EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLast Monday, I previewed the upcoming NFL free agent class by looking at the players likely to hit the market on offense and sorting them into tiers. This Monday, I'm doing the same -- but on the defensive side of the ball.No team spent more on defensive players last year in free agency than the Patriots, who added standouts such as Milton Williams, Carlton Davis III, Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson. You saw the results. While Drake Maye and the offense led New England to victories during the regular season, it was Williams and the defense that pushed the Pats through the AFC bracket and into the Super Bowl.Subscribe: 'The Bill Barnwell Show'The good news is that front offices can turn around a defense quickly by landing the right players in free agency. The bad news? There aren't many of those players available this offseason. Some positions have more to go around than others, and cap casualties could help supplement a thin set of options. But this class is perilously thin at defensive tackle and not much deeper at other spots. That will create some bad contracts as teams with holes pay borderline starters as if they're sure things.Let's dive in, placing players across all five defensive positions into six tiers, starting with the notable edge rushers available.See more: Offense tiersJump to a defensive position:Edge | DT | LB | CB | SEdge rushersTier 1: Franchise playersThere's a player who would have been in this tier if he had hit free agency a year ago, but he comes up just short for me in 2026, instead falling into Tier 2 ...Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber startersFree agents: Trey Hendrickson, BengalsIn 2024, Hendrickson was my pick for Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in the vast majority of pass-rushing metrics and creating 26 sacks for himself and his teammates -- 11.5 more than anybody else in the NFL. He made NFL offensive linemen look like high schoolers. It was a truly dominant year, albeit on an otherwise hopeless defense.But 2025 was a wasted season. Hendrickson held out for much of the offseason in the hopes of landing a new deal or a trade to a team that would give him one. He eventually relented, but he played just 285 snaps before going down because of back and hip injuries, the latter eventually requiring core muscle surgery. He finished the season with four sacks and eight knockdowns in seven games; those are solid numbers, but Hendrickson wasn't the game wrecker in 2025 that he had been in 2024.Hendrickson is 31 years old, and having completed his deal with the Bengals, he will be facing either a $27.3 million franchise tag or get his wish to join another team in free agency. Hendrickson should still land a significant contract, but it might not be as big as it would have been this time a year ago. He's coming off a much less imposing season. Injuries weren't a problem during most of Hendrickson's time in Cincinnati, but his 2025 season was compromised by them. Organizations that would have been champing at the bit to sign Hendrickson last year might be more wary this time around.At the same time, Hendrickson has been a truly elite player for an extended period. Over the past three years, 36 edge defenders have 1,000 pass-rush attempts or more. Hendrickson is second among those players in sack rate, third in pressure rate and fifth in quick pressure rate. He did all that as the focal point of opposing pass protection schemes for the entirety of his time in Cincinnati. The Bengals were the league's 11th-best pass defense by QBR over that span with Hendrickson on the field and the NFL's worst without him.If a team could be sure it would get 34 games out of Hendrickson in 2026 and 2027 at his prior level of play, he would be an easy Tier 1 defender. Given his age and the injuries that impacted him in 2025, though, I'm leaning toward the conservative side and merely projecting him to be a Pro Bowl-level player. There will be plenty of teams interested in that profile, although I'd be surprised if Hendrickson landed three mostly guaranteed years, as Von Miller did in free agency in 2022.Projected average annual salary: $25 million-31 millionTier 3: Capable startersFree agents: Joey Bosa, Bills; K'Lavon Chaisson, Patriots; Khalil Mack, Chargers; Boye Mafe, Seahawks; Odafe Oweh, Chargers; Kwity Paye, Colts; Jaelan Phillips, EaglesThis tier is mostly younger players who can potentially play all three downs at a reasonable level, although Bosa and Mack sneak in as higher-end veterans who can still make an impact. Bosa was leading the league in pass rush win rate earlier in the season before slowing down; he also made virtually no