Aaron Jones He ranked 23rd in rush success rate (40.4%) and 19th in pass success rate (56.5%). His numbers in the receiving game were also solid, and he finished with 1,546 yards from scrimmage at an average of 5.1 yards per touch. Jones is a more-than-solid veteran option and can be the leader of a backfield.
Charvarius Ward, 28, has been a key contributor to the 49ers' defense. In the 2024 season, he recorded 54 tackles and 7 pass deflections. His physicality and coverage skills would bolster the Raiders' defensive backfield. Ward is anticipated to command a contract around $13.5 million annually.
Darnold’s overall numbers are intriguing. He finished eighth in terms of nYPA (7.3) despite only getting 4.9 YAC/Cp (30th). He was 11th from a clean pocket and 19th when pressured (-0.32 EPA/DB). Darnold finished inside the top 10 in passing yards per game (254.1) with 35 passing touchdowns. However, he also threw 12 interceptions.
Julian Blackmon was a staple in the Colts’ secondary in 2024, setting career-highs in starts (16) and percentage of snaps played (93.7%). A year after recording a career-high four interceptions, Blackmon followed that up with three picks. Blackmon enters this offseason healthy, which could land him a long-term deal.
Bobby Wagner just keeps marching on, and he remains among the very best at the middle linebacker position. He finished with a 22% tackle rate on run plays. In terms of the passing game, Wagner finished with a 27.4% pressure rate, with two sacks and five QB knockdowns. In coverage, he had an 89.3 passer rating allowed, with just a 65.8% completion rate allowed. He did give up a touchdown in coverage and 8.6 yards per completion, but the numbers were still more than respectable.
Zack Baun figures to get paid in free agency after being a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. He had an impressive 23.8% tackle rate on run plays and finished with 151 total tackle. Baun’s value in the passing game could make him a better candidate for a multi-year contract. In coverage, Baun allowed an 80.5 passer rating and just 5.6 yards per target. He also demonstrated value as a blitzer with 3.5 sacks and a 19.3% pressure rate on just 83 pass rush snaps. With the Eagles boasting a roster capable of repeating as Super Bowl champs, it makes more sense to lock in a cornerstone for Vic Fangio’s defense.
Dante Fowler Jr. is one of the more interesting names on this list. His 10.5 sacks are the highest number of any free agent pass rusher this season, and he ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate (20%). 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.
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.
Darius Slayton has nevertheless been a clear-cut starter for most of his six years with the New York Giants. And while he’s far from a marquee free agent, Slayton has enough value that the Giants should consider keeping him in place as they build an infrastructure for their new quarterback. Even in a woeful offense, Slayton averaged 0.22 EPA per target, not far off from Nabers’ average of 0.28. Slayton would be a solid stopgap to give a rookie quarterback a reliable second target beyond Nabers.
Harris is a solid back who can play on every down and be effective in doing so, but the upside is severely limited. Harris has four 1,000-yard seasons but averages just 3.9 yards per carry and a 34.6% success rate on rushes in his career. There are no concerns over his durability, with Harris playing every game so far in his career and averaging over 270 carries per year.
