Top 2025 NFL free agents: Ranking top 30 players in NFL free agency

For teams that want to create more pressure up the middle, Jarran Reed could be the perfect solution. He earned the 26th-best grade among interior defenders from PFF last season, recording an impressive 48 pressures. But with Byron Murphy II arriving in town, Seattle may not show a strong interest in re-signing the 32-year-old.

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Malcolm Koonce missed the entire 2024 season with an injury, but he had a breakout season in 2023. The soon-to-be 27-year-old may just be entering his prime, which could give a team a chance to buy low on a player who recorded eight sacks in 2023.

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Teams that need to improve their run defense will likely have an interest in signing B.J. Hill this offseason. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle ranked 22nd among defensive interior linemen in run defense, but he also tallied three sacks as well, showing he can make plays at and behind the line of scrimmage.

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Playing in a contract year, Byron Murphy had the best season of his career, earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Overall, Murphy was graded as the 33rd-best cornerback per PFF, tying for first among all corners with six interceptions. He just turned 27, which means a team could sign him to be their No. 2 corner for years to come.

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If he wasn’t set to turn 35 years old, Kevin Zeitler would rank much higher on this list of best NFL free agents available. The 2023 Pro Bowler graded as the fifth-best guard in 2024, allowing just five sacks and committing two penalties while playing a role in the NFL’s highest-scoring offense. He was the third-best run-blocking guard and the 32nd-best pass protector. That type of play could elevate any scoring attack.

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Previously labeled as a draft bust, Mekhi Becton proved all his skeptics wrong in just one season with the Philadelphia Eagles. All he needed was to switch from tackle to guard while receiving excellent coaching. A monstrous blocker at 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, Becton graded as the 21st-best guard last season while grading out as the 19th-best run-blocker at his position.

Rasul Douglas graded as the 11th-best cornerback in 2023, but he slipped to 132nd last season. Whichever team signs him will have to get better production out of the former Super Bowl winner, yet he’s shown the ability to be a high-level playmaker capable of snagging multiple interceptions per season.

Limited to just two games last season, Dre Greenlaw is just one year removed from producing back-to-back seasons with 120 or more tackles for a good San Francisco 49ers defense. Greenlaw’s athleticism helps him be an above-average coverage linebacker, but he’s also a productive run-stopper too. If healthy, he can be one of the best players on any defense he joins.

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A guard with experience playing tackle, Teven Jenkins will be just 27 next season. PFF graded Jenkins as the 18th-best guard in the NFL, and he’d be an upgrade for most teams. Jenkins could even still get better if he’s surrounded by more talented athletes.

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After five consecutive seasons earning either a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection, Justin Simmons finally missed the cut this year. Aside from getting a year older (now 31), there’s no reason to believe he suddenly forgot how to play football. Simmons may just need another change of scenery to return to elite form. For teams that need better safety play, Simmons is worth taking a risk on.

Already proven to be one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the NFL, Justin Fields still has to develop more consistency as a passer. Yet, the former first-round pick is just 25 years old, and he showed improvement with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s bound to be either a top backup or enter a QB competition this offseason with a chance to earn a starting role.

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While he’s a three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins‘ best days may be behind him now that he’s 32 years old. He averaged just 38.1 yards per game, splitting time between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. The biggest question is whether he has much left in the tank after the worst season of his career.

He had a terrible season with the New York Jets, playing in just ten games and getting only one sack. Yet, before that, Haason Reddick had four consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks. If he’s happy and healthy, Reddick can be one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers.

Unless Kirk Cousins gets released, Russell Wilson will enter as the second-best quarterback in 2025 NFL free agency. He sputtered to end the year, but the 36-year-old quarterback showed he can take care of the football and still lead a winning effort.

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Though he struggled with drops this past season, Amari Cooper is still an elite route runner. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver didn’t have a single 100-yard game this season, but in 2023, Cooper recorded 1,250 yards while earning another Pro Bowl nod. Set to turn 31 next season, Cooper carries some risk, but he could also be highly motivated to have a strong bounce-back performance.

