Ranking the top remaining NFL free agents: Who are the best players available?

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Ranking the top remaining NFL free agents: Who are the best players available?

Jack McKessy and Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Mar 13, 2025 ·

10 min read

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The start of NFL free agency has been fast and furious as players across the league have found their new families .

As the legal tampering window closed and the new league year began on Wednesday, dozens of players joined their new teams . Others returned to their old squads but on new deals.

However, plenty of free agents are still available who have not made a decision on their next team. USA TODAY Sports has ranked the top 25 players who still have not signed a new contract ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

Here's which players made the list:

NFL FREE AGENCY UPDATES: Latest news, rumors, signings, cuts, best available players

Best free agents still available

1. Stefon Diggs , wide receiver (2024 team: Texans)

Diggs' 2024 season was cut short when he tore his ACL in Week 8. In the eight games before the injury, the veteran wideout proved that he still has what it takes to be a reliable contributor to a passing offense. He finished the 2024 season with 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in the eight games he played.

2. Amari Cooper , wide receiver (2024 teams: Browns, Bills)

Last season was a down year for Cooper in terms of his production. The 30-year-old receiver struggled to get going amid shaky quarterback play in Cleveland , and after the Browns traded him to Buffalo, he couldn't cement a role in his new offense. Given that he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in five of his six seasons prior, there's reason to believe he's still got more in the tank, even if it's not as a No. 1 option.

3. Aaron Rodgers , quarterback (2024 team: Jets)

Rodgers is officially a free agent after the Jets released the veteran quarterback after the start of the new league year on Wednesday. He's the best free-agent quarterback on the market now that Sam Darnold has signed with the Seahawks , and there has been plenty of buzz about Rodgers' potential fits with quarterback-needy teams like the Steelers and Giants . He had 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 63% completion rate in 2024 and will celebrate his 42nd birthday in December.

4. Cam Robinson , tackle (2024 teams: Jaguars, Vikings)

Robinson is the best free-agent offensive tackle on the market. He's 29 years old and coming off of a solid season that started in Jacksonville and ended as a stabilizing force on the left side in Minnesota . Measuring in at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, the former second-round pick can be a dominating force, and he's in line to get a multi-year deal for a team needing offensive line help.

5. Keenan Allen , wide receiver (2024 team: Bears)

There were signs of a decline from Allen in his age-32 season, but some of that could be attributed to the difficulties of catching passes from a rookie quarterback. He still caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, so there's definitely something there for teams seeking a secondary or tertiary pass-catching option and a veteran presence in the locker room.

6. Russell Wilson , quarterback (2024 team: Steelers)

Outside of Rodgers, Wilson is the best quarterback still looking to sign with a team. The former Seahawk and Bronco is meeting with the Browns on Thursday and Giants on Friday, according to reports so his availability may not last too much longer. The 13-year NFL veteran went 6-5 in his 11 starts for the Steelers in 2024, tallying 2,482 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 63.7% completion rate.

7. J.K. Dobbins , running back (2024 team: Chargers )

Three years after tearing just about every ligament in his knee and one year after rupturing his Achilles, Dobbins nearly broke the 1,000-yard mark on the ground in 13 games. Though he didn't quite get there, his 905 rushing yards were a career-high, and his nine touchdowns matched his single-season best from his 2020 rookie season. The former Charger is an effective rusher, but injuries are a concern. The fact that running back is such a loaded position in the 2025 NFL draft doesn't do Dobbins any favors, either.

8. Justin Simmons , safety (2024 team: Falcons)

Simmons had just put together three straight years of second-team All-Pro recognition when he hit free agency last offseason. He has 32 career interceptions (including two last year) and could fit in nicely alongside a younger safety in a team that needs help in its defensive backfield.

9. Julian Blackmon , safety (2024 team: Colts)

Blackmon has been a stalwart defender in the Indianapolis secondary for the last five years. Coming off of back-to-back seasons with at least three interceptions and 85 tackles, he enters free agency at 27 years old and could cash in with his recent production.

10. Teven Jenkins , guard (2024 team: Bears)

Jenkins no longer fit the Bears ' plans for their offensive line with the work general manager Ryan Poles has done this offseason. After struggling in his first pro season as a tackle, he found his footing when he moved to the interior and has become one of the best young guards in the league. Jenkins just turned 27 and just completed another solid season playing left guard.

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11. Dante Fowler , edge (2024 team: Commanders)

Fowler had something of a bounce-back season in 2024. After signing a one-year deal with Washington, the edge rusher tallied 10.5 sacks, his highest total since 2019, and even snagged his first career interception. Fowler will be 31 when the 2025 season begins.