impact against the run, though that was a problem for the Bills on a teamwide basis.Phillips probably will derive more of his value from being a pass rusher than the others here, but he's also the most exciting player of the bunch. He created havoc between Miami and Philadelphia in 2025. Phillips generated only five sacks, but his pressure rate (15.9%) and quick pressure rate (5.3%) were both well above league average for starting edge rushers. He wasn't picking on backups, either; Phillips gave Penei Sewell trouble when the Eagles played the Lions and strip-sacked Josh Allen with a clothesline when they beat the Bills late in the season. Injuries are an obvious concern for a player with a torn ACL and Achilles in his past, but Phillips is an extremely explosive edge rusher and turns just 27 in May.Oweh kick-started a disappointing contract year with a midseason move to the Chargers, as all of his 7.5 sacks came after he was traded from the Ravens. Ironically enough, a move back to Baltimore would make sense, as the Ravens need an impact player on the edge. And the coach who helped turn things around for Oweh in Los Angeles was defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is now the head coach in Baltimore.Oweh has never really put together a Pro Bowl-caliber season, but he is very good at avoiding chip help to get after quarterbacks. Of those previously mentioned pass rushers with 1,000 attempts over the past three years, Oweh ranks fifth in quarterback pressure probability over expected (QBPOE), a metric that uses the NFL Next Gen Stats model to estimate how likely a pass rusher is to create a pressure on a given snap. There could still be some untapped upside here.Projected average annual salary: $15 million-23 millionTier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backupsFree agents: Bradley Chubb, Dolphins; Jadeveon Clowney, Cowboys; Arnold Ebiketie, Falcons; Kingsley Enagbare, Packers; AJ Epenesa, Bills; Leonard Floyd, Falcons; Dre'Mont Jones, Ravens; Malcolm Koonce, Raiders; Al-Quadin Muhammad, Lions; Joseph Ossai, Bengals; Haason Reddick, BuccaneersPotential cap casualties: Rashan Gary, Packers; Bryce Huff, 49ersHere, we're looking at players who might serve as the heavier-used side of a rotation on the edge, usually leaning toward snaps on passing downs. Veterans such as Chubb, Clowney and Reddick have been Pro Bowl-caliber players earlier in their careers, but given their injury histories and advancing age, they're probably best relied on for about 30 snaps per game.Muhammad had the rare age-30 breakout. He had a six-sack season earlier in his career with the Colts, but after Marcus Davenport suffered yet another injury, Muhammad racked up 11 sacks and 20 knockdowns. The sixth and final pick for the Saints in their legendary 2017 draft, Muhammad might have been at his best as an interior rusher, where he consistently created pressure on the outside shoulder of guards and beat them to the quarterback. Asking Muhammad to do it again would be a lot, given that he had 15 career sacks before 2025, but he has earned a raise on the $1.4 million he took home from Detroit last year.There will be teams hoping that some young rotational guys can break out in their scheme or with a new coaching staff. Ebiketie has never really put it together and had only two sacks in his final year with the Falcons. But he had 16 sacks and 41 knockdowns across 1,827 snaps in Atlanta. Koonce outplayed first-round pick Tyree Wilson and racked up eight sacks and 16 knockdowns in an impressive 2023 campaign, but he missed all of 2024 because of a torn ACL, then had 4.5 sacks and 13 knockdowns in a situational role last season.Gary and Huff are still productive players, but they're owed $19.5 million and $16.9 million, respectively, by teams that might need to put that money elsewhere. Gary ranks eighth in QBPOE among that 1,000-rush club over the past three seasons. Huff is small and unimposing enough for opponents to attack him in the run game, but he's fast around the edge and even has surprising power at times as a pass rusher. A reunion with former Jets and 49ers coach Robert Saleh might be in the cards, even after the Titans agreed to acquire fellow ex-Jets edge Jermaine Johnson via trade last week.Projected average annual salary: $6-15 millionTier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed moneyFree agents: Mike Danna, Chiefs; Dante Fowler Jr., Cowboys; Yetur Gross-Matos, 49ers; Cameron Jordan, Saints; Arden Key, Titans; Jacob Martin, Commanders; Von Miller, Commanders; Charles Omenihu, Chiefs; Kyle Van Noy, Ravens; Jihad Ward, Titans; D.J. Wonnum, PanthersPotential cap casualties: Michael Hoecht, Bills; Patrick Jones II, PanthersRestricted free