As the NFL Draft approaches and free agency comes to an end, teams will be looking at the construction of their roster to find any glaring holes and weaknesses. While the NFL Draft will be a gold mine for attempting to address those needs, there are still some free agents that could benefit each team.
Arizona Cardinals: DeMarcus Walker, Edge
The Arizona Cardinals ranked 25th in pressure rate last season, according to TruMedia. With the addition of Josh Sweat to the defensive line, this is a clear step in the right direction. That shouldn’t stop them from double-dipping, especially when looking at their interior defensive line.
DeMarcus Walker ranked 93rd of 179 pass rushers with at least 200 pass rushing snaps last season in pressure rate. He also ranks 90th out of 211 defensive linemen in PFF run-defense grade. The great thing about Walker is that he has experience playing on the interior as well as the edge.
While he isn’t a home-run signing, Walker would provide some much-needed depth to Arizona’s defensive line at a relatively cheap price.
Atlanta Falcons: Mike Hilton, Slot CB
Outside of A.J. Terrell Jr. and Jessie Bates III, the Atlanta Falcons don’t have much talent at defensive back. I think the draft will allow them to address some of those needs; however, today’s NFL requires several good defensive backs as your base package is typically going to be nickel.
Mike Hilton would be an excellent addition to Atlanta. He plays primarily in the slot, which would fill an immediate need and allow Bates to roam around as a true safety over the top. Hilton was an amazing run defender last season, ranking second among all corners in defensive stops.
Not only this, but he was also tremendous in the pass game as well, allowing just nine yards per reception, which ranks 41st out of 313 corners. I will advise you to be ready for more Mike Hilton suggestions going forward. The Falcons are not the only team that could use a solid slot corner.
Baltimore Ravens: Dalton Risner, RG
The Baltimore Ravens had a lot of new faces on the offensive line this season, especially on the interior. Luckily, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry can make good on many issues stemming from offensive line play.
Nevertheless, PFSN’s OL+ rankings had the Ravens graded out as the second-best offensive line in the league at a 92.1 grade (A-). With Patrick Mekari gone, they will need a left guard to compete with Andrew Vorhees. My suggestion is free agent Dalton Risner.
Risner ranked 91st of 173 offensive linemen in least amount of pressures per pass blocking snap. This is slightly better than Mekari, who ranked 104th in the 2024 season. On top of this, they had relatively similar run-blocking grades as well. Risner would also command a lot less money compared to Mekari, making this an overall slam dunk signing for Baltimore.
Buffalo Bills: Shaquill Griffin, CB
The Buffalo Bills struggled heavily last season in the defensive backfield. Both Christian Benford and Taron Johnson are really good players, but the play falls off a cliff after that. Johnson played 67.5% of his snaps from the slot, whereas Benford played 89% of his from out wide. This means the Bills need to target a reliable veteran corner who plays primarily out wide.
With only five million left in cap space (second-least), you unfortunately can’t turn to someone like James Bradberry IV. With a current APY of just under $4.5 million, Shaquill Griffin is a solid Buffalo free agent candidate. Griffin was a well-above-average (46th/222) run defender and average in coverage. Pairing him with a corner in the draft would do the trick of shoring up a glaring weakness for the Bills.
Carolina Panthers: Za’Darius Smith, Edge
In PFSN history, the Carolina Panthers defense had the second-worst Defense+ grade of all time in front of only the 2020 Detroit Lions. A lot of this stems from the fact that they were dead last in the league in pressure rate, pressuring opposing quarterbacks on only 25% of their dropbacks. There is a clear need for them to add some juice to the pass rush, and they can do this in both the draft and in the free agent portal.
Za’Darius Smith makes a lot of sense here. He plays primarily as a standing edge rusher, which would fit nicely opposite Jadeveon Clowney for the Panthers and their 3-4 defense. Smith finished the 2024 season seventh in pressure rate generated and isn’t nearly as expensive as you would expect someone of his caliber to be.
Chicago Bears: Justin Simmons, FS
The Chicago Bears have approached free agency with some ferocity this year, shoring up the offensive line and getting an edge rusher to bolster the opposite side of the trenches. Defensively, their main point of weakness is the secondary. Jaquan Brisker is entering the final year of his contract, and I don’t feel as if he has played well enough to get paid.
I think you could easily get away with paying similar amounts of money to a much better and more veteran presence at safety to go opposite of Kevin Byard III. The Bears are entering year two of Caleb Williams and year one of Ben Johnson, which means the time to push all chips towards a championship should be in the next couple of years.
