{"id":445673,"date":"2026-01-29T18:27:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445673\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T18:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:27:12","slug":"2026-nfl-free-agency-ranking-the-projected-top-players-at-each-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445673\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL free agency: Ranking the projected top players at each position"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Super Bowl<\/a> LX matchup is locked in with the AFC champion New England Patriots<\/a> squaring off against the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thirty teams are now full speed ahead with their free agency plans and what their rosters could look like when the 2026 league year kicks off on March 11. Free agency in the NFL<\/a> isn’t as foolproof as other sports, but both Super Bowl participants were big spenders a year ago. New England spent a total of $364.4 million, the most in the NFL, and Seattle spent $205.6 million, the fourth-most in the league, according to Spotrac.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Landing spots for NFL’s top 50 free agents: George Pickens stays put, other top weapons find new homes<\/p>\n

\n Zachary Pereles <\/p>\n

\"Landing<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

With how free agency played such an impactful role in the 2025 season’s Super Bowl matchup, here is a look at the top available free agents at every position.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Age: 28 | Pro Bowls: 0 | First-team All-Pro teams: 0<\/p>\n

Daniel Jones<\/a>\u00a0played like a top 10 quarterback through the first 14 weeks of the 2025 season prior to tearing his Achilles. Jones could be ready to roll for Week 1 after six to eight months of rehab and recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the first 10 weeks of 2025, before Jones reportedly battled through a fractured fibula, the Colts<\/a> led the NFL in scoring offense (32.1 PPG), total offense (396.9) and expected points added (EPA)\/drive (1.1). He thrived in coach Shane Steichen’s play-action heavy offense, 19.9% play-action rate in Weeks 1-14 (third-highest in the NFL), and he repeatedly hit big plays deep down the field. Jones looked his best while equipped with the best supporting cast of his career, with a solid offensive line, Pro Bowler\u00a0Jonathan Taylor<\/a>\u00a0at running back,\u00a0Alec Pierce<\/a>\u00a0at wide receiver and\u00a0Tyler Warren<\/a>\u00a0at tight end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the Colts decide to let him test the market, Jones could be a solid starter elsewhere, but it seems like greater heights could be reached for Jones if he stays with Steichen and Indianapolis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Completion percentage<\/p>\n

68%<\/p>\n

T-7th*<\/p>\n

Pass yards\/game<\/p>\n

238.5*<\/p>\n

9th<\/p>\n

Pass yards\/attempt<\/p>\n

8.1*<\/p>\n

5th<\/p>\n

Pass TD<\/p>\n

19*<\/p>\n

T-12th<\/p>\n

Passer rating<\/p>\n

100.2*<\/p>\n

8th<\/p>\n

Expected points added (EPA\/play<\/p>\n

0.23*<\/p>\n

1st<\/p>\n

* Career high\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Running back: Breece Hall<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a024 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00 |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Breece Hall<\/a> is entering the open market at the perfect time, in his prime, becoming the New York Jets<\/a>‘ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015 with 1,065 yards in the 2025 season. His 5,040 career scrimmage yards are the second-most from the 2022 NFL Draft class behind only 2025 NFL rushing champion\u00a0James Cook<\/a>. Hall’s ability to jump cut on a dime to create explosive plays in both the run and pass games shone like a beacon in the doom and gloom of the Jets’ offense. Hall’s production was impressive because New York was almost always playing from behind, but perhaps Hall can reach the postseason for the first time with a new team in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Wide receiver: Alec Pierce<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a025 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00 |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/a>\u00a0don’t plan on letting 2025 second-team All-Pro wide receiver\u00a0George Pickens<\/a>\u00a0hit the open market, whether that is via the franchise tag or a long-term contract extension.<\/p>\n