agents: Sam Okuayinonu, 49ersThese guys will play meaningful snaps, but they're more likely to be on the 40% side of a rotation than the 60% side. They can still be useful in that role, of course, with players such as Boye Mafe and Jalyx Hunt making meaningful contributions for title winners as part of edge rotations over the past couple of years.The two Titans defenders were quietly more effective than you might believe. Key has six straight years with double-digit knockdown totals, making him one of just 18 players to maintain that level of consistency since 2020. Ward had five sacks with a career-high 22 quarterback hits, although his quick pressure rate (2.9%) wasn't exceptional. They're both solid veterans and the sort of players no team can have enough of in January and February.Jordan had a resurgent year and helped firm up his Hall of Fame candidacy in 2025, racking up 10.5 sacks for a Saints team that used pre-snap alignment and pressure looks to get him more one-on-ones. I'm not sure that will stick. Of Jordan's 10.5 sacks, just two were quick wins. Jordan was unblocked on two, had a quarterback falling down before he got there on a half-sack, picked up four coverage sacks and cleaned up somebody else's pressure for another sack. Looking at that group of 1,000-snap edge rushers over the past three years, Jordan ranks last in pressure rate, quick pressure rate and sack rate.Projected average annual salary: $2-6 millionTier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spotFree agents: Derek Barnett, Texans; Micheal Clemons, Jets; Marcus Davenport, Lions; Samson Ebukam, Colts; Clelin Ferrell, 49ers; Dennis Gardeck, Jaguars; Drake Jackson, Commanders; Tyquan Lewis, Colts; Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaguars; David Ojabo, Ravens; Azeez Ojulari, Eagles; Cam Sample, Bengals; Dawuane Smoot, Jaguars; Cameron Thomas, Browns; Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Bears; Payton Turner, Cowboys; Joshua Uche, Eagles; Sam Williams, Cowboys; Deatrich Wise Jr., CommandersRestricted free agents: Thomas Incoom, PanthersMany of these players have had effective stretches or even solid full seasons in the past as pass rushers, but they haven't shown enough in recent years to garner guaranteed money in free agency. Howie Roseman's track record with defensive linemen is more good than bad, but the Eagles didn't get much out of Ojulari and Uche, who combined for just one sack on 311 snaps. Ojulari suffering a hamstring injury didn't help matters, but he was also a healthy scratch for the first month in Philadelphia.Projected average annual salary: $1-2 millionDefensive tacklesTier 1: Franchise playersChris Jones was briefly available two years ago before re-signing with the Chiefs in a rare case of a true franchise-caliber defensive tackle hitting free agency.Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber startersAnd then last season, Milton Williams was a cut above the rest of the defensive tackle market, landing in Tier 2. He broke the bank with a deal that exceeded even my lofty expectations, with the former Eagles tackle landing $26 million per season on a four-year pact. The Patriots won a bidding war with the Panthers for Williams and have to feel happy with the results in Year 1, as Williams was excellent for a Pats team that advanced to the Super Bowl. There's nobody in that tier in 2026.Tier 3: Capable startersFree agents: John Franklin-Myers, BroncosPotential cap casualties: Arik Armstead, Jaguars; Daron Payne, CommandersThis is a very thin free agent class at defensive tackle, especially if the potential cap casualties I'm listing never make it to the open market. Given that there really aren't many starters available, there might be more of a trade market for those guys than there would be in another year. The paucity of options might have also led a Jets team without much on the interior to trade for T'Vondre Sweat, even if it cost it a former first-round pick on the edge in Jermaine Johnson.Franklin-Myers should reach free agency, and even as he approaches 30, the veteran should have no shortage of interested options. He has already been waived by the Rams, and the Jets dumped his salary on the Broncos, but the 29-year-old continues to elevate his game. Franklin-Myers managed 7.5 sacks and 15 knockdowns as part of a ferocious Broncos front this past season. He will not be the focal point of your defensive line, but Franklin-Myers is an underrated interior rusher, overwhelming guards when he's given one-on-one opportunities. The Sweat trade might have opened an opportunity for him on the interior with the Titans.For Armstead and Payne, the issues are less about talent and more about teams that have a lot committed