2024 NFL Free agency is here…
Now that we’ve had a couple of weeks to reflect on the 2023 NFL season and thrilling Super Bowl 58 finish, all eyes shift towards the 2024 free agent market.
This year’s class is loaded with big-named wideouts, superstar running backs and elite pass-rushers. Do you have a pressing roster weakness? Free agency is your opportunity to address it.
With the open market drawing closer, let’s dive into our rankings for the top 25 NFL Free agents of 2024 from worst to first.
25. Tyron Smith
It remains to be seen if the Dallas Cowboys will bring back the future Hall of Famer, who’s been limited to 30 games over the last four years.
Smith is still a beast WHEN he’s on the field. Pro Football Focus had him graded at 83.8 in 2023, and Smith allowed only one sack on 847 offensive snaps. Given his age and injury history, Smith will likely come cheap and has the chance to be the biggest steal of 2024 free agency.
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24. Patrick Queen
After having his fifth-year option declined, Queen put together a career year in Baltimore which will set him up for a nice payday.
Queen earned his first Pro Bowl nod after tallying six pass defenses, 3.5 sacks and 133 combined tackles. He’s also steady in coverage and might finally hit his ceiling if he lands with the right team.
23. Marquise Brown
Injuries have been a problem for Brown, who missed eight total games over his two years with the Arizona Cardinals.
When he’s on the field, Brown has shown the ability to develop into a WR1 — as evidenced by his lone 1,000-yard season with Baltimore in 2021. Brown’s best bet may be to take a one-year “prove it” deal and try to reset his value for 2025 free agency.
22. Kevin Dotson
After three “meh” years in Pittsburgh, Dotson found his niche in Los Angeles and emerged as an all-world guard for Sean McVay’s squad.
PFF graded Dotson at 85.2 on the year. Though he allowed four sacks on 881 offensive snaps, Dotson was a beast in the run-blocking game and helped Kyren Williams piece together a 1,000-yard season.
If Dotson lands on a team with a rush-heavy offense, expect him to continue his climb towards All-Pro status…
21. Derrick Henry
Henry turned 30 in January but showed zero signs of slowing down — even on a lousy Tennessee Titans squad.
Henry rushed for 1,167 yards – second most in the league behind only Christian McCaffrey — and 12 touchdowns. The two-time rushing champion has hit double-digit rushing scores in six straight years now and remains a lock to hit 1,000 yards when healthy.
Any Super Bowl contender could use Henry. Don’t the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals especially make total sense?
20. Josh Jacobs
The Las Vegas Raiders wouldn’t pay Jacobs after a career year in 2022, so we doubt they’ll pay him now after a bit of a “down” season.
This is Jacobs’ one chance to cash out as a running back still in his prime. Having put up over 1,000 yards of offense through each of his first five seasons, Jacobs is a model of consistency who would fit in just about anywhere.
The only question, really, is how much he’ll get paid. He’s four years younger than Henry, but again, this is a devaluing position.
19. Kyle Dugger
Dugger didn’t get enough love as a do-it-all chess piece in Bill Belichick’s defense, but we like to think of him as a poor man’s Tyrann Mathieu.
Dugger excels in coverage when he lines up in the slot, but he’s especially dominant as a pass-rusher and run-stopper. The schematic fit matters for Dugger, but the talent to emerge as a multi-time All-Pro is there.
18. Calvin Ridley
After missing all of 2022 due to a suspension for gambling, Ridley reminded the NFL that he’s still among the league’s most explosive pass-catchers.
Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Because the Jacksonville Jaguars would owe Atlanta a second-round pick if they re-signed Ridley, it’s likely that he’ll walk to free agency.
17. Leonard Williams
Williams has never posted eye-popping sack totals, but the stat sheet doesn’t do justice. He was a top-20 defensive tackle in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate despite facing double teams 61 percent of the time.
Williams had 5.5 sacks in 2023, split with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. He also posted a career-best 76.2 pass-rush win grade from PFF.
Lenny’s about to get paid, and whoever lands him will NOT be disappointed.
16. Bryce Huff
Huff chose the perfect time for a breakout season…in a contract year!
Huff posted a career-high 10 sacks — but the advanced stats paint an even prettier picture. PFF had him down for a pass-rush grade of 90.1, and ESPN had him down for the eighth-best pass rush win rate among edge rushers.
15. Baker Mayfield
Mayfield took a one-year “prove it” deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and turned it into a career year. He threw for 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, leading the Bucs to a surprise NFC South division crown. Mayfield then led Tampa to a blowout over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round before bowing out to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
It only makes sense for Mayfield and the Bucs to continue this partnership after a tremendous first year together. The only guarantee is that Mayfield is about to get paid handsomely by somebody.
14. Mike Evans
Unlike a box full of chocolate, you know what you’re getting in Evans.
10 straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, an NFL record. He was putting up monster numbers with mediocre QBs before Tom Brady arrived.
Can’t help but wonder what Evans can do with somebody like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. He won’t get a long-term deal since he’ll be 31 next year, but a two to three-year deal worth around $20 million annually feels like a fair bet for this model of consistency.
13. Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman Jr. easily put together the best season of his career, racking up 109 receptions for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns. And that was with backup QB Gardner Minshew II mostly throwing him the football.
It’d be a giant surprise if the Colts let Pittman Jr. hit the open market. A foundation of he, Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson would give Indianapolis a lot to be excited about long-term.
12. Antoine Winfield Jr.
Look up “Swiss Army Knife” in a dictionary, and you’d hopefully spot a photo of Tampa’s star safety. Quite frankly, Winfield Jr. REALLY does it all.
