Well, it’s that time of the year again folks.
The absolutely loaded 2024 NFL free-agent class is about to open. Which superstar players will stay with their respective teams, and which ones will chase the money and opportunity to start afresh?
Without further ado, let’s dive into our predictions on where the top 25 NFL free agents of 2024 will land.
Chris Jones: Kansas City Chiefs
Without Jones, the Chiefs wouldn’t have emerged as a dynasty that has claimed three Super Bowls in the last five years. The five-time Pro Bowler single-handedly takes over games with his all-world pass-rushing skills — as evidenced by those three championship rings and all.
Jones might get better offers elsewhere, but what’s a little extra cash when you can compete for championships every year in Kansas City? It only makes sense for this successful marriage to continue.
Kirk Cousins: Atlanta Falcons
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It’s the perfect pairing. The Falcons are a QB away from being the heavy front-runners in the NFC South, and Cousins would do wonders in an offense with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
Playing behind an elite offensive line and with a top-10 defense further makes this the ideal pairing. Realistically, where else can Cousins go that gives him the chance to compete for a title at this phase of his career?
Josh Allen: Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s no way the Jaguars let the MVP of their defense go. Allen just had a career year with 17.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, and he has quickly formed one of football’s elite pass-rushing duos with Travon Walker.
Allen, Walker, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne headline a promising young nucleus in Duval County. How do the Jaguars get better by not keeping Allen again? He’s not going anywhere.
Brian Burns: Carolina Panthers
What we said about Allen and Jacksonville applies here to Burns and Carolina. He’s far and away the Panthers’ best player, and the two-time Pro Bowler is in the middle of his prime years.
The Panthers were football’s worst team in 2023, but they’d be even more unwatchable without Burns. When you have a game-wrecking pass-rusher in his mid-20s, you keep him around by any means necessary.
Burns is here to stay, pure and simple.
Christian Wilkins: Miami Dolphins
Sorry to be boring and predictable again…but give us one reason to believe Wilkins will play elsewhere in 2024?
He just posted a career-high nine sacks and ranked 13th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate among defensive tackles. Wilkins went from “very good” to bonafide superstar in 2023 — and it’s time for the Dolphins to pay the rock of their defense.
I mean, how else do you compete with the AFC’s top heavyweights if you’re not going to keep five-star difference-makers like Wilkins?
Danielle Hunter: Houston Texans
Hunter is about to cash in now after posting the best season of his career — in his contract season no less.
The four-time Pro bowler posted 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and a league-leading 23 tackles for a loss. And there promises to be a giant market for one of the game’s top edge-rushers.
Why not the Houston Texans? Their window is just opening now with young studs CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr.
Pairing Hunter with a rising superstar in Anderson would give Houston a terrifying pass-rushing tandem that would help them defend against the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen et al.
Saquon Barkley: Los Angeles Chargers
With the Bolts bidding farewell to Austin Ekeler, they can use the opportunity to upgrade at RB and bring in a special game-changing weapon in Barkley.
Jim Harbaugh needn’t be reminded of what a superstar-level running back can do with the ball in his hands. Justin Herbert needs more support in the ground game, and adding a consistent 1,000-yard threat and shifty pass-catcher could take the Bolts’ offense to a new level.
Antoine Winfield Jr.: Minnesota Vikings
This Swiss Army Knife safety pieced together an insane career year in 2023, racking up three picks, 12 pass breakups, six sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
Winfield Jr. is tailor-made for the blitz-heavy defense Brian Flores runs in Minnesota. Another fun note: His father, Antoine Winfield, was a three-time Pro Bowl corner for the Vikings — so Jr. should be appealed by the idea of coming back home.
It’s the perfect match all around.
Mike Evans: Kansas City Chiefs
10 NFL seasons, 10 1,000-yard campaigns. Evans is the model of consistency who has always flourished regardless of who his quarterback is.
Entering his age-31 season, Evans won’t get a long-term deal at this phase of his career. If he wants to continue ring-chasing, there’s no better fit than the defending champs with the league’s best QB in Patrick Mahomes.
And it just so happens the Chiefs need additional help at receiver. Who better than Evans to fix that?
Jaylon Johnson: Tennessee Titans
The market is always high for elite cover corners like Johnson, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in his contract year.
The Titans are loaded with cap space and have had problems in the secondary for quite a while now. Johnson, who yielded an insanely low 50.9 passer rating when targeted last season, would form a scary-good cornerback pairing with youngster Roger McCreary.
Mike Onwenu: New York Giants
2022 first-rounder Evan Neal hasn’t developed as hoped, and it’s long overdue for the Giants to find a quality running mate for Andrew Thomas.
Giants head coach and ex-New England Patriots assistant Brian Daboll will love Mike Onwenu’s hard-nosed style of play in the trenches. He’s especially a rock of a run-blocker who can play both tackle and guard. Daboll and Daniel Jones would quickly come to love that versatility.
D.J. Reader: Detroit Lions
There are only so many well-rounded defensive tackles who are dangerous as pass-rushers and stone-wall defenders in the running game.
Reader checks off those boxes, as evidenced by his 2023 PFF grades of 76.1 in run defense and 85.6 in the pass-rushing department. The Lions need another scrappy dude in the trenches to complement Aidan Hutchinson and shore up their run defense — and Reader is the perfect fir for the nasty defense Dan Campbell has constructed in Motown.