Justin Simmons played 67% from the free safety position, and Byard played just 53%, with a solid 35% in the box. With two veteran safeties to man the middle of the field for the Bears’ defense, this would take a lot of pressure off of their linebackers and allow them to allocate more draft capital towards the offensive side of the ball at the end of this month.
Cincinnati Bengals: Preston Smith, Edge
The Cincinnati Bengals have a glaring need on the defensive line. They are working things out with Trey Hendrickson, but Sam Hubbard retired, and they don’t really have much else at that position.
Initially, I thought about either Za’Darius Smith or Matt Judon as a player for the Bengals to sign. Unfortunately, Smith will likely be asking for more than what they are willing to pay. As for Judon, he doesn’t really fit the scheme the Bengals play. He lined up almost exclusively at outside linebacker last season, which is not a pass-rushing or edge-setting position for the Bengals.
Preston Smith fits the Bengals much better. He typically plays shaded on the outside of the offensive tackle and is a stout run defender. In my opinion, he is a better player than Joseph Ossai and would be a clear upgrade to the Bengals’ defensive line.
Cleveland Browns: Tyler Lockett, WR
The Cleveland Browns are not as far away from contending as you would believe from a team with no discernible future and lots of mistakes made in the past few years. Joe Flacco is a serviceable backup, and with the No. 2 pick in the draft, they have a shot at a blue-chip prospect.
While it would make sense to take Shedeur Sanders, I think the better option is to take Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter and rock with a quarterback in the second or later rounds. You could get Jaxon Dart, Jalen Milroe, or Tyler Shough and have them develop and learn under Flacco until they are ready to take the reins or until they have shown their inability to be an NFL-capable starter.
Signing Tyler Lockett to the team would add a very nice security blanket to Flacco and the young guy to help get them to speed. Lockett would play opposite of Jerry Jeudy and also has some slot experience as well.
Dallas Cowboys: Will Hernandez, RG
With not very many valuable running backs available in free agency at this time and an impending monster contract that will take the majority of their cap space, the Dallas Cowboys have to be smart about who they want outside of the draft.
Will Hernandez is a relatively cheap option who has experience at the right guard position, which is a clear need for the Cowboys after losing Zack Martin to retirement. This will give them immediate competition for Robert Jones and whoever they draft this season.
Denver Broncos: DJ Chark Jr., WR
The Denver Broncos don’t have too many needs on their team this year. They performed well under rookie Bo Nix and have an elite defense that got even better with some fantastic signings. In order to keep Nix from regressing, it would be wise to get him some more help.
I think DJ Chark Jr. fits that role nicely. He provides more depth at the wide receiver position for Denver and is perfectly able to take the top off of a defense. He has averaged 14.4 yards per reception in his career with 4.34 speed. What makes him slightly more appealing than a similar guy in Marvin Mims Jr. is that he isn’t the worst run blocker.
Detroit Lions: Emmanuel Ogbah, Edge
Totaling six sacks and 22 hurries last season, Emmanuel Ogbah adds more depth to the defensive line after the Detroit Lions lost Za’Darius Smith in free agency. They will need to continue adding pieces in the draft as well, but Ogbah and Marcus Davenport can split reps opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
The most important aspect of signing Ogbah is that he should be a really cheap option for Detroit, who is going to have to pay quite the bill when all of these young studs are up for new contracts in the next couple of years.
Green Bay Packers: Mike Hilton, Slot CB
The Green Bay Packers finished in the top 10 in our Offense+, Defense+, and OL+ metrics last season. With that being said, their top need is likely defensive tackle and secondary. Jaire Alexander’s status as a Packer is uncertain, and they don’t have very many good slot options either.
As referenced earlier in this article, Mike Hilton is very likely to be on this list multiple times. I don’t understand how he is still a free agent. I think he would be an immediate starter on several teams right now, and his current APY isn’t the most outrageous. Signing Hilton would allow Green Bay to focus on defensive tackle or outside corner in the draft, both of which are plentiful in the early rounds of the draft.
Houston Texans: Jospeh Noteboom, RT
It doesn’t matter how you slice it; the Houston Texans’ offensive line was atrocious last season. They ranked 24th in pressure percentage allowed and dead last in our offensive line rankings. It doesn’t help that C.J. Stroud has a propensity to hold on to the ball and that former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik consistently put them into third-and-long situations from bad situational play calling. Nevertheless, this remains the top priority.
There aren’t any slam dunk signings left to be made at offensive tackle, and the Texans are in need of one badly after trading away Laremy Tunsil. Joseph Noteboom isn’t the greatest offensive tackle in the world, but he is cheap, performed better than Tyron Smith last season, and is likely better than current starter Blake Fisher as well.
