The NFL trade deadline has come and gone. Contending teams have either filled existing gaps or replaced injured players through various deals. Now, the only way to add players is by tapping into the free agent pool to solidify their rosters as the playoff race heats up.
Who are the best available NFL free agents halfway through the 2024 season? Here’s a list of the top unsigned veterans at each position.
Remaining NFL Free Agents by Position | Offense
Quarterback
1) Ryan Tannehill
2) Nate Sudfeld
3) Blaine Gabbert
While Ryan Tannehill is coming off a disappointing season and has struggled with injuries for a few campaigns in a row, he’s easily the best quarterback option on the market. He’s 35 but still athletic enough to play in an offense that can get him on the move.
Teams that finished near the bottom of Pro Football Network’s backup QB rankings or suffered injuries under center might be interested in adding Tannehill to their roster.
Sudfeld lost out to Hendon Hooker for the Detroit Lions’ backup quarterback job and didn’t re-sign with the club’s taxi squad.
Running Back
1) Latavius Murray
2) Jerick McKinnon
3) Royce Freeman
Now 34 years old, Latavius Murray was the oldest running back in the NFL last season. He signed with the Buffalo Bills last May and turned into a contributor after fellow RB Damien Harris suffered a career-ending injury in Week 5. Murray became Buffalo’s RB2, taking 96 touches for 419 total yards and four touchdowns.
Jerick McKinnon played 535 offensive snaps and hauled in 51 receptions for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, but his role dwindled in 2023. The 32-year-old’s snap rate was nearly sliced in half, and he spent time on injured reserve late in the season before being activated for Kansas City’s eventual Super Bowl victory.
Wide Receiver
1) Michael Thomas
2) Hunter Renfrow
3) Richie James
Michael Thomas was dominant as the New Orleans Saints’ WR1 at the end of the 2010s, setting an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019. However, injuries destroyed the better part of four seasons for him, and the 31-year-old missed the final seven games of the 2023 campaign with a knee injury.
Two years removed from a 103-catch, 1,038-yard line with nine touchdowns, Hunter Renfrow played just 35% of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive snaps in 2023. The Raiders couldn’t find a taker for Renfrow at last year’s trade deadline, and he’s generated no known interest on the free agent market. Still, he could help a contender down the stretch.
Tight End
1) Trevon Wesco
2) Blake Bell
3) Brycen Hopkins
Trevon Wesco’s 424 snaps in 2023 were the most of any remaining free agent tight end. He can also play fullback, and that versatility could be intriguing for teams that deploy ample 12 personnel.
Offensive Tackle
1) Donovan Smith
2) Charles Leno Jr.
3) David Bakhtiari
While some of the NFL’s other free agent positional groups have been picked over at this point in the calendar, the offensive tackle market still has several viable options.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Donovan Smith has made 136 career starts. He battled injuries with the Chiefs in 2023 but still appeared in 12 regular-season games before starting four playoff games on the way to a Super Bowl title.
Charles Leno Jr. and David Bakhtiari are also coming off injuries, but teams with a left tackle need could do worse than either veteran. Clubs that desperately need OT help — like the Washington Commanders or New England Patriots — could consider this group.
Interior Offensive Line
1) Mason Cole
2) Halapoulivaati Vaitai
3) Phil Haynes
Mason Cole is 28, can play center and guard, and boasts 73 career starts and 4,300 snaps.
Injuries limited Halapoulivaati Vaitai to just six games and three starts for the Detroit Lions over the past two seasons. However, he can play tackle and guard, offering flexibility that could help him land a job.
Remaining NFL Free Agents by Position | Defense
EDGE
1) Rasheem Green
2) Shaq Lawson
3) Marquis Haynes
Shaq Lawson was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad in October, played in one game, and was then released.
Interior Defensive Line
1) Jonathan Ledbetter
2) Mike Purcell
3) Lawrence Guy Sr.
Finding sources of interior pressure has never been more critical for NFL teams. However, clubs will be out of luck if they’re trying to locate a high-end defensive tackle now that the season has started.
Jonathan Ledbetter played nearly half the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive snaps last season, but that was primarily out of necessity. Jonathan Gannon’s team didn’t ask Ledbetter to come back after supplementing its defensive front with FA signings and draft picks.
Mike Purcell and Lawrence Guy Sr. can be affordable rotational run-pluggers, but each player is at least 33 years old.
Linebacker
1) Shaquille Leonard
2) David Mayo
3) Josh Woods
Shaquille Leonard earned four consecutive All-Pro nods to begin his career before a back injury stifled his Indianapolis Colts run. After finishing last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Leonard wants to continue playing this year.
Cornerback
1) Xavien Howard
2) Patrick Peterson
3) Marcus Peters
While some NFL free agent positional groups have dwindled, known quantities still exist at cornerback.
Although Xavien Howard is no longer the same player who picked off 10 passes and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2020, his wealth of NFL experience could be invaluable for CB-needy teams.
MORE: 2024 NFL Defense Rankings
Marcus Peters was serviceable in 12 games with the Raiders last season. However, after being benched in November, he got into a sideline argument with head coach Antonio Pierce and was subsequently released.
Marcus Peters was standing alone at the 50 during the drive. Stayed there while the rest of the defense met on the bench after giving up that score.
Peters and Antonio Pierce dapped each other up before halftime but looks like there was some disagreement in the conversation.… pic.twitter.com/EdvP1CCuUW
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) November 26, 2023
Safety
1) Jayron Kearse
2) Micah Hyde
3) Rudy Ford
Jayron Kearse didn’t generate any known FA interest this past offseason, so he should be cost-effective — but that doesn’t mean he can’t be useful. Kearse has plenty of experience in Big Nickel packages (e.g. under former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn last season).
A career special teamer until joining the Green Bay Packers in 2022, Rudy Ford was surprisingly effective as a spot starter over the past two years. Micah Hyde can still play but will only consider re-upping with the Bills or retirement.