to the rest of their defensive lines. They are both in the final year of their respective deals, which were handed out by since-departed regimes in Jacksonville and Washington, respectively. They wouldn't take significant paycuts if hitting the open market, in part because there aren't many alternatives available.Projected average annual salary: $14-20 millionTier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backupsFree agents: Calais Campbell, Cardinals; Logan Hall, Buccaneers; David Onyemata, Falcons; Sheldon Rankins, Texans; DJ Reader, Lions; Tim Settle Jr., Texans; Christian Wilkins, FAPotential cap casualties: Javon Hargrave, Vikings; Dalvin Tomlinson, CardinalsExclusive rights free agents: Jalen Redmond, VikingsEven in terms of potential rotation players, this is a relatively thin class of tackles. Heck, Campbell turns 40 this summer and is still playing at a high enough level to justify being in this tier without much of an argument. Tomlinson didn't offer much as an interior rusher in his first season with the Cardinals, and his $14.5 million in 2026 compensation is non-guaranteed, which might leave him vulnerable under a new coaching staff in Arizona.I'm not sure what to make of Wilkins, who was in the NFL equivalent of no man's land last season. One of the league's most active defensive tackles in Miami, Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders in 2024, but suffered a foot injury after five games. The new Raiders regime then cut Wilkins last summer and voided the remaining $35 million in guarantees left on his deal, saying that the veteran lineman refused to undergo a second surgery or maintain his physical condition to play.That decision has resulted in a grievance, but Wilkins didn't play in 2025. Given his play in Miami and the lack of options at tackle in this market, there will be interest in a now 30-year-old Wilkins if he can pass a physical.Projected average annual salary: $5-11 millionTier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed moneyFree agents: Denico Autry, Texans; Andrew Billings, Bears; Jordan Elliott, 49ers; Greg Gaines, Buccaneers; Da'Shawn Hand, Chargers; Shelby Harris, Browns; DaQuan Jones, Bills; Benito Jones, Dolphins; Sebastian Joseph-Day, Titans; Roy Lopez, Lions; Otito Ogbonnia, Chargers; Larry Ogunjobi, Bills; Kentavius Street, Falcons; Khyiris Tonga, PatriotsPotential cap casualties: B.J. Hill, Bengals; Harrison Phillips, Jets; A'Shawn Robinson, PanthersAt this level, teams are hoping to land early-down defensive tackles who can help against the run, such as Hand and Joseph. Billings and Tonga are true nose tackles, with the latter adding some extra value as a short-yardage fullback for the Patriots this past season.The alternative would be to try to pick up a situational pass rusher who can make an impact on third down in obvious throwing situations; that's where Autry can still be useful as he approaches his age-36 season. The veteran's two-year, $20 million deal with the Texans was marred by a PED suspension and a knee injury, but he still managed 6.5 sacks and 10 knockdowns on 520 snaps.Projected average annual salary: $2-4 millionTier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spotFree agents: Taven Bryan, Ravens; Jonathan Bullard, Saints; L.J. Collier, Cardinals; Sheldon Day, Commanders; Daniel Ekuale, Steelers; Folorunso Fatukasi, Texans; Neville Gallimore, Colts; Kevin Givens, 49ers; Austin Johnson, Jaguars; Naquan Jones, Texans; Isaiahh Loudermilk, Steelers; Dean Lowry, Steelers; James Lynch, Titans; Derrick Nnadi, Chiefs; Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Giants; Jordan Phillips, Bills; Khalen Saunders, Jets; Jerry Tillery, Chiefs; Shy Tuttle, Commanders; Brent Urban, Ravens; Chris Williams, BearsPotential cap casualties: Broderick Washington Jr., RavensThese guys will be competing with middle- and late-round picks to serve as third and fourth defensive tackles around the league.Projected average annual salary: $1-2 millionOff-ball linebackersTier 1: Franchise playersOff-ball linebacker is one of the positions where we see truly top-tier players hit the market most often relative to other spots in the lineup ... but there are none of them in free agency this year.Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber startersFree agents: Devin Lloyd, JaguarsLloyd will be a difficult evaluation for some teams. In 2024, Lloyd struggled so badly that the Jaguars really should have considered benching their 2022 first-round pick. There wasn't a great effort level from him on tape, and he looked like he wasn't up to the standards of being a starting-caliber linebacker. It was easy for the new Jags regime to decline his fifth-year option.And then in 2025, Lloyd was a different player. He racked up five picks, including that pick-six of Patrick Mahomes that fueled a famous Jags victory. The effort concerns disappeared. Lloyd managed 1.5 sacks and 10 knockdowns as a blitzer. He wasn't a great run defender, as Lloyd took longer to make tackles on run plays (5.1 seconds) than any regular off-ball linebacker in the league and made both run tackles and stuffs at below-average rates. But Lloyd was impactful enough against the pass to earn a deserved trip to the Pro Bowl.The real Lloyd is likely somewhere in between. It's tough to imagine him racking up five interceptions per year, although Lloyd managed three as a rookie. Most players didn't really put their best forward playing out the string for a hopeless 2024 Jags team. I'd want to make sure Lloyd was in the right spot on a competitive team, but he can be a valuable player on a defense.Projected average annual salary: $13-18 millionTier 3: Capable startersFree agents: Alex Anzalone, Lions; Leo Chenal, Chiefs; Nakobe Dean, Eagles; Alex Singleton, Broncos; Quay Walker, PackersPotential cap casualties: Tremaine Edmunds, Bears; Zaire Franklin, Colts; Patrick Queen, SteelersThere's a really narrow band between Tier 3 and Tier 4. Ideally, you're looking here at players who can suit up on all three downs, although some of them lean heavily in one direction. Singleton is an excellent run defender who is sorely stretched in coverage. Anzalone is consistently very good in coverage, but he isn't anywhere near as good against the run. Both are good enough to play every snap, though.Dean is one of the five best blitzing linebackers in football, a terror who ran through running backs such as David Montgomery, Javonte Williams and Kimani Vidal in pass protection this season. But he can also get lost in coverage and ran a 20.2% missed tackle rate on run plays last season, per Next Gen Stats. He looked physically fine coming back from a torn patellar tendon, and that helps Dean's chances of landing a significant deal in free agency.Queen has been a disappointment for the Steelers, posting passer rating figures in coverage north of 100 while missing 12.4% of his tackle attempts this past season. He's too easily picked on during pass plays and hasn't consistently translated his traits into hitting opposing quarterbacks when he comes. I'm not sure other teams would keep him around at $13.3 million in 2026, but the Steelers are a unique case.Projected average annual salary: $7-12 millionTier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backupsFree agents: Devin Bush, Browns; Lavonte David, Buccaneers; Demario Davis, Saints; Kaden Elliss, Falcons; Matt Milano, Bills; Christian Rozeboom, Panthers; Bobby Wagner, Commanders; Quincy Williams, Jets; Eric Wilson, VikingsPotential cap casualties: Bobby Okereke, Giants; Drue Tranquill, ChiefsRestricted free agents: Jack Gibbens, Patriots; Ivan Pace Jr., Vikings; Drake Thomas, SeahawksMany of these veterans will play every down, simply because they're the brains of the defense. At this point in their careers, they're liabilities in coverage. Davis is still a thumper against the run and is almost always in the right place, but he just allowed his worst passer rating in coverage since 2018. Wagner took a step backward from his successful 2024 season, and it was painful to watch the future Hall of Famer isolated against Evan Engram on a critical play in overtime against the Broncos. Milano is still efficient, but the Bills' linebacker doesn't have the same range he did several years ago, and he has missed 30 games over the past three years.I don't know what to make of Wilson's 2025 season. Brought in as a situational linebacker by the Vikings, he was great for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, taking Pace's job in the process. He racked up 6.5 sacks, 10 knockdowns and 17 tackles for loss, adding the highest stuff rate of any regular linebacker against the run for good measure. It wasn't quite what Zach Baun did in 2024, and Wilson is still stretched in coverage, but at 31, he had one of the most out-of-nowhere seasons of any player in football. He was a Pro Bowl-caliber player a year ago, but will teams count on him doing that away from Flores? Someone will take the plunge to find out.Projected average annual salary: $2.5-7 millionTier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed moneyFree agents: Luke Gifford, 49ers; Christian Harris, Texans; D'Marco Jackson, Bears; Micah McFadden, Giants; Kenneth Murray Jr., Cowboys; Denzel Perryman, Chargers; Germaine Pratt, Colts; Elandon Roberts, Raiders; Jack Sanborn, Cowboys; E.J. Speed, Texans; Justin Strnad, Broncos; Shaq Thompson, Bills; Logan Wilson, CowboysRestricted