As the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks make preparations to play in the Super Bowl, the other 30 NFL teams are moving on to the 2026 NFL season. This time of year, NFL teams are evaluating which players they plan to keep on their roster and which they plan to let go in 2026. Every team has a collection of free agents they will have to decide on in the next few months. No matter which pending free agents each team chooses to re-sign, they will also be looking for a free agent who allows them to make a splash and propel themselves into contender status in 2026. This season, the top free agents have a chance to come in and make an immediate impact if they end up in a team environment that allows them to create connections as a player for the next season.
#30 Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed a 1-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason to win a Super Bowl and to play for head coach Mike Tomlin. However, the Steelers did not win a Super Bowl, and Mike Tomlin has moved on from the Steelers. While Rodgers will likely publicly debate whether he will retire or play, he still has value to NFL teams. During the 2025 season, Rodgers displayed elite efficiency as a passer and outstanding ball security awareness. While Rodgers has developed into a pure pocket passer as he has gotten older, he still has the advantage of raising the level of the players around him. Now that Pittsburgh has decided to hire former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ status with the Steelers is unknown.
#29 Cornerback Trevon Diggs
Cornerback Trevon Diggs is coming into free agency in 2026 as high risk but high reward player. During the 2025 season, Diggs was released by the Dallas Cowboys mid-season and he had a short sting with the Green Bay Packers at the end of the season. Diggs will be motivated to have a fresh start somewhere after a tenuous season. Physically Diggs still has the physical skills to play cornerback at an All-Pro level, and he has demonstrated the ability to be an elite “ball-hawk”. In 2021, Diggs intercepted 11 passes which was the most interceptions in a season since 2021. So far in his career he has intercepted 20 passes and has defended 63 passes.
#28 Safety Bryan Cook
Safety Bryan Cook has the unique ability to play as a deep-half safety or roll into the box and become a quality run defender. That combination of skills makes him an almost instant plug-and-play player for any team in the NFL. Since suffering an ankle injury in 2023, Cook has exemplified durability and has maintained his performance as a high-volume player for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2025, Cook had his best NFL season with 85 total tackles and 6 pass breakups. Current estimates have Cook as a top-tier defensive back with a market value below that of top-tier safeties over the past year, making him a great value for any team that chooses to sign Cook.
#27 Offensive Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker
Offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has nearly everything NFL teams are looking for from an offensive guard. When healthy, Vera-Tucker has been one of the best run blockers in the NFL, and he has also demonstrated the ability to be an outstanding player when it comes to pass protection. In addition, he has experience playing many different positions along the offensive line, including Left Guard, Right Guard, Right Tackle, and Left Tackle. The downside of Vera-Tucker is his durability and the significant number of snaps he has missed during the 2022, 2023, and 2025 seasons. In 2025, Vera-Tucker missed the entire season with a torn triceps, the second time in his career he had suffered a triceps injury.
#26 Tight End Isaiah Likely
Tight end Isaiah Likely is another pending free agent with significant upside due to his versatility. While playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Likely has demonstrated the ability to play as a slot receiver, wide out, and in-line tight end. While Likely has prototypical size and elite athleticism, he has spent most of his career as a second-string tight end behind Mark Andrews. Despite not being a full-time player for the Ravens, Likely has 135 career receptions with 15 of those being touchdown receptions. During the 2025 season, Likely struggled with a foot injury, and that, combined with his limited use in Baltimore, has him classified as a mid-tier free agent, but with a team where he is a good fit, he could be an elite performer.
#25 Edge Odafe Oweh
Edge rusher Odafe Oweh is a pass-rusher who has demonstrated the ability to be elite, whether he is playing in a four-man front or blitzing in a 3-man front. During the 2025 season, Oweh ranked 11th among NFL pass rushers with a win rate of 16.5%. Mid-season Oweh was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers, and in 12 games for Los Angeles, Oweh recorded 7.5 quarterback sacks. In addition, during the Chargers’ playoff game against the New England Patriots, Oweh set a Chargers postseason record with 3 quarterback sacks and 2 forced fumbles. This offseason, Oweh could deliver elite pass-rush performance without the elite price tag.
#24 Running Back Kenneth Walker III
Running back Kenneth Walker III has the unique opportunity to potentially win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks and then hit the open free agent market to pursue a big payday. Walker has developed a reputation in Seattle as a hardworking, exemplary character. In addition, Walker is only 25 years old and has averaged 4.6 yards/carry in Seattle. During the postseason, Walker has exploded against the San Francisco 49ers with 116 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. For teams looking for an elite running back, Walker could provide an affordable option that will not reset the market for running backs.
