NFL free agency kicks off Monday when the negotiating window opens at noon ET, and it is time to freshen up our rankings.
In February, we published The Athletic’s top 150 free-agent rankings for 2026. Since then, there has been movement across the league. Two players in our top 15 (Breece Hall and Kyle Pitts) were franchise-tagged. Two others in our top 61 (Dalton Risner and Javonte Williams) re-signed with their teams. The free-agent pool also expanded as teams cut players ahead of the new league year, which begins March 11.
These are our updated rankings. We have included players whose releases are expected but not yet official, like quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins. Players who were released on March 5 or later are not included below. They will be included in our list of the best available players on Monday.
This page will be updated with reported agreements and contract details throughout free agency. You can filter by position, availability, previous team and new team using the dropdowns. For notes on our methodology and statistics, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Contract projection: 3 years, $99 million
Age: 31 Height: 6-4 Weight: 265
Hendrickson has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL over the past five seasons. He has the third-most sacks in the league since 2020 with 74.5, and he played in only seven games last season due to a core-muscle injury that required surgery. Hendrickson plays with a relentless, urgent motor that puts crushing pressure on a tackle’s outside shoulder. He turns the corner and finishes with a straight-line burst, always hunting for the ball. He has 15 career forced fumbles.
Hendrickson is dominant with his hands to swipe past a tackle’s strike. He also features numerous changeups off his wide moves, including lethal speed-to-power that takes advantage of a tackle’s momentum. Hendrickson is a capable edge setter in the run game, but he tops this list primarily because of his pass-rush production.
Contract projection: 4 years, $98 million
Age: 27 Height: 6-5 Weight: 263
Phillips is a young, ascending edge rusher who finished fourth in pressure rate last season among players with at least 250 pass-rush snaps. He was traded from the Dolphins to the Eagles at the deadline for a third-round pick, and he had an immediate impact on the Philadelphia front.
He is an explosive athlete with a violent play style. He has short-area burst as a rusher, particularly when he drives to the inside on swim moves. He is a physical edge setter in the run game who can dominate tight ends in one-on-one situations. Phillips also has real coverage ability, which can allow defensive coordinators to get creative with their blitz and simulated pressure calls.
Contract projection: 4 years, $76 million
Age: 27 Height: 6-3 Weight: 235
A 2022 first-round pick, Lloyd put his game fully together in 2025 as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the league. He is an explosive playmaker with a well-rounded skill set. Lloyd is elite in coverage, physical in the run game and disruptive as a blitzer. He has sideline-to-sideline speed.
Lloyd showed off his ball skills in 2025, finishing with five interceptions, tied for second-most in the league. He can take on climbing guards as a run defender and win those matchups. He also had a career-high 28 pressures and finished third in pressure rate among off-ball linebackers.
Contract projection: 4 years, $168 million
Age: 29 Height: 6-5 Weight: 230
The Colts placed the transition tag on Jones ahead of the March 3 deadline. He will be due $37.8 million if he plays 2026 on the transition tag. He remains free to negotiate and sign an offer sheet with any team. The Colts would then have the right to match that offer sheet. Since Jones is still technically available, we will be keeping him in our rankings. In all likelihood, though, he will be returning to Indianapolis. The Colts have until July 15 to sign Jones to a long-term extension.
Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts last offseason and won the starting job over Anthony Richardson Sr. in training camp. He got off to an incredible start under coach and play caller Shane Steichen in 2025, leading one of the top offenses in football over the first half of the year. In Week 12, Jones fractured his left fibula. He played through the injury before tearing his right Achilles tendon in Week 14 and missing the rest of the season. Jones has said he expects to be ready for training camp in 2026.
The most obvious comparison here is Kirk Cousins, who tore his Achilles in October 2023, hit free agency and signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons. In 2024, Cousins threw 16 interceptions in 14 games and got benched in December for rookie Michael Penix Jr. Jones is seven years younger than Cousins was then. Will the Cousins experience change Jones’ market?
Jones is accurate and mobile. He played with excellent timing and rhythm within Steichen’s offense. He has the arm strength to push the ball deep, and he gives his playmakers a chance when he identifies one-on-one matchups downfield. Jones ranked seventh in EPA per dropback before his injury.
Contract projection: 4 years, $78 million
Age: 26 Height: 6-2 Weight: 305
Linderbaum, a 2022 first-round pick, is an athletic, versatile and powerful run blocker. He takes great angles and is very capable on the move on outside-zone runs, as a puller and in the screen game. Though he is not an elite pass protector, Linderbaum shows the eyes and instincts necessary to identify stunts and deceptive movement along the defensive front.
Linderbaum can give up some ground in pass protection when rushers get into his chest, and he is not always consistent with his initial strike. But he is more than functional in that phase, and his run blocking is among the best in the league. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team has already offered Linderbaum a "market-setting" contract.
Contract projection: 2 years, $51 million
Age: 33 Height: 6-5 Weight: 231
Evans’ record-tying streak of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards ended in 2025 as he battled injuries. He was limited to eight games because of a hamstring injury and a broken clavicle. But he still has a rare size-speed-physicality blend. Evans is elite at the catch point in 50-50 situations. He is tough to handle at the line of scrimmage, even for bigger corners. And he is a three-level threat who can win in the short, intermediate and deep parts of the field.
Evans was finally healthy for a Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He caught six passes for 132 yards. This game showed he still has the goods, though health will be a factor as Evans enters his age-33 season.
Contract projection: 4 years, $52 million
Age: 25 Height: 5-9 Weight: 211
Walker played one of the best games of his career in a Super Bowl MVP performance against the Patriots. He rushed 27 times for 135 yards and added two catches for 26 yards. Walker gained nine first downs in the game, which tied a career high he set two weeks earlier in another standout performance against the 49ers in the divisional round. This playoff run showcased all the best attributes of Walker’s game.
He has a compact build with a low center of gravity that allows for impressive contact balance. He is elusive and shifty in short areas. He is excellent between the tackles, where he can use his vision and quickness to find creases, especially on inside-zone schemes. And he has the speed to attack the edges, both on designed stretch runs and bounces to the outside. He is a capable route runner, including from receiver alignments, and he has good yards-after-the-catch instincts on screens and checkdowns. Walker also has a sound base in pass protection. A well-rounded back who should parlay a Super Bowl ring into a long-term payday.
Contract projection: 2 years, $46 millon
Age: 27 Height: 6-1 Weight: 225
A 2022 third-round pick, Willis was traded from the Titans to the Packers in August 2024 and spent the past two seasons backing up Jordan Love. In Week 16 last season, Love suffered a concussion. Willis came on in relief and went 9-for-11 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to the Bears. Willis then started the next week against the Ravens and showed he is ready for a shot to start somewhere in 2026. He completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown. He added nine rushes for 60 yards, including two touchdowns on designed read keepers. Willis did not throw an interception in his two games in Week 16 and 17. His only turnover came on a miscommunication against the Ravens, when he was not expecting the snap.
Willis displayed poise, elite arm talent, velocity and accuracy from various arm slots and platforms and off-script playmaking as a thrower and runner. He has upper-echelon athleticism for the position and exceptional contact balance, both as a runner and within the pocket.
Contract projection: 3 years, $37.5 million
Age: 27 Height: 5-10 Weight: 215