Indianapolis Colts: Jordan Akins, TE
The Indianapolis Colts have done a great job thus far in free agency. They signed Charvarius Ward, which should be a tremendous help to their secondary and also Cam Bynum. This duo should make the secondary a much-improved unit heading into 2025. Their biggest need is a tight end.
Almost every single mock draft on this planet has the Colts selecting Penn State tight end Tyler Warren if he makes it that far in the draft. Some even have them selecting Colston Loveland from Michigan if Warren doesn’t make it that far. While I agree that either of those two would be fantastic signings for them, I still think they should add at least one more via free agency.
Jordan Akins is a super cheap tight end and was average last season, totaling 40 catches for 390 yards and two scores. The signing would come down to either him or resigning Mo Alie-Cox. To be honest with you, I think Alie-Cox’s time as a Colt has come to an end, and this would be the more viable and cheap option.
Jacksonville Jaguars: John Jenkins, DT
The Jacksonville Jaguars could use anyone on their team right now, with so many spots to be filled both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately for them, there are no top-level interior defensive linemen to fill their biggest need.
Luckily, pairing John Jenkins with Mason Graham in the draft would be a start to fixing it. Jenkins was a below-average run defender last year but adds an improved dimension of pass-rushing to a team that totaled just 25 hurries and three sacks between their two current starters at defensive tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs: Jordan Poyer, SS
With Justin Reid gone and the offensive line being the likely target early in the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs are in need of a veteran safety presence to help keep this defense afloat next season. In years past, Jordan Poyer would have been way too expensive for the Chiefs. With his current state of play and the many injuries, they could take a risk on him for pennies on the dollar.
Even at 33 years old, Poyer still managed a respectable 70 tackles and only 24 receptions allowed. He ranked about average in coverage but above average in run defense last season, which should help balance out the Chiefs’ defense, who is already much better against the run.
Las Vegas Raiders: Keenan Allen, WR
The Las Vegas Raiders need to surround Geno Smith with some wide receiver talent quickly. Paying him this money and leaving him to throw to just Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers with a poor offensive line will leave him in a situation much worse than he had in Seattle.
Keenan Allen did not look the part last season in Chicago, but a veteran quarterback and a new change of scenery could certainly help get him back on track. He is a smooth-operating route runner and could help mentor some of the younger pass-catchers on the team as well.
Los Angeles Chargers: Matt Judon, OLB
There isn’t enough talent left in free agency for the Los Angeles Chargers to target a defensive tackle. With that being said, they could easily improve the edge rushers on this team by adding Matt Judon to the list of starters. The Chargers run a base 3-4 defense, which would perfectly slot Judon in as the outside linebacker/edge rusher opposite of Khalil Mack.
Los Angeles Rams: C.J. Mosley, ILB
C.J. Mosley only played 110 snaps for the New York Jets last season in an injury-riddled campaign. With that being said, the last time he was fully healthy (2023), he played out of his mind with a 90.6 coverage grade, 105 tackles, a missed tackle rate of just 8.8%, and made the Pro Bowl.
This should help bolster the Los Angeles Rams’ linebacker crew, which looks to be their weakest defensive position group heading into 2025.
Miami Dolphins: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT
The Miami Dolphins have to replace Terron Armstead after his retirement this offseason. With Patrick Paul already on the team, they will still need to sign someone who can either compete with Paul for the starting position or provide depth as a swing tackle.
Injuries aside, Jedrick Wills Jr. is a starting-level offensive lineman in the league who Miami could get relatively cheaply. I have heard rumblings of the Dolphins trading a certain star wide receiver rather soon, which could mean the Dolphins could double dip and add Wills + an offensive lineman in the draft if they decide not to replace Tyreek Hill immediately.
Minnesota Vikings: Mike Hilton, Slot CB
For yet another team, Mike Hilton makes sense as a free-agent signing. The Minnesota Vikings have Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers to play on the outside at corner but lack the players for the slot position. While Murphy is more than capable of playing both, I would prefer to keep him on the outside and slot Hilton on the inside. This is because there aren’t many outside corners worth taking in free agency.
New England Patriots: Von Miller, Edge
The New England Patriots are in desperate need of pass rushers. They ranked 31st in the league last season in pressure rate and last in sack rate. While Von Miller isn’t what he used to be, a vet minimum deal for a guy who still has enough juice to be a rotational pass rusher is a good thing for New England.
On top of him being extremely cheap, the Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL and a quarterback on a rookie deal. Now is the time for them to start bolstering their roster with guys who want to win.