#23 Safety Jaquan Brisker
During the 2025 NFL season, safety Jaquan Brisker demonstrated that he has what it takes to be a tone-setter for a defense in the NFL. Brisker has shown that he has the physical ability to be a safety that can play like a linebacker when he drops into the box for run support. In addition, Brisker can make plays from a traditional deep safety alignment, but he is comfortable in the box, making plays on blitzes and playing man coverage against wide receivers. He also made an impact during the postseason this year. Brisker showed that he is one of the top defenders in the Chicago Bears’ defense. At 26 years old, Brisker can be a game-changer for NFL defenses looking for a boost for their defensive secondary.
#22 Safety Coby Bryant
Safety Coby Bryant is a free safety who has the versatility to play slot corner in a nickel defensive scheme, and he is also physical enough to match up with tight ends in coverage. In addition, Bryant has elite “ball hawking” skills, and over the last two seasons, he has 7 interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and forced 7 fumbles. On the other hand, Bryant can also roll down closer to the line of scrimmage and become an outstanding run support player. At 26 years old, he has plenty of time to continue developing as an elite NFL player, and as a former 4th-round draft pick, he will cost significantly less than his actual market value.
#21 Quarterback Malik Willis
Quarterback Malik Willis is heading into free agency as an “overqualified” bridge quarterback prospect. However, Willis has shown big-game potential. He played well against the Chicago Bears in Week 17 while stepping in for Jordan Love. Willis has also become an efficient passer. He has a career quarterback rating of 98.9 and has not thrown an interception in the last two years in Green Bay. In the 2025 season, Willis completed 85.7% of his passes. This indicates he has corrected the accuracy issues he had with the Tennessee Titans.
#20 Wide Receiver Jauan Jennings
During the 2025 season, wide receiver Jauan Jennings transformed himself from being viewed as a 3rd down specialist into being an elite high-end starter. In 2025, Jennings caught 9 touchdown passes for the 49ers offense, and he still has the ability to consistently pick up the yards needed to pick up first downs in 3rd down situations. Jennings is also one of the top blockers in the NFL, which elevates his value to a team by enhancing the passing and running games. With Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle missing from the 49ers’ lineup for various issues, Jennings took advantage of the opportunity and became the leading receiver for San Francisco in 2025.
#19 Offensive Tackle Braden Smith
Braden Smith will be the top right offensive tackle to hit the free agent market this spring. While playing for the Indianapolis Colts, he demonstrated the ability to be an above-average run blocker in 2025, and since 2024, he has allowed a 4.3% pressure rate. During the 2025 season, Smith only allowed one sack while playing 766 snaps before he was injured late in the season. Since 2018, Smith has 105 starts all at the right tackle position. This offseason, Smith is the only offensive tackle listed on ESPN’s Top 15 Free Agents for 2026.
#18 Edge Khalil Mack
Edge rusher Khalil Mack is about to become a 35-year-old free agent, but he continues to be a productive player in the NFL. In terms of investments, Mack is a great “buy low, high floor” free agent who can still provide consistent success as a pass rusher and run stopper. Throughout his NFL career, Mack has been an outstanding edge setter against opponents’ rushing attacks, and he also continues to threaten the passer with his pass-rush moves and technical hand play. In addition, Mack brings the big-play potential of his strip-sack technique, which he has used as a foundation for his NFL reputation. During the 2025 season, Mack forced 4 fumbles for the Los Angeles Chargers.
#17 Wide Receiver Mike Evans
Wide receiver Mike Evans is an outstanding buy for a team that is just a playmaker or two away from being a Super Bowl contender. Until the 2025 season, in which Evans missed several games due to injuries, Evans had carried a streak of 11 consecutive 1000-yard receiving seasons. Evans has won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he still has the ability to stretch the field vertically as a serious threat who excels at running outstanding routes. In addition, having Evans on the field forces opposing defenses to adjust to his alignment because of his big-play potential. With 108 career touchdown receptions, Evans ranks 9th in NFL history.
#16 Offensive Tackle Rasheed Walker
Left tackle Rasheed Walker is expected to be the top left tackle prospect in the 2026 free agent market. Walker is still in his athletic prime at 26 years old, and he has the ideal size for a modern offensive tackle: 6’6″, 234 pounds. While playing for the Green Bay Packers, Walker has logged over 3,000 snaps and brings a level of dependability that teams will not find with a 2026 draft pick. The downside for Walker is that he has been a bargain player all his career, but now he has earned his opportunity for a big payday, likely costing his next team in the neighborhood of $20 million per season.
