FOX Sports Research
The NFL season is over, but that means free agency is nearly upon us.
On March 10 at noon ET, free agents may begin talking with new teams, and at 4 p.m. ET on March 12, signings can begin with the start of the new league year.
But this got us thinking, who are the 10 best free agents on each side of the ball? First, we'll start off with offense. Let's take a look:
Top 10 best offensive NFL free agents
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It may feel like Cooper is toward the latter end of his career considering he's been in the league for 10 seasons. But taking into account he's only 30 years old and put up 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023 before a disappointing 2024 campaign that ended in Buffalo, the five-time Pro Bowl selection can still serve as a viable receiving threat for multiple teams that need a boost on offense.
Since his first season in the NFL in 2015, only five receivers have more receiving touchdowns than his 64: Davante Adams (100), Mike Evans (93), Tyreek Hill (82), DeAndre Hopkins (75) and Stefon Diggs (70).
The 11th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, Becton was considered somewhat of a disappointment through his first few injury-hampered seasons, as much was expected of the 6'7, 360-pound Louisville product. But in his first season with the Eagles, he played a huge role in their Super Bowl title run. Philadelphia moved him to guard after he spent his entire career playing tackle, meaning the 25-year-old still has room to improve and could pay off for teams with a void at that position.
Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 with the Texans, which will cause some concern for several teams that need a wide receiver. But when looking at his production throughout his career, it's hard to overlook how dominant he's been. Diggs recorded six straight seasons with 1,000 yards receiving from 2018 to 2023, and likely would've made it seven straight had it not been for the injury. Since 2018, he ranks in the top five among all players in receptions (657), receiving yards (8,019), receiving touchdowns (55) and receptions of 10+ yards (317).
The best center in this free-agent class, Dalman has played 57 games with 40 starts since being selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Even though he only played nine games this past season, he's demonstrated the ability to serve as a reliable pass and run blocker. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he ranked fifth among all centers with a run-block grade of 79.8 — and he recorded a pass-block grade of 73.4 from Week 13 to 18, good for 10th-best among all centers in that span.
An undrafted free agent in 2021, Jackson has started in 35 of 41 games played for the Rams in that time. He's coming off the best season of his career, allowing just three sacks in 1,017 blocking snaps (according to PFF). He also brings a versatile skill set to the offensive line, having played guard during his sophomore season in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old was one of just 10 tackles in 2024 to have a PFF grade of 75.0 in pass blocking, run blocking and overall offensive grade (min. 15 games played, regular season + playoffs).
Another offensive lineman, Stanley is fresh off his second Pro Bowl selection and was an anchor on a Ravens team that led the league in rushing at 187.6 yards per game. He gave up just two sacks from a pass-blocking perspective, and has been Baltimore's left tackle since being drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2016. According to PFF, Stanley was one of five tackles this past season to have a pass-blocking grade over 80.0 along with just two or fewer sacks allowed (minimum 11 games played).
If it weren't for a season-ending injury sustained in Week 7, Godwin was on his way to possibly having the best statistical season by a receiver in 2024. Through the first six weeks, he ranked first in receiving touchdowns (five), first in receptions (43) and was one of three receivers with over 500 receiving yards — with the other two being Nico Collins and Ja'Marr Chase. While his ankle dislocation might be a concern, he's only 28 years old and has recorded four 1,000-yard seasons since 2019. He's a playmaker who could be an X-factor on almost any offense.
One of the biggest questions of free agency is whether the Vikings will re-sign Sam Darnold after he unexpectedly led them to a 14-3 season. Although the front office seems very high on J.J. McCarthy (the 10th overall pick of last year's draft), Darnold's 2024 campaign can't be ignored. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with a team, and he is still only 27 years old. He threw for 4,319 yards in 2024, the third-most in Vikings single-season history — along with 35 touchdowns, tied for the second-most in Minnesota single-season history. He's going to command a large contract wherever he lands.
Smith is coming off his first Pro Bowl selection after serving as Patrick Mahomes' right guard since 2021. In that span, he's played and started in 67 games for Kansas City. According to PFF, he played 1,288 snaps at the right guard spot and gave up just one sack. Joe Thuney and Nick Allegretti were the only guards to play more snaps than he did this past season, and both allowed multiple sacks on the year. Smith is just 25 years old and has only surrendered five sacks in his last three seasons. He might not be the best guard in football, but it's likely he'll be the highest-paid when March rolls around.
Higgins doesn't have all the accolades and jaw-dropping stats one might assume would belong to the top spot on our list, but much of that has to do with the fact that he sits behind Ja'Marr Chase — probably the best receiver in the entire league. Still, the 26-year-old big-bodied playmaker is entering his prime and has put up 900 yards in four of his five seasons in the league. Despite playing only 12 games in 2024, he was one of eight players to have 10 touchdown catches, and also finished 10th in the league at 75.9 receiving yards per game. While he's not the No. 1 option in Cincinnati, he would be on about 20 other teams.
Honorable mention
- Zack Martin, G
- Najee Harris, RB
- Aaron Rodgers, QB
- Russell Wilson, QB
- Aaron Jones, RB
- Kevin Zeitler, G
- J.K. Dobbins, RB
- Keenan Allen, WR
- Tyron Smith, T
- Zach Ertz, TE
- Marquise Brown, WR
- Ryan Kelly, C
- Nick Chubb, RB
- James Daniels, G
- Brandon Scherff, G
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR
- Teven Jenkins, G
- Justin Fields, QB
- Will Fries, G
- Rico Dowdle, RB
- Tyler Conklin, TE
- Morgan Moses, T
- Mike Gesicki, TE
- Jedrick Wills Jr., T
- Josh Myers, C
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