Winfield set career-highs with three interceptions, 12 pass defenses, six forced fumbles and six sacks. Though he’s prone to giving up the big play in pass coverage, Winfield Jr. makes up for it as a top-tier run-stopper and explosive pass-rusher.
Ideally, he stays with Tampa Bay. But don’t be surprised if he lands a massive contract that makes him a top-three highest-paid safety in football.
11. Jaylon Johnson
Like Bryce Huff and Baker Mayfield, Johnson cleverly turned in a career year in the final season of his contract. Now it’s time to get paid.
Johnson earned his first Pro Bowl nod after recording four interceptions, 10 pass defenses and one forced fumble. Per Pro Football Reference, he allowed just a 55.2 completion percentage and a 50.9 passer rating when targeted.
Johnson went from a C+/B-level corner to a superstar in 2023. So it’ll be interesting to see what his market is. But since he’ll only be 25 next season, we’d argue that the potential rewards outweigh the risks — so opposing GMs shouldn’t be afraid to overpay him.
10. Saquon Barkley
We know the running back is a devaluing position, but if there ever was a free agent RB to back up the Brinks truck for…
Barkley missed three games in 2023 but still finished with 1,242 yards of offense and 10 total touchdowns. In 2022, he had a career-best 1,312 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores.
Few offensive players have his speed, explosiveness and jaw-dropping juke skills. If Barkley can put up elite numbers on a terrible Giants team, just imagine what he could do on a contending team with a star quarterback.
9. L’Jarius Sneed
Sneed’s all-world skills finally got more recognition this year, since the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense was the main strength all season long.
A pivotal part of the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams, Sneed didn’t allow a single TD in coverage in the regular season. He allowed a 51.0 completion percentage and a hilariously low 56.2 passer rating when targeted.
The cap-strapped Chiefs would love to keep him, but this rising superstar will likely price himself out of town. Given his talents, young age and championship pedigree, we wouldn’t be shocked if Sneed got close to $20 million annually on his next deal.
8. Danielle Hunter
Hey look! Another guy who put together a career year ahead of the 2024 NFL free agency.
Hunter’s 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 23 tackles for a loss — a league-high, by the way — marked career-bests for Hunter. Now it’s time for the four-time Pro Bowler to cash in again ahead of his 30th birthday.
The Minnesota Vikings wouldn’t give Hunter a new deal last offseason, so we remain doubtful that they’ll pay him now. Regardless, the winner of the Hunter sweepstakes will have a potent edge rusher who’s a sure bet for double-digit sacks a year when healthy.
7. Justin Madubuike
The Texas A&M product followed up a career year in 2022 with a MONSTER 2023 season. Madubuike led the Ravens across the board with 13 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 12 tackles for a loss.
Baltimore’s MO is to let expensive free-agents-to-be walk, knowing the front office will draft a cheap replacement in the later rounds. But their window to win is now, so John Harbaugh and the company should do all they can to secure Madubuike long-term.
Otherwise, Madubuike will happily take his rising stardom elsewhere.
6. Tee Higgins
Unlikely that the budget-conscious Cincinnati Bengals pay Higgins long-term. If an extension isn’t in the cards, the franchise tag will likely be the play.
The Bengals could always tag-then-trade Higgins, who might be happy to try his luck as a WR1 on another team. Of course, he’s done just fine playing second-fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase, and it doesn’t get much better than playing with Joe Burrow.
5. Christian Wilkins
It would also be a shock if Wilkins wound up hitting the open market. It only makes sense for the Miami Dolphins to retain the MVP of their defense, especially since their competitive window is opening up now.
Defensive tackles not named Aaron Donald or Chris Jones rarely put up high sack totals, but Wilkins had nine in 2023. He’s also among football’s premier run-stopping interior linemen, putting Wilkins in the class of elite-elite defensive players.
Whether it’s from Miami or somebody else, Wilkins’ next deal could easily hit nine figures.
4. Brian Burns
The Carolina Panthers’ 2019 first-round pick has been one of the franchise’s few bright spots over the last five years.
The two-time Pro Bowler has posted eight-plus sacks four years in a row, including a career-high 12.5 sacks last season. Whether or not Carolina and Burns are keen on maintaining this relationship long-term remains to be seen, but if anything else, a tag-and-trade or sign-and-trade deal would work for all parties.
3. Josh Allen
Another hot franchise tag candidate, the Jaguars’ star racked up a career-best 17.5 sacks. Granted, this was Allen’s first season with double-digit sacks since his 2019 rookie year, so it’s difficult to calculate fair market value here.
But like Wilkins, Allen is among the game’s very best run-stoppers and can single-handedly take over a game at any moment. You gotta think the Jaguars, with a promising nucleus in place, will do what they can to keep their best player not named Trevor Lawrence.
2. Kirk Cousins
Multi-time Pro Bowl quarterbacks rarely hit free agency, but it feels like Cousins and the Vikings need to move on. They’ve won just a single playoff game since his arrival six years ago, but he’s also a 36-year-old coming off a season-ending Achilles tear.
The other case for Cousins to take his talents elsewhere: He could be the missing piece for a team like the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders or even the Bucs if they don’t re-sign Mayfield.
Atlanta especially just feels perfect for Cousins. And if you’re Minny, this is your chance to draft and develop a new young QB to work with Justin Jefferson.
1. Chris Jones
Without a doubt, the golden goose of the 2024 free agent class.
Three-time Super Bowl champion. 67 sacks since 2018 — the fourth-most in all of football during that period. And how about 37 career pass defenses in 123 NFL games?
Everyone knows that Jones’ best option is to stay in Kansas City. But they’re also up against the cap, and with three rings in his pocket, nobody should blame Jones if he ends up chasing the money.
This guy is unquestionably worth nine figures on his next deal. Now we wait and see who it comes from…
