The 2023 NFL season has now come and gone with the Super Bowl now in our rearview mirror. As the 32 teams now turn their complete focus to the offseason, things like the upcoming draft and signing free agents get brought to the forefront.
A major factor in the offseason is the start of free agency, which officially kicks off on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET when the new league year begins. With so much talent becoming available and teams having roster gaps to fill ahead of the draft, there will surely be money spent. But who are the top NFL free agent cornerbacks?
2024 Top Free Agent Cornerbacks
The following ranking is from Pro Football Network’s NFL analyst Dallas Robinson.
1) Jaylon Johnson
2) L’Jarius Sneed
3) Kendall Fuller
4) Chidobe Awuzie
5) Stephon Gilmore
6) Kenny Moore
7) Steven Nelson
8) Jeff Okudah
9) Sean Murphy-Bunting
10) Myles Bryant
Jaylon Johnson and L’Jarius Sneed Headline Solid Group of Free Agent CBs
Like much of free agency, when you’re a quality player, teams don’t want to see you walk out the door, especially for nothing. For both Johnson and Sneed that very well could be the case as the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, could end up franchise tagging both players.
As it stands, both are available at this time and headline a solid group of free agent cornerbacks. The value of quality CB play is understood across the league as the NFL continues to grow into a passing league where most of its talent resides on the outside and the offensive side of the ball.
Beyond the top two, the list is comprised of veterans such as Kendall Fuller, Chidobe Awuzie, and Stephon Gilmore to round out the top five. Each has a unique story with an interesting perceived value individually.
At the moment, both Fuller and Awuzie are on the good side of 30. They’re creeping up on the number themselves, but they’re more in line for an extension opportunity that could have multiple years attached to it.
Gilmore is currently 33 years old and fresh off of shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, which may limit his market or ability to obtain contract stability. He has expressed his desire to stay in Dallas, and the Cowboys love keeping their players in-house — especially or shorter-term deals — so that connection is once again worth monitoring.
The rest of the list includes some interesting younger prospects, such as Jeff Okudah or Myles Bryant, who may benefit from a fresh start. Meanwhile, Kenny Moore, Steven Nelson, and Sean Murphy-Bunting are a little longer in the tooth. Teams may gravitate to that veteran presence, but will they put their money where their mouth is?
KEEP READING: Top Free Agent Quarterbacks 2024
All in all, in today’s brand of NFL football, you need to invest in good cornerbacks. And if you can’t fix all of your problems via the draft, you better be able to allocate some resources to signing free agents. These are the guys that will be talked about the most this offseason as it all unfolds.
Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!