That being said, Alec Pierce<\/a> is one of the NFL’s top vertical receivers. He is No. 1 in yards per reception (18.7) since entering the league as a second-round pick in the 2022\u00a0NFL Draft<\/a>. Pierce led the NFL in yards per reception in 2024 (22.3) and 2025 (21.3), making him the first to pace the NFL in yards\/reception in consecutive years since\u00a0Denver Broncos<\/a>\u00a0wide receiver Ashley Lelie in 2004 (20.1) and 2005 (18.3), according to CBS Sports Research. Pierce’s speed at 6-3, while weighing 211 pounds, is a rare combination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Tight end: Kyle Pitts<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a025 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a01 (2021) |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Tight end Kyle Pitts<\/a> entered the NFL with generational talent expectations when the Falcons<\/a> chose him fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. That made him the highest-drafted tight end in the common draft era (since 1967), and he was drafted ahead of legitimate generational talents like wide receiver\u00a0Ja’Marr Chase<\/a>\u00a0and offensive tackle\u00a0Penei Sewell<\/a>. Pitts started strong with 1,026 yards receiving in Matt Ryan’s<\/a> last year as a Falcon, but then he plateaued while dealing with injuries and mediocre quarterback situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He’s improved as a blocker, and the football is starting to find him once again: Pitts’ career-high 88 catches were the second-most in the NFL among tight ends in 2025, which earned him second-team All-Pro honors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Offensive tackle: Rasheed Walker<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a025 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00 |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Rasheed Walker<\/a> is durable, playing in all 17 games in each of the last three seasons, and he started all but three of them for the Green Bay Packers<\/a>. Walker’s 55.9% pass block win rate ranked 15th in the NFL among offensive tackles in 2025, according to TruMedia. A durable left tackle in the middle of his 20s, who is an average pass blocker, is going to get paid. Offensive tackle is one of the hardest position groups to find consistency around the league these days, and that will get Walker paid well this offseason.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Walker did get arrested at LaGuardia Airport on gun charges related to him not having “proper credentials. However, his lawyer told CBS58 in Milwaukee that they are “confident the matter will eventually be dismissed<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Interior offensive lineman: Tyler Linderbaum\u00a0<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a025 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a03 (2023-2025) |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Tyler Linderbaum<\/a> is one of the NFL’s top centers. Pro Football Focus gave Linderbaum a 79.8 offensive grade, the fifth-best in the league among centers in 2025. His ability to climb to the second level of the defense, thanks to his balance, speed and quickness, is evident when watching his film. Linderbaum also excels at mowing down non-linemen in space as a blocker on screen passes. The Ravens<\/a> declined his fifth-year option as it would have made him the highest-paid center in the NFL. Baltimore could re-sign Linderbaum this offseason, but he’ll have a long list of future employers if they don’t. \u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Edge rusher: Trey Hendrickson<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a031\u00a0|\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a04 (2021-2024)\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a01 (2024)<\/p>\n

Hendrickson’s and the Bengals<\/a>‘ pending divorce should have already happened last year after failed contract negotiations following his producing 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024 (led the league in 2024). He underwent core muscle surgery that cut his 2025 season short after seven games, but he’s been one of the best pass rushers in football since becoming a Bengal. Hendrickson is only the fifth player since sacks became an officially tracked statistic in 1982 to produce 17-plus sacks in consecutive seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He wins with phenomenal usage of his hands, combined with strong bend off the line of scrimmage, two elements that could age nicely even after the core muscle procedure. Hendrickson will likely land a multiyear contract averaging around $30 million per year over the next two to three years. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Defensive tackle: John Franklin-Myers<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a029\u00a0|\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00 |\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

