The 2025 NFL free agency period is long gone, but plenty of talented players are still out there and looking for new homes. Who are the best remaining free agents?
We ranked the top unsigned players, factoring in age, positional value, expected future production and scheme versatility. The list goes 17 players deep at the moment.
Who will sign Amari Cooper? Will Asante Samuel Jr. or Za’Darius Smith join a contender? Let’s jump in, starting with a veteran cornerback.
Last update: July 1
2024 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2025 season: 30
Douglas is a physical corner with the length to disrupt the ball and the willingness to set an edge against the run (five tackles for loss last season). He’s an easy fit in a zone system that allows him to reroute underneath and attack the ball from the outside third of the field. Douglas returned one of his five interceptions for a touchdown in 2023, and he had five pass breakups last season.
2024 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2025 season: 31
Cooper’s tape is beginning to show signs of decline, but he is still a detailed route runner who can uncover at multiple levels of the field. In 14 games with the Browns and Bills last season, Cooper caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. In nine full seasons, he has topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark seven times and caught 64 career touchdown passes.
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2024 team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2025 season: 25
Samuel has a playmaking mentality at cornerback, with the foot quickness and sudden closing speed to break on the ball. A shoulder injury limited Samuel to four games last season, but he has six interceptions and 26 pass breakups in his four years with the Chargers.
2024 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2025 season: 31
A slot corner who plays with a sense of urgency, Hilton had 12 tackles for loss and eight pressures last season. He has a natural feel for playing in space as a coverage defender with the aggressive mentality to tackle and blitz on the edges. In eight seasons, Hilton has 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks and 34 pass breakups.
2024 team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2025 season: 33
Allen caught 70 passes in Chicago, with seven touchdowns. He isn’t as dynamic of a mover at this late stage of his career, but the veteran is a crafty route runner who can make himself available to the quarterback. He fits as a chain-moving No. 3 receiver, which is the role he played for the Bears last season.
2024 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2025 season: 33
Scherff’s game should age gracefully given his movement skills and the ability to displace defenders at the point of attack. The 2015 top-five pick had a pass block win rate of 93.8% last year, which ranked 14th among guards and was the second highest of his 10 NFL seasons. Scherff can help a team in a need of a quality starter on the interior.
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2024 team: Detroit Lions | Age entering 2025 season: 32
Last season — with both the Browns and Lions — Smith had nine sacks and 38 pressures. He’s a speed-to-power rusher who can also align as a standup nose or 3-technique to get interior one-on-ones. Smith could help a contender looking for a rotational edge with scheme versatility.
2024 team: Carolina Panthers | Age entering 2025 season: 32
Clowney had 5.5 sacks in 2024 after posting a career-high 9.5 the previous season. With his straight-line speed and power, Clowney can still impact the pocket (35 pressures last season), and he can close the distance to the quarterback off stunts and loops. Going into his 12th year as a pro, he can be signed as a designated pass rusher in sub packages.
2024 team: Atlanta Falcons | Age entering 2025 season: 33
Judon had 15.5 sacks in 2022, but the tape shows a player who is starting to decline. He had 5.5 sacks last season, his first year with Atlanta. He’s a savvy pass rusher with counters and the occasional speed-to-power rush, but he’s not likely to be an every-down player in 2025.
2024 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2025 season: 26
Injuries have impacted Wills’ development, as he has played in 13 games over the past two seasons. He was also benched in 2024 for sitting out a game because of a “business decision.” But the 2020 top-10 pick has a career pass block win rate of 92.0% — which is above league average — and he could be viewed as a reclamation project, given his lower-body quickness and movement ability.
2024 team: Atlanta Falcons | Age entering 2025 season: 31
Simmons, an excellent communicator in the secondary, had two interceptions last season, and he has 32 in his career. I see his best fit as a veteran addition for a split-safety defense.
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2024 team: Indianapolis Colts | Age entering 2025 season: 27
Blackmon had three interceptions in 2024, and he has seven over the past two seasons. There’s post and deep-half range on his tape, which fits in every system. He also has 85-plus tackles in each of the past two seasons.
2024 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2025 season: 29
White is an off-ball linebacker with run-and-hit traits, and he had nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season. He has the pursuit speed to track the ball on the edges, and he has six interceptions, along with 16 pass breakups, in his career. White can be a three-down player for his new team.
2024 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2025 season: 30
I expected more production from Okoronkwo when he signed with Cleveland in 2023 because of his short-area closing speed and lower-body flexibility when running the arc. However, Okoronkwo had only 7.5 sacks over two seasons with the Browns. At 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, he is a situational pass rusher who could benefit from schemed fronts and matchups.
2024 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2025 season: 30
A knee injury cut Hernandez’s 2024 season short after just five games. The veteran guard had a pass block win rate over 94% in each of the past three seasons, and he’s a physical run blocker. His footwork on contact and his power pop on tape. At age 30, he could still be a starter.
2024 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2025 season: 36
We still see flashes of Miller’s ability to win one-on-ones off the edge due to his various pass-rush plans. But with his lower-body quickness fading at this stage of his career, Miller can’t run the arc at full throttle. He has a total of 129.5 sacks over his career, but he had just 6.0 in 2024. After Buffalo released him, teams can target him in free agency as a rotational edge for clear passing situations.
2024 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2025 season: 28
Injuries impacted Williams during his time in Baltimore, as he missed at least six games in each of his past three seasons. But he has the range over the top that every secondary in the league covets. With 20 career interceptions, Williams can also create difference-making plays.