Jonathan Greenard: Washington Commanders
Houston’s 2020 third-round pick had a career year with 12.5 sacks, two pass defenses and 15 tackles for a loss. He also finished sixth in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate among edge defenders, making Greenard the perfect target for the Commanders.
Washington traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young ahead of the trade deadline, and they’re loaded with cap space to find quality replacements. A defensive-minded head coach like Dan Quinn knows the importance of explosive rushers off the edge, and Greenard could take his game to another level here in DC.
Derrick Henry: Baltimore Ravens
At this phase of his career, the 30-year-old Henry will certainly prioritize landing with a Super Bowl contender.
And if he wants the right fit, there’s no better place than the Ravens. Baltimore has the league’s best rushing game led by Lamar Jackson, and the two-time rushing champion would take this offense to another level.
Jackson, Henry, Gus Edwards, Mark Andrews AND Zay Flowers? That’s one way of trying to stop the Chiefs’ three-peat.
Kyle Dugger: Los Angeles Rams
Dugger never got enough credit during his four-year run with the Patriots, but he’s a jack-of-all-trades safety who can do it all as a pass-rusher, run-defender and slot cornerback.
The Rams have issues in the secondary and could use a chess piece like Dugger to create mismatches in the passing game while helping Aaron Donald and company in the run-stopping department. This too just feels like too good of a match to not happen.
Bryce Huff: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a plethora of flaws but plenty of cap space to address them! Getting some pass-rushing help is one of the top priorities, and there’s no shortage of Pro Bowl-level talents here in free agency.
Huff had a career year for the New York Jets, tallying 10 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss in a rotational role. Arizona can offer Huff the money and an increased role that might help him emerge as the new star of this defense.
Baker Mayfield: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield just had a career year in Tampa Bay and led his Bucs to a surprise NFC South division crown and final-eight appearance. Why wouldn’t Tampa want to keep him, and why would Mayfield wish to risk his career elsewhere when he found the perfect home here with Todd Bowles’ squad? Expect a multi-year deal to get done — something worse close to $25 million annually.
Kevin Dotson: Washington Commanders
After three disappointing seasons in Pittsburgh, Dotson found his footing in LA and became a feast on the Rams’ o-line. PFF graded him at 85.2 on the year, with Dotson flourishing especially as a run-blocker for Kyren Williams and company.
Dotson would immediately shore up an awful Washington o-line that let Sam Howell take a league-high 68 sacks last season. With a mountain of cap space, Washington shouldn’t be afraid to overpay a bit here.
Leonard Williams: Cincinnati Bengals
Williams is one of the game’s most complete interior defensive linemen — one who puts up stellar tack totals but does his best work in the run-stopping game.
Lou Anarumo’s defense in Cincinnati relies on generating pressure with three-man rushes, and Williams would be the perfect replacement for the likely departing DJ Reader. And Williams should be keen on suiting up for a Super Bowl contender for the first time in his career.
Marquise Brown: Buffalo Bills
The Bills did the right thing by trading for Stefon Diggs back in 2020 to give Josh Allen a legitimate No. 1 receiver. But they’ve also failed Allen and Diggs by failing to land a capable No. 2 wideout to complement the super-duo.
This is the chance for GM Brandon Beane to finally fix that. Hollywood Brown put up over 1K receiving in his last healthy season in 2021. We have no doubt that a healthy Brown would return to that 1,000-yard form with Allen slinging him the ball.
Michael Pittman Jr.: Indianapolis Colts
This is another no-brainer of a call. The Colts will not let their superstar wideout hit free agency following a career year. Pittman is part of a promising nucleus headlined by running back Jonathan Taylor and rising star QB Anthony Richardson.
Pittman Jr. has never indicated that he wants to leave Indy — and the Colts know they can’t let their star pass-catcher leave.
Josh Jacobs: Houston Texans
Devin Singletary replaced 2022 rookie stalwart Dameon Pierce as Houston’s lead RB in 2023. Singletary did fine on a one-year deal, but the Texans shouldn’t be afraid to spend lavishly to find an upgrade.
2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs, anybody? Five straight seasons of 1K yards of offense to begin his career. The shifty and dynamic Jacobs would be the perfect sidekick to CJ Stroud, adding another explosive element to an already dangerous Houston offense.
Calvin Ridley: Carolina Panthers
It wasn’t ideal for Carolina that a 33-year-old Adam Thielen was their only play-making pass-catcher for Bryce Young last season. If there’s one team that needs more receiving help, it’s these very Panthers.
Ridley’s age and durability issues may prompt other interested teams to stay away, but the Panthers have enough cap space to make him a can’t-refuse offer. Suddenly, the Panthers’ offense has some hope with Ridley AND Thielen complementing Young.
Patrick Queen: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a pressing need at linebacker after releasing Shaquille Leonard mid-season. Head coach Shane Steichen and company would love a do-it-all linebacker like Queen who’s coming off the best season of his career.
Putting Queen in the same front seven as DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam and Kwity Paye could very well take this Indy defense to an elite level.
Tyron Smith: New York Jets
No Super Bowl hopeful needs offensive line help more than Aaron Rodgers’ Jets. And after so many playoff heartbreaks in Dallas, why wouldn’t Smith be motivated to join another contender with a world-class QB who’s been there and done that?
Smith would immediately upgrade a Jets’ o-line that struggled mightily in pass protection all season long. And you know signing Smith would make Mr. Rodgers a very happy man.