free agents: Mohamoud Diabate, BrownsRotational linebackers abound. It's probably not a good sign that there are three different Cowboys in here when you consider how that defense played in 2025. Murray has been afforded chance after chance as a former first-round pick, but he's a huge liability in coverage and gets too easily blocked out of plays against the run. He'll be on his fourth team in four years in 2026.McFadden might have been most conspicuous by his absence; the former fifth-round pick missed virtually the entire season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 1, and the Giants' run defense collapsed without him. McFadden hasn't been great in coverage and misses tackles at a 12.9% clip, but the Giants didn't have a linebacker who could even get near opposing running backs last season, let alone bring them down.Projected average annual salary: $1.5-2.5 millionTier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spotFree agents: Jamal Adams, Raiders; Jerome Baker, Browns; Krys Barnes, Panthers; K.J. Britt, Dolphins; Damone Clark, Texans; Jack Cochrane, Chiefs; Willie Gay Jr., Dolphins; Ronnie Harrison Jr., Falcons; Cole Holcomb, Steelers; Jake Hummel, Ravens; Deion Jones, Buccaneers; Eric Kendricks, 49ers; Nick Niemann, Packers; Del'Shawn Phillips, Chargers; Troy Reeder, Rams; Malcolm Rodriguez, Lions; Isaiah Simmons, Panthers; Mykal Walker, Jets; Devin White, RaidersAdams and White got plenty of snaps for Pete Carroll's Raiders on defense, but Adams missed a whopping 15.1% of his tackle attempts while playing his first full season since 2018. White made a ton of tackles because somebody had to on this defense, but the former Bucs Pro Bowler still missed his fair share of attempts and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete nearly 77% of their throws in his direction.Projected average annual salary: $1-2 millionCornerbacksTier 1: Franchise playersThe search for an elite defensive free agent continues.Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber startersFree agents: Jamel Dean, Buccaneers; Jaylen Watson, ChiefsPotential cap casualties: Marlon Humphrey, RavensThere are a few standouts at cornerback. Dean and Humphrey are veterans who continue to play at a high level despite playing in challenging schemes. Dean finished with spectacular numbers in Tampa Bay, per NFL Next Gen Stats, allowing just a 42.9 passer rating as the nearest defender in coverage, the best mark for any cornerback with 300 or more coverage snaps last season. Humphrey, at 76.4, was also well above average by the same metric.Watson's 70.1 was the ninth-best mark. In Steve Spagnuolo's blitz-heavy scheme, the 27-year-old was in man coverage more than 31% of the time, which is above the league average for corners of 27%. Watson also posted one of the league's best missed tackle rates among players at any position. Chiefs GM Brett Veach has been hesitant to pay homegrown cornerbacks in years past and has Trent McDuffie coming due for a new deal; I wonder if the Chiefs might decide between Watson and McDuffie as they did with Trey Smith and Joe Thuney at guard last offseason.Projected average annual salary: $15-23 millionTier 3: Capable startersFree agents: Cobie Durant, Rams; Cor'Dale Flott, Giants; Josh Jobe, Seahawks; Amik Robertson, Lions; Alontae Taylor, Saints; Riq Woolen, SeahawksPotential cap casualties: L'Jarius Sneed, TitansRestricted free agents: Ja'Quan McMillian, BroncosVeach once franchised and traded Sneed, who was one of the league's top man-to-man cornerbacks before being dealt to the Titans. Injuries and an inconsistent pass rush have kept Sneed from being that same player in Nashville, where he finished 10 games across two seasons. Coach Robert Saleh could use Sneed in what is otherwise an underwhelming secondary, and the Titans have plenty of cap space, but his $15.5 million salary in 2026 is non-guaranteed.There are a handful of young corners who should appeal to teams around the league here. Jobe and Woolen were on display for the Seahawks in their run to the Super Bowl, and though Woolen was a roller-coaster ride for Seattle at times during his tenure, there just aren't many corners on the planet with his size and length. McMillian nearly joined them in the title game, and he has staked a claim to being one of the best slot corners in football after joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. Denver used a second-round tender on him.Flott and Taylor could benefit from moves to better defenses. Flott has improved his passer rating allowed in each of his past three seasons with Big Blue, moving into a starting role and dropping down to a 73.3 passer rating in 2025. He has yet to finish a 17-game season, which isn't