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While he didn’t have a dominant season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Josh Sweat will still be just 28 years old when the 2025 season kicks off. He did still have eight sacks, which is three shy of his career-high. Tallying 39 sacks across the past five seasons, Sweat feels like an edge rusher who can be plugged in anywhere and still have success.

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A year ago, Charvarius Ward ranked as the ninth-best cornerback per PFF. Last year, he battled some heartbreaking personal issues and graded 148th. If Ward, a former Pro Bowl Super Bowl champion, can return to top form, a team could get an elite coverage corner in free agency, and those are hard to come by.

He’s only been a full-time starter for one season, but Azeez Ojulari showed why he deserves more playing time on his next team in 2024. The 24-year-old neared a new career-high in sacks after finishing with six, two shy of his personal best, which came as a rookie. A former second-round pick, Ojulari could be poised for an even bigger breakout season on his next team.

Set to turn 26 this offseason, Talanoa Hufanga is a former first-team All-Pro safety. Yet, he’s played in just 17 games over the past two seasons, which has slightly diminished his value. Hufanga has shown strong coverage instincts plus an ability to be a plus run defender, which should attract plenty of interest this offseason.

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He did just turn 30, but Aaron Jones did his best to show that age is just a number last season with the Minnesota Vikings. He was 13 yards shy of a new career-high in scrimmage yards, but he did have a personal best 1,138 rushing yards. For any team that wants a strong runner who can be a factor catching passes out of the backfield, you won’t find a more proven option available than the one-time Pro Bowl RB.

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Chris Godwin fractured his ankle during the season, but he should be good to go by the start of 2025. The soon-to-be 29-year-old was still highly productive when healthy, averaging 82.3 YPG before getting hurt. With four 1,000-yard seasons to his name, Godwin would be a sizable addition to many NFL offenses next season.

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While he’s set to turn 34 this offseason, Khalil Mack is just one year removed from a 17-sack season. Yet, he’s also a high-end run-stopper capable of setting the edge with consistency. Any playoff contender should have interest in the future Hall of Famer.

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D.J. Reed graded 43rd among cornerbacks last season, and that was a ‘down’ year for him. A borderline Pro Bowl talent, Reed’s superpower is breaking up passes. He’s had three different seasons of over ten pass deflections, and he could be a high-end CB2 on just about any team he joins.

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Set to turn 25 this free agency, Jevon Holland will be one of the youngest players available on the open market. The former second-round pick started all 15 games for the Dolphins last season, but his play fell off a bit. Previously though, he graded as one of the NFL’s best coverage safeties who can also show up on run defense.

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His season ended early after tearing his ACL, but Stefon Diggs was still averaging 62 yards per game (YPG) before he got hurt. Plus, he’s shown an ability to be a true game-changing receiver, and a lot of teams would pay top dollar for similar production.

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It was only one season, but Zack Baun earned first-team All-Pro honors for the Philadelphia Eagles this past season. He was excellent in coverage, ranking first among all linebackers per Pro Football Focus. He also racked up a career-high 151 tackles. He’d be an upgrade for most NFL teams, but can he replicate the success in a different system?

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A former All-Pro left tackle, Ronnie Stanley’s ceiling is arguably the highest of all 2025 NFL free agents. But his All-Pro/Pro Bowl season happened back in 2019, and he only ranked 39th among all tackles last season. Of course, many teams would love to have an above-average tackle like Stanley protecting the blindside of their starting quarterback.

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From a pure talent standpoint, Tee Higgins probably deserves to be No. 1. Yet he’s never earned a Pro Bowl nod. However, he’s also stuck behind Ja’Marr Chase in the Cincinnati Bengals’ pecking order, which diminishes his potential production. However, other teams may be able to plug him in as their top receiver and get even better results.

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While his final two games were horrendous, Sam Darnold showed he can play at a Pro Bowl level with the Minnesota Vikings. Whether other teams can get the same production out of the former No. 3 overall pick remains to be seen, but Darnold has shown he can make all the throws while leading a top-ten scoring offense.

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It’s hard to find a better free agent than Trey Smith. The 25-year-old is already a Pro Bowl guard, and he may still have more room to grow. Plus, he’s started for back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Any team would be able to upgrade their offensive line by adding the right guard to their roster.

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