The legal tampering period has officially opened, which means that NFL free agency has begun. After a flurry of moves on Day 1, there are still some significant names left available. With guys like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Chris Godwin, and Josh Sweat off the board, 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?
Justin Reid, S | 8th-Best Free Agent
Steady safety Justin Reid has been a starter for all seven seasons since entering the NFL in 2018 but is still somehow only turning 28 years old in February. Reid has played at least 90% of the snaps in all three seasons since joining the Chiefs and has never played fewer than 13 games in a season.
Reid had nine passes defended, his most since his rookie season, and multiple interceptions for the first time since 2021. Reid is versatile enough to line up in the box, the deep half, or as the single-high safety in Steve Spagnuolo’s system and figures to be a priority for the Chiefs to retain.
Risk Level: LOW
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
Coleman Shelton, C | 14th-Best Free Agent
Coleman Shelton started all 17 games for the second consecutive season. After serving as a utilityman for the Rams, Shelton has settled in and played every snap at center for the past two seasons.
Shelton’s second season as a starter was better than his first in terms of pass protection. He cut his pressure rate allowed from 5.5% in 2023 to 3.8% in 2024. He also cut his QB hits allowed from 11 in 2023 to five in 2024 and committed only three penalties after getting flagged five times in 2023.
Risk Level: LOW
Kevin Zeitler, G | 15th-Best Free Agent
Kevin Zeitler turns 35 this March but has remained as reliable as ever. For the 10th consecutive season, Zeitler started at least 15 games. His 3.2% pressure rate allowed with the Lions was a slight improvement from his 3.5% rate in 2023 with the Ravens. However, he did allow five sacks, as many as his previous three seasons combined.
The one downside is that Zeitler doesn’t possess much positional versatility. Since 2019, all but three of his snaps have come at right guard. Both the Lions and Ravens also primarily employ gap-blocking schemes, making him a clear but somewhat limited system fit.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Cornelius Lucas, OT | 17th-Best Free Agent
Cornelius Lucas served as the Washington Commanders’ swing tackle in 2024 but ended up starting seven games due to injuries to Brandon Coleman and Andrew Wylie. Lucas allowed a 4.7% pressure rate, which ranked 24th among OTs to play at least 400 snaps in 2024.
Lucas’ lone season as a regular starter came in 2022 for Washington. That year, he allowed a 10.1% pressure rate, the third-highest among qualifying tackles that season. Lucas will turn 34 next July and is likely best suited to remain in that swing tackle role at this stage of his career.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
Jonathan Allen, EDGE | 19th-Best Free Agent
Jonathan Allen missed nine games last season with a torn pectoral but was able to suit up for Washington’s surprising playoff run. Allen had at least 5.5 sacks each of the prior three seasons before his injury-shortened 2024.
However, he’s also seen his pressure rate decline from 14.6% back in 2021 to roughly 10% each of the past three seasons. Since 2022, Allen’s 9.9% pressure rate ranks 71st among 155 defensive linemen to rush the passer 500+ times.
MORE: PFSN’s Top 121 Free Agent Rankings (With Analysis of Every Deal)
His run defense has been effective in years past, though he had a career-low 10.9% tackle rate last season. Allen is 30 years old, so there are questions about whether he’s entered his decline phase. Prior to last year, he played at least 15 games in six straight seasons.
Risk Level: MEDIUM
J.K. Dobbins, RB | 21st-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 | 22nd-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 | 24th-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 | 25th-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
Joey Bosa, EDGE | 26th-Best Free Agent
Joey Bosa isn’t the elite pass rusher he once was, but he still had five sacks in 2024 despite playing a career-low 30.9 snaps per game. The Chargers didn’t keep the soon-to-be 30-year-old on his $36.5 million cap hit for 2025, releasing him to pocket the cap savings.
Bosa’s availability has been in question for some time now. He played 14 games last season, which matched his total from the previous two seasons combined. However, he only averaged 31 snaps per game, the fewest in any season of his career. When he did play, he also produced a mediocre 11.5% pressure rate, which ranked 50th among edge rushers.
A targeted situational role may preserve Bosa better and improve his pass-rushing production. He’ll still only turn 30 this offseason, so at least one efficient season isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
Risk Level: HIGH
Za’Darius Smith, EDGE | 27th-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 | 28th-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 | 29th-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
Jordan Mason (RFA), RB | 30th-Best Free Agent
The 49ers get the first crack at Jordan Mason, and if there is a team that is not only aware of his abilities but also in need of his services, it would be his current employer.
Christian McCaffrey has up to three years left on his deal; that alone makes a talented insurance policy like Mason of interest. The tricky part here is how to invest. If another suitor is as interested as his raw numbers suggest is warranted, Mason will be wearing different colors in 2025 and potentially being handed the ball 15 times a game.
MORE: Best Remaining NFL Free Agents By Position
During his time in the NFL, 44.1% of Mason’s rush attempts have picked up at least five yards. That rate sounds good, and when you layer in context, it’s even better.
Of the 60 RBs with at least 200 carries across those three seasons, Mason’s rate leads the pack. The next three on that leaderboard (De’Von Achane in Miami, Bucky Irving in Tampa, and Bijan Robinson in Atlanta) are all already labeled as offensive centerpieces, a role that could be on the horizon for this potential star entering his age-26 season.
The running back position is unique in that a long-term investment is unlikely, but Mason profiles a low-risk, high-reward type, and there are a dozen teams that figure to be tracking what type of offer San Francisco makes.
Risk Level: VERY LOW
Aaron Rodgers, QB | 52nd-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