#15 Linebacker Quay Walker
The Green Bay Packers chose to decline the 5th-year option for linebacker Quay Walker, but he heads into the 2026 free agent market as a legitimate playmaker as a traditional linebacker. Walker has recorded 100+ tackles in his first four seasons in the NFL, and in 2025, he set a career high with 128 total tackles despite missing three games. Despite having a large frame at 6’4″, 241 pounds, Walker has the ability to be a sideline-to-sideline defender as an off-the-ball linebacker. In addition, Walker has the speed to be an outstanding blitzer. In 2025, he generated 12 quarterback pressures and 2.5 quarterback sacks, which is tied for being the best in the NFL as an off-the-ball linebacker.
#14 Cornerback Riq Woolen
Cornerback Riq Woolen is a potentially polarizing playmaker with elite physical ability, but his behavior has created dissonance. During the 2025 season, the Seattle Seahawks considered trading Woolen, but decided to keep him in their defensive secondary. Woolen has helped the Seahawks defense play at a level among the best in the NFL, and that defense, along with Woolen, is a big contributor to the Seahawks Super Bowl appearance this season. During his career, Woolen has been a high-end producer in forcing turnovers, recording 12 career interceptions in his first four seasons. In addition, Woolen has legitimate lockdown ability as a cover corner, and he has only allowed receivers to create separation 35% of the time.
#13 Cornerback Jaylen Watson
Cornerback Jaylen Watson is entering free agency in 2026 with a Super Bowl pedigree that includes two Super Bowl victories with the Chiefs. Watson is only 27 years old, and he is still in his prime, and he has the ideal length and size as a press-man coverage defender with a 6’2″, 197-pound frame. During his career with the Chiefs, Watson has proven himself a consistent run-support player in the defensive secondary. In 2025, Watson recorded 64 total tackles, 2.0 quarterback sacks, and two interceptions.
#12 Cornerback Alontae Taylor
Cornerback Alontae Taylor comes into free agency as one of the versatile defensive backs in the NFL free agency market in 2026. Taylor has the speed to be an outstanding player-maker as a cornerback on the edge of the defense, and he has also shown the ability to be a disruptive force as a slot corner for the Saints. At 6’1″, 199 pounds, Taylor has been an excellent run support player in the defensive secondary and was ranked as the #6 run-defending cornerback in the NFL. In addition, Taylor has also produced 6.0 quarterback sacks during the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to his ability to blow up plays in the offensive backfield as a blitzer off the edge.
#11 Tight End Kyle Pitts
For most of his NFL career, tight end Kyle Pitts has been labeled an underachiever. With the frame of an elite tight end, Pitts is 6’6″, 255 pounds, and still has the elite speed of a wide receiver. The combination of Pitt’s size and speed makes for a difficult matchup for linebackers and cornerbacks in coverage. As a former #4 overall pick for the Falcons, he has not been the consistent player the Falcons have needed year to year. However, the Falcons still picked up Pitts 5th year option for 2025, and Pitts rewarded their loyalty with a resurgent season with 88 receptions for 928 yards, which ranked 2nd among tight ends in 2025.
#10 Defensive Line John Franklin-Myers
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers enters free agency as a 29-year-old pass rusher known for being a high-floor starter with outstanding versatility. At 6’4″ and 288 pounds, Franklin-Myers is a rare anchor for any defensive line, equally effective in 4-3 or 3-4 defensive fronts. In 2025, he played both defensive end and interior lineman for the Jets, posting a 12.7% pass-rush win rate at both spots. His violent hands and high motor fueled career-highs of 7.5 sacks and 39 pressures in 2025.
#9 Wide Receiver Alec Pierce
Wide receiver Alec Pierce as gone from being considered a deep threat specialist to being a 1000-yard receiver in 2025. This season, Pierce produced 21.3 yards/reception on his way to recording 1003 receiving yards on only 47 receptions. Pierce’s speed forces defenders to play off the ball to avoid giving up deep passes, and the reluctance of defenders to play tight coverage allows Pierce to run deep routes consistently with an average depth of target of 20.0 yards. During the 2025 season Pierce ranking 4th in the NFL with 18 contested catches, and Pierce only has four dropped passes during the last 153 times he has been targeted even with variance at the Colts quarterback position.
#8 Running Back Travis Etienne Jr.
Travis Etienne Jr. is in a position to be the top-tier running back during the 2026 free agency period. Over the course of his NFL career, Etienne has been labeled an injury risk; however, over the last three seasons, he has missed only 3 games. During the 2025 season, Etienne showed that he has what it takes to be an elite running back in the NFL with 1,107 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. While Etienne averaged 4.3 yards/carry, he also had 28 runs of 10+ yards, ranking 10th in the NFL. In addition, Etienne has caught over 40 passes per season throughout his career, and he has outstanding awareness when contributing to pass protection schemes.
