NFL free agency is underway! While many of the top players like Chris Godwin, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and Josh Sweat are off the board, there are still some notable names who have yet to sign. Who are the best remaining NFL free agents?
The below analysis is based on PFSN’s Top 121 NFL Free Agent Rankings.
Who Are the Best Remaining NFL Free Agents?
Tyron Smith, OT | 12th-Best Free Agent
Tyron Smith was still a competent starting left tackle in his 14th season, no small feat given his age (34 years old) and injury history. However, some cracks started to show. Smith allowed five sacks in 10 games for the Jets, the same total he allowed in 43 games from 2019-23 combined.
He continues to be a disciplined tackle, committing three penalties in 2024 and six over 27 games in the last three seasons combined. His age and injury history likely limit him to one-year contracts for the remainder of his career, but Smith is a worthy stopgap for 2025.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Brandon Scherff, G | 13th-Best Free Agent
After years of injury woes in Washington, Brandon Scherff has stayed healthy since signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Scherff played all 17 possible games for the third consecutive season after five straight seasons where he missed at least three games every year.
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. Scherff will play most of next season at 33 years old (his birthday is December 26).
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Cooper Kupp, WR | 21st-Best Free Agent
After ranking second among qualified receivers in EPA per target from 2021-22, Cooper Kupp ranked 45th of 51 over the past two years.
We saw his red zone usage fall off a cliff last season, and that creates concerns about his ability to get open in high-leverage spots as he ages.
However, his resume remains strong, and if he can fill a more complementary role, there is still chain-moving upside in the once-historic wideout.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
J.K. Dobbins, RB | 22nd-Best Free Agent
The story of J.K. Dobbins is pretty straightforward — there are flashes of upside between injuries that make him an intriguing buy at the right price. It seems as if every running back is an injury risk, but with Dobbins only appearing in 37 regular season games since being the 55th overall pick in 2020, we are looking at a body that just isn’t positioned to be a bellcow at the professional level.
Fortunately for him, more teams are going with a committee approach these days, and his 5.2 career yards-per-carry average on 429 attempts suggest that there is something there for a back who turned 26 in December.
Last season, despite the hot start, Dobbins picked up 5+ yards on 31.3% of his carries, a noticeable swing in the wrong direction (2022-23: 38%).
It’s unlikely that any NFL team is going to view him as an every-down back, and with a lack of versatility in his profile (73 career targets), he’s a clunky fit for most offenses, but we’ve seen many different offenses succeed in recent memory. A cheap change-of-pace role could be in store at a cheap price tag.
Risk Level: MEDIUM TO HIGH
Keenan Allen, WR | 23rd-Best Free Agent
Despite being essentially two years older than the next receiver on this list, there is a level of plausible deniability that is at play in Keenan Allen’s profile that doesn’t exist for others.
Yes, he saw his yards per route run decline by a full yard in 2024 from 2023, but he was a part of a brand new offense that was working in a rookie quarterback with talent all over the place in terms of the receiver position. He was also in a loaded division that put pressure on this offense to be more aggressive than they otherwise would have been.
If Allen stays in Chicago, it’s hard to like his prospects of bouncing back (2024: 70-744-7) in a meaningful way. Rome Odunze showed signs of development as his rookie season wore on and is positioned to be used next to DJ Moore much more frequently as this team looks to build a future around Caleb Williams.
He posted his lowest on-field target share since his rookie season, and him continually being phased out is likely in store. That said, he is a polished route runner who has scored at least six times in seven of eight seasons and ran downfield more in 2024 than any of the previous four seasons.
Allen has spent over half of his snaps in the slot in five straight campaigns and, if signed into a very specific role, could make a positive impact entering his 13th season. He used to be a system-proof route winner — he can still make a difference but not without the help of savvy scheming.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Calais Campbell, DT | 25th-Best Free Agent
Calais Campbell turned 38 in September but remained an effective player in his 17th season. Campbell started all 17 games for the Dolphins and recorded 5.0 sacks. His 10.3% pressure rate was virtually identical to the 10.8% rate he recorded with the Falcons in 2023.
