Now that most of the top players from this year’s NFL free agency class are signed, it’s time to look ahead to 2023 free agency. Before you yell at me, let’s go over why a sneak peek could be useful.

This serves as a preview of some of the biggest contract decisions facing NFL teams in the months ahead. Some of these players will be extended. Others will get tagged. And a couple switching teams via trades would be unsurprising.

Also, it’s a nice way to reset what the market at certain positions could look like now that we have information from the deals that were just signed.

And finally, it’s a way to look at the top players who might be available a year from now. Again, not all of these players will hit free agency, but some certainly will.

Ok, let’s dig in. Below are the top 30 players who are entering the final years of their contracts in 2022. Note that first-round picks from the 2019 draft are not included because teams can keep them in 2023 via the fifth-year option. Restricted free agents are not included, either.

Stats are courtesy of TruMedia and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. Contract data is from OverTheCap.com. The ages in parentheses indicate how old the players will be at the start of this season.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (25)

Jackson’s contract status is one of the biggest storylines in the NFL going into the spring and summer. It’s possible he’s content to play out the final year, accept a franchise tag or two and then cash in (the Kirk Cousins model). The Ravens are 37-12 in 49 regular-season games with Jackson as their starter. During the past three seasons, Jackson ranks 11th in Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass play. That metric takes scrambles, but not designed runs, into account. Jackson’s 2,978 rushing yards the past three seasons rank eighth league-wide among all players.

Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million deal ($40 million per year, $95 million guaranteed) with the Dallas Cowboys. Josh Allen signed a six-year, $258 million deal ($43 million per year, $100 million guaranteed) with the Buffalo Bills. And Deshaun Watson got a five-year, $230 million ($46 million per year, $230 million guaranteed) deal from the Cleveland Browns.

Jackson is 25 years old and has already won an MVP. Even though the Ravens haven’t experienced playoff success yet, he’s almost certainly going to command a deal similar to the ones listed above.

2. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks (24)

Since entering the league in 2019, Metcalf ranks 11th with 3,170 receiving yards and fifth with 29 touchdowns. He hasn’t missed a game and is a physical specimen who would rank at top of the list for teams in need of a big, outside wide receiver. Metcalf would potentially be hitting free agency at just 25 years old, although it seems highly unlikely that the Seahawks would just let him walk.

Tyreek Hill’s new contract with the Miami Dolphins is worth $25 million per year over the first three seasons. Davante Adams is getting $22.5 million per year for the first three seasons on his new deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Given Metcalf’s age, production, durability and upside, he has every right to command a deal in that neighborhood.

3. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (26)

Samuel ranked fifth league-wide last season with 1,405 receiving yards, and he was second to only Cooper Kupp in yards per route run. Oh, by the way, he also ran the ball 59 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, while averaging 6.2 YPC. Samuel is the YAC king — an offensive weapon who seeks to inflict pain on opposing defenders. He’s one of the league’s most fun players to watch and a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Samuel has averaged 2.51 yards per route run over the past three seasons, which ranks sixth league-wide.

Like Metcalf, Samuel can reasonably command a deal in the same neighborhood as Adams ($22.5 million per year over the first three seasons) and Hill ($25 million). And it’s entirely possible that one of these wide receivers would reset the wide receiver market if they actually got to free agency.

4. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans (25)

His 2,995 receiving yards the past three seasons rank 17th league-wide, and Brown has averaged a healthy 16.2 YPR during that span while scoring 24 touchdowns. He’s averaged 2.61 yards per route run, which ranks fifth among all players since 2019. The only knock on Brown is that he’s missed six games over the past two seasons. But he’s a physical, outside receiver who is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Given his age and production, Brown is in the same boat as Metcalf and Samuel. All three can reasonably make the case that they should be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.

5. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (45)

Where do you put a 45-year-old quarterback on a list like this? It’s almost certainly going to be one-year deals for Brady the rest of the way, but if he continues to play at the level we saw in 2021, his future will be among the most interesting league-wide storylines going into next offseason.

Brady finished fifth in EPA per pass play last season. He really didn’t show many signs of slowing down. Brady retired briefly this offseason before deciding to return. The Bucs had him under contract, so Brady didn’t have the power to choose where he wanted to play. But that won’t be the case next offseason. If he performs well in 2022 but eyes a situation he prefers over Tampa and wants to keep playing, Brady could explore continuing his career elsewhere in 2023.