New Orleans Saints: Preston Smith, Edge
The New Orleans Saints need a replacement for Cameron Jordan because he could retire any season now. Preston Smith would be a solid replacement and would be great for depth purposes while Jordan is still around. An edge trio of Chase Young, Smith, and Jordan means the Saints can focus on offensive players in the draft, especially at quarterback.
New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, RG
The New York Giants ranked 28th in our offensive line rankings, and for a good reason. With multiple spots needing to be filled, Brandon Scherff would be a surefire guard who could take the place of Greg Van Roten on the right side of the interior offensive line. Unfortunately for New York, they don’t have the cap space to do this currently and would need to look at restructuring or releasing other players.
I think this a perfectly acceptable move for a player like Scherff because he will provide some much-needed stability for whoever is playing quarterback for the Giants next season. This will be of the utmost importance with both Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll on the cusp of losing their jobs.
New York Jets: Tyler Lockett, WR
The New York Jets released Davante Adams last month, and he signed with the Los Angeles Rams. This leaves them with a glaring need at wide receiver, and I think Tyler Lockett would pair really well with Garrett Wilson.
Both Lockett and Wilson can play slot wide receiver or outside receiver, giving the Jets flexibility. Lockett is also a phenomenal deep threat, with five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown on throws 20+ yards down the field. This would pair really well with Justin Fields, who is known for his pretty deep ball.
Philadelphia Eagles: Za’Darius Smith, Edge
Believe it or not, the Philadelphia Eagles actually have plenty of cap space at the moment. While it is true that they will be forking up some money soon with all of the young talent that needs to be paid, they are still very much in a position to grab Za’Darius Smith.
Adding a player of Smith’s caliber after losing Josh Sweat and Milton Williams would make for a seamless transition that will have opposing quarterbacks sweating at night just thinking about it. The Eagles are in a prime position to go back to back, and signing Smith would position them well for this opportunity.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Rodgers, QB
There isn’t much to be said here. This is a game of chicken, and I don’t know why. Maybe Aaron Rodgers actually doesn’t want to play football. If he does, it’s rather clear it will be for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I am workshopping a theory on quarterback play two years removed from an Achilles heel injury. Perhaps the reason Rodgers didn’t look like himself last season was that he wasn’t at full strength. With another year between him and the injury, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers saw a resurgent Rodgers leading them to the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, ILB
The San Francisco 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw to the Broncos in the offseason and are about to be paying Brock Purdy, pretty much usurping any cap space they have. With that being said, they are still in need of some depth pieces to help rebuild this injury-riddled team and squeeze whatever is left out of the prime of this current roster.
In his limited playing time the last two seasons on the Lions, Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been solid in different areas at the linebacker position. In 2023, he graded out as one of the best run defenders with a missed tackle rate of 9.3% (53rd/90). In 2024, he graded out as a solid coverage linebacker, allowing just 13 catches on 108 coverage snaps. He would add some much-needed depth behind star linebacker Fred Warner.
Seattle Seahawks: Brandon Scherff, RG
With perhaps one of the worst guard duos in the league in Anthony Bradford and Sataoa Laumea, Brandon Scherff is an obvious fit for the Seattle Seahawks. Scherff allowed just 15 pressures in 625 pass-blocking snaps last season, which will be very important for a team that employs Sam Darnold under center.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Stephon Gilmore, CB
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are pretty much set up at each position and will likely use the draft to continue adding depth in certain spots. With that being said, they could use a veteran corner like Stephon Gilmore to add more secondary assets behind their solid starting tandem. If Gilmore doesn’t retire, Tampa Bay would be a nice and warm place to play out the (likely) final year of his career.
Tennessee Titans: Keenan Allen, WR
It seems as if the Tennessee Titans are the team to go to for your receiving career to die. Randy Moss, Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Johnson, Calvin Ridley, and many more. Why not add Keenan Allen to that mix in hopes of him maybe bucking the trend? Cam Ward will need some weapons outside of Ridley and Chigoziem Okonkwo to throw to this season, and Allen could still have something left in the tank.
Washington Commanders: Za’Darius Smith, Edge
The Washington Commanders should be one of many teams standing in line to sign Za’Darius Smith. With a legitimate quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the Commanders need to do everything in their power to address the needs of the defense.
While the defensive line was actually quite decent last year, posting a pressure rate that ranked 12th in the league and a sack rate in the top 10, you can never have enough. Smith would bring the extra oomph needed for the Commanders to really take over as a top-half of the league defense and would make them an even tougher out in next season’s playoffs.