Beyond the pass rush, Campbell remained an effective player on early downs. He recorded a tackle on 21.7% of his run-defense snaps. That was the highest rate of any defensive lineman to play at least 100 snaps against the run in 2024.
Campbell has talked about considering retirement in past seasons, and there’s no word yet on if he plans to play an 18th season in 2025. Last year, he didn’t sign with the Dolphins until June 18.
Risk Level: LOW
Dante Fowler Jr., LB | 26th-Best Free Agent
Dante Fowler Jr. is one of the more interesting names on this list. His 10.5 sacks is the highest number of any free agent pass rusher this season, and he ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate (20%).
However, he appears to be an all-or-nothing pass rusher with just a 14.1% pressure rate. Fowler does not offer a huge amount of run support either, with a 10.1% tackle rate.
Ultimately, Fowler can be a difference-maker, but questions about consistency remain. He had just 17.5 sacks over the previous four seasons and did not have more than 36 pressures in any of those four seasons. This season demonstrated he can be a contributor for a team, but it needs to be in the right spot.
Risk Level: HIGH
Za’Darius Smith, EDGE | 28th-Best Free Agent
While it was always a possibility, Za’Darius Smith was a somewhat surprising cut by the Detroit Lions and raises some question marks about how he should be viewed as a free agent. Entering his age 33 season is naturally a concern and his pedigree means the price could be high, but we are talking about a player who has missed two games in the last three years and has 24.5 sacks in that timeframe.
A 15.9% pressure rate in 2024 does not scream “must sign,” but given that he played nearly 600 snaps, had a solid pressure top sack conversion rate, and a tackle rate greater than 10%, there is still a lot to like about him.
As a one-year signing, Smith can be a valuable impact player for any contending team. The fact he has been on four teams in four years makes you wonder if there is some kind of red flag, but he is certainly still talented enough to play a role. There should be plenty of suitors for him this offseason, even if it is just a one-year deal.
Risk Level: LOW
Tyler Lockett, WR | 29th-Best Free Agent
The writing was on the wall for Tyler Lockett (33 years old in September) after a breakout season from Jaxon Smith-Njigba — now the veteran receiver looks to wear a different jersey for the first time in his career.
Availability hasn’t been an issue (15+ games played in every NFL season), but his ability to win downfield is stuck in reverse; that has resulted in a steep yards per route decline (2.36 in 2021, 1.94 in 2022, 1.61 in 2023, and 1.10 in 2024 — 66th of 72 receivers who earned at least 60 targets).
His 13.6% on-field target rate a season ago came on the heels of four straight years north of 21% — we could be looking at a voice-in-the-room type of add for a team that is already comfortable with its nucleus of pass catchers.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Amari Cooper, WR | 30th-Best Free Agent
Amari Cooper turns 31 in June and is going to have to prove that Father Time isn’t calling his number if he is going to land a featured role for a competitive team in 2025.
We saw him thrive with the then-Oakland Raiders to open his career (over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons), catch a career-high 92 balls in Dallas in 2020, and find the end zone nine times with Cleveland in 2022.
Cooper has over 10,000 career receiving yards and has been labeled as the go-to option for the majority of his time as a pro — those were all the reasons we thought the Bills acquiring him could push a tortured franchise over the top. It didn’t happen.
After scoring a touchdown in his debut with the team (if you recall, it was on a play where Keon Coleman clearly showed him where to go post-huddle), Cooper saw just two end-zone targets for the rest of the year, a 10-game stretch that included their playoff run.
At his peak, Cooper was a strong possession receiver with scoring upside, even in limited offenses — by the end of 2024, it wasn’t clear that he was either.
There have been 240 instances in which a player caught at least five passes in consecutive games since the last time he did it; with his inability to stay on the field for a Buffalo team that was desperate for proven production at the position, there is plenty of doubt when it comes to the level of gas left in the tank.