#7 Running Back Breece Hall
Running back Breece Hall has the distinction of being the youngest running back during the 2026 free agent cycle. However, even though Hall is only 24 years old, he has four seasons of NFL experience and has been a productive player for a struggling Jets offense. During the 2025 season, Hall ran for 1,065 yards and had over 350 receiving yards. Hall was elusive in 2025 while forcing 40 missed tackles, which led to 17 runs over 15 yards for the season. NFL teams look at Hall as being a legitimate “Bell Cow” running back that can boost any offense in the league, but he will also have a market value that matches his potential, so teams will need to be ready to commit valuable resources to Hall.
#6 Quarterback Daniel Jones
Quarterback Daniel Jones took the NFL by storm during the first half of the 2025 season, leading the Indianapolis Colts to the top of the NFL. However, mid-season, Jones had his season cut short after tearing his Achilles tendon during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That injury has cut Daniel Jones’ perceived value from an elite starter to a high-end bridge quarterback. During the 2025 season, Jones broke his mold of being a pure pocket passer by running the ball effectively for the Colts. Jones finished the season with a 100.2 passer rating, and he also has the versatility to manage an offense that requires quarterbacks to run the ball in addition to being comfortable in an RPO-based offensive system.
#5 Linebacker Devin Lloyd
Despite producing an All-Pro caliber campaign during the 2025 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars declined Devin Lloyd’s 5th-year option. As an off-the-ball linebacker, Lloyd has elite pass coverage skills, and in 2025, he intercepted five passes, including a 99-yard pick-six against Patrick Mahomes in Week 5. Lloyd finished the season as the 3rd-highest ranked linebacker in the NFL, and he demonstrated more than just great pass coverage with 25 quarterback pressures and 1.5 quarterback sacks when blitzing. As a 27-year-old linebacker with elite play-recognition and communication skills, Lloyd is in a position to be a big-time playmaker in future seasons.
#4 Center Tyler Linderbaum
Center Tyler Linderbaum is heading into the 2026 free agent market as an elite “road-grader” when it comes to run blocking. In addition, Linderbaum has outstanding athleticism for a 6’2″, 305-pound lineman who has the ability to work up to second-level defenders and effectively pull to set up blocks in space. In addition to being an outstanding run blocker, Linderbaum has been an outstanding pass blocker, allowing only 2 sacks over the last 3 seasons. The Ravens declined his 5th-year option to create salary-cap flexibility, but as a free agent, Linderbaum is set to receive a huge payday in the $18-$20 million range.
#3 Edge Trey Hendrickson
Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson fought long and hard to try to have the Cincinnati Bengals commit to him for a long-term contract in 2025. However, Hendrickson is a 31-year-old pass rusher who is coming off a season in which injuries shortened his availability to 7 games for the Bengals. While Hendrickson has a reputation for being an excellent pass rusher with a toolbox of diverse counter moves while pursuing opposing quarterbacks, he is a player that teams will only want to make a short-term commitment to when he gets signed. Hendrickson has averaged 14 quarterback sacks per season since 2020, and he is a great option for a team that is willing to make a $30 million/season commitment to an older pass rusher for the next 2 or 3 seasons.
#2 Edge Jaelon Phillips
Edge rusher Jaelon Phillips will enter the 2026 free agent market projected as the best pass rusher available. At 26 years old with a 6’5″, 266-pound frame, Phillips has a freakish combination of size and elite speed. Phillips manhandles tight ends in the NFL, and he has an elite first step, along with elite bending ability that allows him to turn the corner against most pass blockers. During the 2025 season, Phillips began with the Miami Dolphins but was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the trade, Phillips played in all 17 regular-season games and, during his 8 games with the Eagles, recorded 2.0 quarterback sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, and 4 pass deflections.
#1 Wide Receiver George Pickens
During the 2025 season, George Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns. Pickens became the third player in Dallas Cowboys history to record over 90 catches and 1,400 yards, joining CeeDee Lamb and Michael Irvin. At 6’3″, 200 pounds, Pickens is one of the toughest receivers to cover, gaining 510 yards this season against single coverage. Entering 2025, Pickens was considered a second-tier receiver, a serious threat, but in Dallas, he mastered slant and intermediate routes, raising his profile as the top available NFL wide receiver for 2026.
Make sure you check out, Conference Championship Quarterback Grades
If you enjoyed this article, please like the article and follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading and have a great day!