ideal, but Flott allowed the 14th-lowest completion percentage of any starting cornerback in the NFL last year.Taylor endured a rough 2024 season, with opposing offenses repeatedly throwing in his direction and racking up a league-high 886 yards with him as the nearest defender in coverage. Most of those throws went toward Kool-Aid McKinstry in 2025, and Taylor's passer rating allowed dropped by 13 points. Taylor also drastically improved his missed tackle rate after a brutal first three seasons in the league. Taylor has flashed enough across his time in the league to earn a starting opportunity somewhere in 2026.Projected average annual salary: $12-19 millionTier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backupsFree agents: Montaric Brown, Jaguars; Martin Emerson Jr., Browns; Greg Newsome II, Jaguars; Eric Stokes, Raiders; Nahshon Wright, BearsPotential cap casualties: Michael Carter II, Eagles; Nate Hobbs, PackersWright will be a test case for how aggressively teams value recent tape and interceptions. The journeyman was cut by the Vikings in April and forced into the starting lineup in Chicago because of injuries, and he flourished with his first chance to start regularly in an NFL defense. He started the season with a pick-six of J.J. McCarthy and finished with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries, becoming the poster boy for a Bears defense that thrived by forcing turnovers.Like the broader Bears, though, I'm not sure Wright was really playing at a high level beyond the interceptions, and it's tough to count on those occurring from year to year. Wright is 27 and had played 269 defensive snaps before 2025, so it isn't as if the league saw him as a starting-caliber cornerback before last season. He has earned another opportunity and should find a place to start in 2026, but this sort of profile leads to more bad contracts in free agency than unbridled successes.There are some value opportunities elsewhere. Emerson was excellent for the Browns before tearing his Achilles and missing all of 2025. Newsome, formerly his teammate in Cleveland, looked to be on a Pro Bowl track before a rough 2024 campaign. He was traded to the Jags and never really found his feet in Jacksonville, where he was outplayed by Brown.Stokes ended up as what might be the only success story of the Pete Carroll era in Las Vegas, as he stayed healthy all season and allowed a 77.0 passer rating in coverage on an often-hopeless Raiders defense. There's the opportunity to land a pretty useful young cornerback with meaningful upside here for a reasonably priced contract throughout the tier.Projected average annual salary: $7-13 millionTier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed moneyFree agents: Dee Alford, Falcons; Chidobe Awuzie, Ravens; Trevon Diggs, Packers; Adoree' Jackson, Eagles; Jack Jones, Dolphins; Kader Kohou, Dolphins; Cam Lewis, Bills; Nick McCloud, Bears; Roger McCreary, Rams; Jeff Okudah, Vikings; James Pierre, Steelers; Asante Samuel Jr., Steelers; Benjamin St-Juste, Chargers; Cam Taylor-Britt, Bengals; Tre'Davious White, Bills; Joshua Williams, ChiefsPotential cap casualties: Marshon Lattimore, Commanders; Sean Murphy-Bunting, CardinalsPierre and White had surprisingly effective seasons for their longtime homes, with Pierre moving into the lineup in-season as Jalen Ramsey shifted to safety. Pierre allowed a 41.4 passer rating in coverage and just 3.7 yards per coverage target. White appeared to be on his way out of the league last season and might not have been in the starting lineup if first-round pick Maxwell Hairston was healthy enough to play at the beginning of the season, but the veteran started 16 games and allowed a minus-9.7% completion percentage over expectation (CPOE), the third-best mark in the NFL among starting corners.Projected average annual salary: $2-7 millionTier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spotFree agents: Jalyn Armour-Davis, Titans; Kris Boyd, Jets; Artie Burns, Dolphins; Rasul Douglas, Dolphins; Kaiir Elam, Titans; Akayleb Evans, Panthers; Darnay Holmes, Raiders; Noah Igbinoghene, Commanders; Nazeeh Johnson, Chiefs; Jonathan Jones, Commanders; Derion Kendrick, Rams; Avonte Maddox, Lions; Damarri Mathis, Panthers; Arthur Maulet, Lions; Jalen Mills, Lions; Fabian Moreau, Vikings; Robert Rochell, Panthers; Kindle Vildor, Buccaneers; Marco Wilson, Bengals; Ahkello Witherspoon, Rams; Rock Ya-Sin, LionsPotential cap casualties: Darious Williams, RamsRestricted free agents: Darrell Baker Jr., TitansExclusive rights free agents: Kyu Blu Kelly, RaidersNFL teams can never have enough corners, and veterans such as Vildor and Witherspoon have come off the bench to play meaningful snaps for teams in the postseason over the past couple of years.Projected average annual salary: $1-2 millionSafetiesTier 1: Franchise playersBad news. There are no franchise-caliber defenders at any position available this offseason in free agency, with Trey Hendrickson coming closest.Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber startersUnfortunately for defenses in need of safety help, there aren't any standouts with real Pro Bowl expectations at this point in their careers.Tier 3: Capable startersFree agents: Jaquan Brisker, Bears; Coby Bryant, Seahawks; Kevin Byard III, Bears; Bryan Cook, Chiefs; Nick Cross, Colts; Kam Curl, Rams; Jalen Thompson, CardinalsPotential cap casualties: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DolphinsThere are plenty of useful starters, though. Bryant thrived after his move from cornerback to free safety under Mike Macdonald in Seattle. Brisker has had a scary history of concussions during his time in the NFL, but he's an aggressive and impactful safety near the line of scrimmage. Byard, who played the deeper role as his teammate, picked off seven passes and earned another All-Pro nod. Though Byard's eight-interception campaign in 2017 was more a product of tips and overthrows, he did a great job of disguising his coverage responsibilities and fooling quarterbacks into throwing into closed windows this time around. And hey, the tips and overthrows count, too.I'm not sure the Dolphins really wanted to add Fitzpatrick last summer, but they needed to take their former first-round pick on as salary ballast to help make the money work as they moved out Jalen Ramsey. The veteran ended up being a useful source of reliability for a defense that started replacement-level corners all season. After forcing 23 takeaways over his first five seasons, though, Fitzpatrick has just four over the past three years. It's not difficult to imagine a scenario where he ends up on a team with a better pass rush and has another multi-takeaway campaign over the next year or two.Projected average annual salary: $10-18.5 millionTier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backupsFree agents: Tony Adams, Jets; Dane Belton, Giants; Reed Blankenship, Eagles; Kyle Dugger, Steelers; Alohi Gilman, Ravens; Jaylinn Hawkins, Patriots; Jimmie Ward, Texans; Ar'Darius Washington, Ravens; Xavier Woods, TitansPotential cap casualties: Malik Hooker, CowboysRestricted free agents: Ronnie Hickman, BrownsExclusive rights free agents: Ty Okada, SeahawksGilman and Dugger each saw significant time after midseason trades, but I'm not sure either was a dramatic difference-maker in their new AFC North homes. Duggar struggled in coverage, and Gilman had real problems making tackles, something that has been an issue for him throughout his six-year career. Hawkins helped push Duggar out of the lineup in New England and had a solid season as a coverage safety blitzer for the Patriots, although he narrowly missed what could have been a sack on Sam Darnold in the Super Bowl. The 28-year-old has earned a meaningful raise from the $1.8 million he earned a year ago.Projected average annual salary: $5-9.5 millionTier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed moneyFree agents: Myles Bryant, Texans; Andre Cisco, Jets; Marcus Epps, Eagles; C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Bears; Damar Hamlin, Bills; Tony Jefferson, Chargers; P.J. Locke, Broncos; Jason Pinnock, 49ers; Darnell Savage, Bills; Nick Scott, Panthers; Geno Stone, Bengals; Rodney Thomas II, Colts; Donovan Wilson, Cowboys; Andrew Wingard, JaguarsRestricted free agents: Christian Izien, BuccaneersGardner-Johnson earned $7.3 million for three games with the Texans before being cut, spent a week with the Ravens, then joined the Bears, and quickly became a regular. The league's foremost trash talker was part of big plays for both sides of the ball, as he created three takeaways and racked up three sacks ... and allowed three touchdowns. He'll get another opportunity to play regularly somewhere in 2026, but the fact that Gardner-Johnson has changed teams six times in four years is a testament to both the positives and frustrations he brings to the table.Projected average annual salary: $2-5 millionTier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spotFree agents: Terrell Burgess, Saints; Chuck Clark, Steelers; Ashtyn Davis, Dolphins; Mike Edwards, Chiefs; Rayshawn Jenkins, Browns; Lonnie Johnson Jr., Raiders; Ifeatu Melifonwu, Dolphins; Jonathan Owens, Bears; Jabrill Peppers, Steelers; Jordan Poyer, Bills; M.J. Stewart, Texans; Daniel Thomas, LionsPlayers such as Owens and Thomas sustain their NFL careers by making an impact on special teams.Projected average annual salary: $1-2 million