12. Azeez Ojulari , edge (2024 team: Giants)

Ojulari flashed in his eight-sack rookie season in 2021 but hasn't been able to return to those heights in the three years since. The former second-round pick put up six sacks in a rotational role behind Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns in 2024, so he can be an intriguing option for teams that believe they can develop Ojulari further.

13. Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (2024 team: Chargers)

Samuel racked up two interceptions in each of his first three years to go with 10+ passes defensed every year. But in 2024, the former second-round pick played just four games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

14. Mekhi Becton , OL (2024 team: Eagles)

Becton struggled mightily throughout his first contract with the Jets, where he played tackle. All it took was a deal with Philadelphia and a collaboration with vaunted offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland to discover Becton's true potential as a guard. The former Jet won a starting job on the interior and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl as a guard.

15. Kyzir White , linebacker (2024 team: Cardinals)

Teams looking for a consistent tackler at linebacker need look no further than White, who surpassed 110 tackles in three of his last four seasons. In 2024, White had 137 tackles and set a new career-high with 2.5 sacks, adding an interception and fumble recovery for good measure.

16. Za'Darius Smith, edge (2024 teams: Browns, Lions)

Any worries that Smith was slowing down at this point in his career after a 5.5-sack 2023 were quelled with the 9.0 sacks he had between two teams in 2024. He'll turn 33 right around Week 1 of the 2025 season, but there's gas left in the tank for the edge rusher, even if it's in a diminished role.

17. Rasul Douglas , cornerback (2024 team: Bills)

Douglas had something of a "down year" in 2024. After three straight seasons with at least four interceptions, Douglas came away with zero last year. He's still physical in coverage and a willing tackler against the run, so teams needing cornerback help should be willing to bet on a bounce back in 2025.

18. Cooper Kupp , wide receiver (2024 team: Rams)

Los Angeles told Kupp in early February it planned to trade him. The Rams did not find a trade partner before the new league year, so they granted their veteran receiver his release on Wednesday after eight seasons. Kupp, who won the receiving triple crown in 2021, just compiled a 2024 season with 67 catches for 710 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.

19. Mike Hilton , cornerback (2024 team: Bengals )

Teams looking for a slot cornerback who is strong in coverage and has the ability to stop the run and pressure the quarterback should be taking a look at Hilton. The former Bengal and Steeler had 12 tackles for a loss in each of the last two seasons and recorded six pressures in 2024.

20. Calais Campbell , defensive line (2024 team: Dolphins)

Campbell is poised to enter an 18th NFL season as an interior defender and played in all 17 games each of the last two seasons. He's also recorded at least five sacks in each of his last three seasons, each with a different team. Though he'll be 39 by the start of the 2025 season, Campbell hasn't shown signs of slowing down just yet.

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21. Brandon Scherff , guard (2024 team: Jaguars)

Scherff had one of his best seasons as a pass blocker in 2025. The former fifth-overall pick is still playing at a very high level as he enters his age-33 season and would be a capable reinforcement to teams that need help on the interior.

22. Jedrick Wills , offensive tackle (2024 team: Browns)

Wills has played in just 13 games over the last two seasons combined, but when he's healthy, he's an above-average pass blocker on the left side. Wills turns 26 in a couple of months and has the potential to become an excellent left tackle with the proper development.

23. Matthew Judon , edge (2024 team: Falcons)

As he enters his age-33 season, Judon appears to be at the stage in his career where he can best contribute as a rotational edge rusher. He had 15.5 sacks in 2022 but played in only four games in 2023 – and still recorded four sacks. Last year, his lone season with Atlanta , he had just 5.5 sacks in 17 games.

24. Jameis Winston , quarterback (2024 team: Browns)

Winston is at the top of the "backup" tier of quarterbacks. He started seven games for the Browns last year after Deshaun Watson 's Achilles injury and threw for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 61.1% completion rate.

25. Diontae Johnson , wide receiver (2024 teams: Panthers, Ravens, Texans)

Johnson had a chaotic season after the Steelers traded him to Carolina last March. The veteran led the Panthers with his 30 catches, 357 yards and three touchdowns through seven games, but he missed Week 8 with a rib injury. The Panthers traded him to Baltimore , where he caught just one pass in four games. He then landed in Houston off of waivers, where he caught two passes in one game before he was waived again. Though if his brief stint in Carolina proved anything, there is still potential for Johnson to return to a role as a top contributor in a new team's passing offense.

USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency 2025: Best available free agents remaining

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