With experience and size, Cooper will draw interest from some teams, but he’s going to have to take a reduction in both pay and role. His struggles with the Bills will likely result in underwhelming contract offers. That means there’s not a ton of risk in rolling the dice in the short-term, but there also may not be the upside that is often attached to this name.
Risk Level: LOW TO MEDIUM
Eric Kendricks, LB | 35th-Best Free Agent
Eric Kendricks had a mixed year in 2024. He continued to be an excellent tackler, finishing with career-high numbers against the run (94 tackles) and a 25% tackle rate. However, he struggled against the pass, with just a 10.7% pressure rate and a 101 passer rating allowed. Kendricks allowed a 72.2% completion rate and two touchdown passes.
Kendricks has now allowed over a 100 passer rating and a 70% completion rate for four years in a row. He has proven useful in earning sacks, with 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons and 12.5 over the last four years. However, he is a net negative against the pass and is likely reaching the point where he is better suited as a two-down linebacker.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Brandon Graham, DE | 36th-Best Free Agent
Given he will be 37 when the new NFL season begins, Brandon Graham is very much a role player in 2025. However, he can still be a valuable part of any defense, having posted a 13.0% pressure rate and 12.2% tackle rate before getting hurt this year. It will be somewhat of a concern that he only has 6.5 sacks in the last two years, but his ability to contribute in the run game makes up for some of that.
Graham will not be an every-down player, having averaged just 23.5 snaps per game over the last two seasons, but his knowledge and ability to make an impact should not be underestimated.
Risk Level: LOW
Cam Robinson, OT | 39th-Best Free Agent
For the first time since 2020, Cam Robinson started every game despite a midseason trade from the Jaguars to the Vikings. However, the 29-year-old had a tough transition to Minnesota and allowed 52 pressures. That was the second-most of any offensive lineman in 2024 (Saints’ OT Trevor Penning allowed 54).
Robinson’s performance was considerably worse after his midseason trade. In 10 games with the Vikings, Robinson allowed a 10.1% pressure rate. Through seven games with the Jaguars, his pressure rate allowed was 6.6%. However, that still would have been his highest rate in a season since 2019 if it sustained.
Risk Level: HIGH
Stefon Diggs, WR | 41st-Best Free Agent
At this moment in time, Stefon Diggs’ (entering his age-31 season) status to open the 2025 regular season is unknown due to the ACL tear he suffered in Week 8. The value of the receiver position is on the rise across the NFL, and that is likely to result in some cautious offers for a player like Diggs who had six straight 1,000-yard seasons before 2024, but most metrics are pointing to such an offer being more hopeful than optimistic.
When healthy with the Texans, a situation that came preloaded with a franchise-level quarterback who has yet to peak, Diggs averaged just 1.84 yards per route, his lowest rate since 2018. It’s not shocking to see his average depth of target fall off (15.6-yard aDOT in his final season with the Vikings), but he was hovering around 12 yards for three seasons before posting 10.6 in 2023 and 8.3 through eight games in 2024).
Nothing in Diggs’ profile (from scoring rate on red-zone targets to RAC upside) suggests that he can be a game-changer in this new role and that makes him more of a complementary piece to an already potent offense than one who can level up an average unit.
Rumors are swirling that the Texans will consider bringing back Diggs at a discount, and that might prove to be the case. Much will depend on reports of his rehab, but all signs point to the age curve taking over, something that NFL teams are generally ahead of.
Risk Level: LOW TO MEDIUM
Teven Jenkins, G | 44th-Best Free Agent
Teven Jenkins had his best pass-protection season in 2024. The fourth-year pro allowed a career-low 3.7% pressure rate. He gave up the same number of pressures as he did in 2023 (17) but in 80 extra pass-blocking snaps.
Injuries are the main concern with Jenkins. He’s never played all 17 games since being drafted, and his 14 games played in 2024 were actually a career high. He also had a back injury at Oklahoma State that caused him to miss the final three games of his last collegiate season as well as the beginning of his rookie year in 2021.
