NFL teams didn’t waste any time as the league's legal tampering period kicked off on Monday at 12 p.m. ET. Top free agents such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Kirk Cousins and Christian Wilkins have all agreed to terms with new teams, but there are still plenty of big-name players still without teams as the NFL’s new league year kicks into full gear on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Will your favorite team land one of the best free agents still available? USA TODAY Sports ranks the top 25 free agents entering Wednesday.
Editor’s note: This ranking is as of Wednesday at 12 a.m. ET.
Is the safety position becoming less important due to the increased amount of short passes? Plenty of safeties are available, but Simmons is at the top. Since entering the NFL in 2016, no player has more interceptions than Simmons (30).
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Smith’s been one of the NFL’s best left tackles over the last decade. Father Time is starting to take its toll on Smith, but he gave up just three sacks and 21 pressures in 13 games last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Young hasn’t taken the next step since his defensive rookie of the year campaign in 2020. The talent is there but consistency is an issue. Young had eight tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss in three playoff games for the 49ers this past season.
Coming off a year-long suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy, Ridley led the Jaguars with 1,016 receiving yards. The 29-year-old is one of the top route runners in the NFL.
Brown and Kyler Murray are good friends, which could factor into his free agency decision. But Brown is probably best suited as a team’s No. 2 wideout. Could Arizona draft Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 overall to play alongside of Brown?
The most underrated player along what was a stout 49ers defensive line, Armstead can be an anchor in the interior. But Armstead’s missed 13 games the past two seasons.
Fuller allowed a 120.4 passer rating and nine touchdowns when targeted. But his 2023 performance could’ve been a byproduct of Washington’s league-worst defense.
The 2019 defensive player of the year stepped up last season, especially when Trevon Diggs (knee) went down for the year. Gilmore will turn 34 years old during the regular season, but showed last year that he can still play at a high level.
White is an athletic linebacker, but consistency has been an issue. After three straight seasons with at least 120 tackles and three sacks, White declined to 83 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2023.
Clowney had a resurgent year in Baltimore last season. Clowney’s 9.5 sacks tied a career single-season high and his 43 tackles were his most since 2018.
Reader suffered a devastating quad injury last season. The defensive tackle would be ranked higher if it weren’t for the injury. He’s been a key part of Cincy’s defense since joining the team in 2020.
Wagner will be 34 at the start of the 2024 season. That’s the only reason he’s outside of the top 20. He’s defying Father Time. Wagner led the NFL with 183 tackles in 2023. He’s compiled over 100 tackles in 12 of his NFL seasons.
Diggs was a salary cap casualty. He started every game for Seattle the past four seasons and is a three-time Pro Bowler as well as a team captain. The 31-year-old safety produced over 90 tackles in two of the last three seasons.
Blackmon started 15 games for the Colts last season. The safety produced 88 tackles and led the team with four interceptions. He allowed a career-low 60.9% completion percentage when targeted.
Howard’s coverage ability declined a little bit last year. He allowed nearly a 63% completion percentage when targeted, the second highest rate of his career. But entering his ninth year, Howard is still a starting-caliber corner.
A primary starter at safety for Washington the past four seasons. Curl produced a career-best 115 tackles in 2023. His five passes defended tied a career high.
White is a two-time Pro Bowler and 29 years old, but he’s only appeared in 10 combine games the past two years due to injuries. His 2023 season was cut short due to a torn Achilles.
Kendricks has finished with over 100 tackles for eight straight seasons. He’s still a starting caliber inside linebacker but tends to struggle in pass coverage.
Jenkins started every regular-season game for the Jaguars for two straight seasons. The safety had 217 tackles, 21 passes defended and five interceptions in that span.
Samuel’s was second on the Commanders in receptions (62) and receiving yards 613. The wideout his best suited as a No. 2 or No. 3 option at receiver.
Brown allowed three sacks and 17 pressures in 579 snaps last season. Pro Football Focus gave Brown an 80.2 blocking grade for 2023. He has the versatility to play left or right tackle.
Williams begrudgingly moved over to right tackle after the Bengals acquired Orlando Brown Jr. Last season was had his least effective blocking year as a pro, but that was primarily because he never quite round a rhythm on the right side.
The 37-year-old defensive lineman wants to play a 17th season in the NFL. He’s still wildly durable and effective. He started all 17 games for the Falcons and compiled 6.5 sacks last season. Campbell is a veteran leader who can still make an impact despite getting up their in age. He has 105.5 career sacks.
Jackson started 36 games for the Giants the past three seasons. He only has two interceptions the last three years, but he did log 23 passes defended. He can also be used as a return man.
Adams was cut after four underwhelming seasons in Seattle. He never started more than 12 games in a single season with the Seahawks. A change of scenery could do well for the three-time Pro Bowler.
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