John Franklin-Myers<\/a> and 2025 second-team All-Pro\u00a0Leonard Williams<\/a>\u00a0are the only defensive tackles with a minimum of seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits in each of the last two seasons. Franklin-Myers is impactful against both the run and the pass, and his hand work, in tandem with his motor, helps him win off the line of scrimmage. The question with Franklin-Myers is how much of the production comes from playing next to two upper-echelon edge rushers in\u00a0Nik Bonitto<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Jonathon Cooper<\/a>. Some defensive tackle-needy squad will pony up to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Linebacker: Devin Lloyd\u00a0<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a027 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Devin Lloyd<\/a>, a 2022 first-round pick, thrived in new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s He is a Swiss Army knife in the Jaguars<\/a>‘ 2025 defense. Lloyd’s 25 quarterback pressures in 2025 are more than double the next closest single-season total in his career (12 as a rookie in 2022). His five interceptions were tied for the second-most in the league in 2025, one of which was a 99-yard pick-six of\u00a0Patrick Mahomes<\/a>\u00a0in a Week 5 victory on “Monday Night Football.” Pro Football Focus ranks him as the NFL’s third-best inside linebacker this season with an 89.1 defensive grade. Lloyd’s production may be scheme dependent, so a Jacksonville return makes the most sense unless another NFL team wants to deploy him in a similar manner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Cornerback: Tariq Woolen<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a026 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a01 (2022)\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Tariq Woolen’s<\/a> build (6-4, 210 pounds) is a physical marvel for the cornerback position. He thrived from the jump as a rookie in 2022, co-leading the NFL with six interceptions in Pete Carroll’s Cover 3 defense with some press-man coverage mixed in. Mike Macdonald’s scheme is more complex with a lot of disguised zone looks, and he hasn’t reached the tantalizing potential of his rookie year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He’ll need to cut down on the mental mistakes that snowballed on him in the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>. The Rams were facing a fourth-and-12, and then Woolen gifted Los Angeles a first down after picking up a taunting penalty. On the very next play, he surrendered a 34-yard bomb to Puka Nacua<\/a> deep down the left sideline for a touchdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the game, he apologized for the taunting penalty and the ensuing miscue, promising never let it happen again. However, Woolen could break out again under a different scheme, given his traits.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Safety: Coby Bryant\u00a0<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a026 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Coby Bryant<\/a> is a versatile safety who began his NFL journey as a slot corner, but head coach Mike Macdonald shifted him over to free safety. He’s since been one of eight safeties with seven or more interceptions (seven) and 10 or more passes defended (13) in the last two seasons along with\u00a0Kerby Joseph<\/a>,\u00a0Xavier McKinney<\/a>,\u00a0Calen Bullock<\/a>, C.J. Gardner-Johnson,\u00a0Kevin Byard<\/a>,\u00a0Camryn Bynum<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Jessie Bates III<\/a>. A safety with his type of ball production will be in demand on the open market.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Kicker: Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a030\u00a0|\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a00\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a00<\/p>\n

Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro led the NFL in field goal percentage in 2025, hitting on 28 of his 29 field goals for a 96.6% clip. His sole miss came on a 64-yard attempt at the Indianapolis Colts, just banged off the crossbar for a near miss. Plenty of teams could use a marksman at the kicker position, and Pi\u00f1eiro is an unrestricted free agent at the perfect time to cash in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Punter: Jordan Stout<\/p>\n

Age:\u00a027 |\u00a0Pro Bowls:\u00a01 (2025)\u00a0|\u00a0First-team All-Pro teams:\u00a01 (2025)<\/p>\n

The NFL’s 2025 first-team All-Pro punter is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Jordan Stout<\/a>‘s 44.9 net yards per punt were the second-most in the league in 2025, and his four punts inside the five were tied for the third-most in the league. If a team needs to fix the punting component of their special teams unit, they’re in luck in 2026 because the NFL’s best at the position is available.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Super Bowl LX matchup is locked in with the AFC champion New England Patriots squaring off against…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[231142,231141,61008,1276,64,63,631,28658,30695,17464,1252,169847,1234,1277,1256,75223,9848,1265,1243,1246,19356,1237,19870,23260,231143,5364,85488,211063,73137,157307,19984,38951,1263,35234,1231,1235,593,140918,48929,6584,30313,20795,211070,1254,85,75212,1259,75210,5363,140411],"class_list":["post-445673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-2026-free-agency","tag-2026-nfl-free-agency","tag-alec-pierce","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-baltimore-ravens","tag-breece-hall","tag-calen-bullock","tag-camryn-bynum","tag-cincinnati-bengals","tag-coby-bryant","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-daniel-jones","tag-denver-broncos","tag-devin-lloyd","tag-free-agency","tag-george-pickens","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-jamarr-chase","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-james-cook","tag-jessie-bates-iii","tag-john-franklin-myers","tag-jonathan-taylor","tag-jonathon-cooper","tag-jordan-stout","tag-kerby-joseph","tag-kevin-byard","tag-kyle-pitts","tag-leonard-williams","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-matt-ryan","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-new-york-jets","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-nik-bonitto","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-penei-sewell","tag-puka-nacua","tag-rasheed-walker","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-sports","tag-tariq-woolen","tag-trey-hendrickson","tag-tyler-linderbaum","tag-tyler-warren","tag-xavier-mckinney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}