Through the first wave of NFL free agency, plenty of the top players went off the board in a matter of hours. In one of the deeper free agent classes in recent memory, the first two days of free agency were two of the busiest in recent NFL history.
The activity didn't slow down once the new league year began either, thanks to a huge salary cap increase and plenty of depth at premium positions. Even good players are being released and becoming free agents, making the free agency pool that much deeper.
As we enter the next phase of free agency, here are the best players remaining at every offensive and defensive position.
QuarterbackTannehill is coming off a season which he was benched by the Tennessee Titans, who were looking to move on and start the process of their rebuild. The former first-round pick has started 151 games in his 11 seasons, throwing for 34,881 yards and 216 touchdowns.
Starter or backup, Tannehill can fill the role. The 35-year-old Tannehill completed 64.8% of his passes for 1,616 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions last season.
Running backWhen healthy, the 25-year old Dobbins an effective running back. He's played just nine games since the start of the 2021 season, having 100 carries for 542 yards (5.4 yards per carry). Dobbins has a career 5.8 yards per carry average.
Wide receiverAs the wide receiver free agent pool thins, Odell Beckham Jr. is still out there to be had for any NFL franchise that is willing to bring him aboard. He is the No. 60 overall free agent in Pete Prisco's Top 100 ranking and is another year removed from the torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI in February of 2022. With the Ravens last year, Beckham played in 14 of the club's regular season games and was second on the team in receiving yards behind rookie Zay Flowers.
Tight endThe former quarterback-turned-tight end had 55 catches for 496 yards and four touchdowns last season (9.0 yards per catch). Thomas has 2,002 yards and 16 touchdowns in seven seasons as a tight end. Even at 32, Thomas is the top tight end in a weak market.
Offensive tackleOne of the best tackles in the game when healthy, Bakhtiari has missed 38 games over the last three seasons. A First Team All-Pro in 2020, Bakhtiari made five straight All-Pro teams prior to injuries catching up to him. He allowed just one sack and 10 pressures in 11 games in 2022.
Offensive guardPeat can play left tackle, but his best position is guard. He allowed three sacks and 11 pressures with a 4.2% pressure rate in 310 pass blocking snaps in his last season as guard (2022). Peat started 12 games and allowed two sacks and 30 pressures (6.5% pressure rate) at left tackle in 2023. Peat's versatility is valuable.
CenterAnother interior lineman that can play guard and center, Williams is arguably the best interior lineman left in free agency. The 26-year old Williams allowed just one sack and six pressures in nine games last season with a 2.9% pressure rate.
Pass rusherThe 26-year-old is coming off of a 2023 season where he enjoyed career marks. In 16 regular-season games (all starts), Danna tallied 6.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 50 tackles. The former fifth-round pick out of Michigan also started all four of Kansas City's playoff games, including Super Bowl LVIII.
Defensive tackleThere isn't much left in the defensive tackle market, but Tart can be a nice fit on a contenting team. Playing for the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans last season, Tart is a reliable nose tackle that can stop the run.
Off-ball linebackerCunningham is te best off-ball linebacker in a very thin market. He finished with 85 tackles in 13 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, with four passes defensed. Cunningham is still a solid starter in the league, and one of the more experienced off-ball linebackers left (has three 100-tackle seasons).
CornerbackEven at 30, Howard still has a reputation as one of the top cornerbacks in football. The four-time Pro Bowler and 2020 First Team All-Pro selection had 45 tackles and 12 passes defensed with one interception last season. Opposing quarterbacks targeting Howard had just a 64.2 passer rating and two passing touchdowns last season, completing only 55.7% of their passes.
Safety