Risk Level: HIGH
Nick Chubb, RB | 51st-Best Free Agent
How lucky do you feel? Nick Chubb tore ligaments in his left knee during the first month of the 2023 season and fractured his foot in the final month of 2024, a run of injuries that will likely mute his market at a high level this offseason. With four seasons of 1,000 rushing yards and eight rushing scores, Chubb’s résumé is impressive, but we haven’t seen that version of him in two years and are at risk of never seeing again.
Cleveland’s lead back is 29 years old and, even with the limited work over the past two seasons, has over 1,500 touches on his NFL résumé. The ability to stay on the field is an obvious concern, but the past has taught us that franchises will absorb some risk if they believe the best-case scenario is worth the risk.
Is it still?
In his 130 carries over the past two seasons, not one has gained more than 20 yards. In addition to a lack of splash plays, there is a spike in useless attempts. In 2024, he was stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on 26.5% of his carries, easily the worst rate of his career.
You could make the case that a better situation would be helpful (Cleveland didn’t have a passing game to speak of and ranked 20th in our offensive line grading system), but his yards per carry after contact a season ago (0.57) were less than half of his career rate (1.26) and that’s a natural flag for an RB on the back nine of his career.
Risk Level: HIGH
Aaron Rodgers, QB | 53rd-Best Free Agent (No. 1 QB)
In 2020, Aaron Rodgers produced the third-best season in our QB+ database, but those days are in the rearview. The former MVP has sandwiched the lost season of 2023 with consecutive QB21 finishes per QB+ and that is about where the expectations should be right now as he enters his age-41 season.
He used to be a talent elevator and now likely needs to be elevated by the talent around him. Rodgers posted the lowest aDOT of his career in 2024 alongside his lowest deep touchdown rate. The late-season play was encouraging, and the downside is minimal. Rodgers had 130 pressured attempts last year, and not a single one of them was intercepted. He profiles as a steadying force for a team that is otherwise set to make a run.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Stephon Gilmore, CB | 57th-Best Free Agent
At his peak, Stephon Gilmore was one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL, but at 34 years old, we are past that point now. Last season in Minnesota was Gilmore’s worst in terms of passer rating allowed since that data was kept starting in 2018. He has seen that number climb from 74 in 2022 to 94.1 over the last two years.
However, he still remains a solid veteran option who can help a team. Gilmore allowed a 61.9% completion rate in 2024, which is highly respectable. His one interception was his worst return since his final year in New England in 2020, and his 7.1 yards per target were the most since 2018.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Asante Samuel Jr., CB | 58th-Best Free Agent
At the worst possible time, Asante Samuel Jr.’s season was cut short by an injury in 2024. Coming off the best year of his career in 2023, Samuel was looking for a strong showing to hit free agency as a potential top-50 option overall. Unfortunately, that was not the case due to a shoulder injury.
Samuel’s career has yet to really take off, but we have seen signs of improvement each year. In his second season, he cut his completion rate to 55.2% but allowed seven touchdowns in coverage. Then in 2023, he cut those touchdowns back to just three despite seeing a career-high mark in targets and held that completion rate at a more than respectable 60.4%.
Samuel was off to another solid start in 2024 before the injury. His career trajectory is headed in the right direction, but he is still away from the top of the list of available corners at this stage. It would be intriguing to see him have a full year with Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers before hitting free agency again next season.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Mike Hilton, CB | 59th-Best Free Agent
If he had been a free agent last offseason, Mike Hilton would almost certainly have been in the top 50 of this list. However, he struggled in 2024, allowing four touchdowns on just 61 targets and a 92 passer rating when targeted. Those numbers were his worst since his first year in Cincinnati and the second worst in his career so far.
Teams must decide whether 2024 was a blip or a sign of a 30-year-old corner losing a step. His role as a slot corner carries a lot of value, but it can also be a tough spot for an aging corner if they are losing half a step.
Risk Level: HIGH