to 2022. In 2024, Henry ranked second with 1,921 rushing yards while leading the league with 16 rushing touchdowns. His 5.9 yards per carry were a career-high and the highest by any player with 300+ rush attempts in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2012.
