When free agency kicks off March 15, several NFL teams will add experienced and often high-profile veterans who can help them win right away. It’s a tried-and-true approach that has yielded positive results over the last couple of years.
The Philadelphia Eagles, for example, added players like James Bradberry, Haason Reddick and Ndamukong Suh over the last year, and while they didn’t win it all, they did reach Super Bowl LVII.
However, not every team will be in a position to go all-in on 2023. For those franchises, more value will be found in adding younger and perhaps less-experienced players who have yet to reach their peak. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2022 addition of wideout Christian Kirk is a great example of the latter category.
Here, we’ll dive into the top 10 impending free agents who will be 25 years old or younger at the start of free agency. We’ll examine why these players are or can become stars and identify one team for each that would provide an ideal fit.
Factors such as past production, potential upside, player health, positional value and team needs were all considered. We’ll also examine new teams for each player, as a return should already be viewed as logical in most cases.
Honorable Mentions
LB Azeez Al-Shaair, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, LB Devin Bush, WR Mecole Hardman, TE Foster Moreau, RB Tony Pollard, S Taylor Rapp
Several young players will be available this spring, and it’s worth diving into a few noteworthy names who didn’t make our official list.
Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is probably the most notable. A fantastic dual-threat back, he earned his first Pro Bowl nomination in 2022. However, he also suffered a broken leg and high-ankle sprain in the divisional round of the playoffs.
While Pollard is expected to be at “full strength” before training camp, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, there’s some injury uncertainty, and he just misses the cut because of it.
Linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Devin Bush are both quality defenders but are somewhat one-dimensional and may not move the needle for every franchise. Al-Shaair logged 44 tackles for the San Francisco 49ers this past season but had 102 and two sacks the previous year. Bush had 81 tackles for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting only started five games this past season but appeared in 12 and allowed an opposing passer rating (OPR) of only 59.6 in coverage. He could reemerge as a full-time starter in the right situation.
Safety Taylor Rapp tallied 92 tackles for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, while tight end Foster Moreau had 420 yards and two touchdowns with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman is a bit of a sleeper selection, but he’s listed here for two reasons. First, this year’s receiver pool isn’t particularly strong, with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers and Odell Beckham Jr. topping the list. There isn’t a true No. 1 receiver among them.
Second, Hardman has shown flashes of being a speedy difference-maker. He logged 693 receiving yards in 2021 and had 297 yards and four touchdowns in eight games this past season. However, Hardman missed the majority of the year (including two of three playoff games) with abdominal injuries.
10. S Nasir Adderley
While Derwin James is the star of the Los Angeles Chargers secondary, fellow safety Nasir Adderley has emerged as a reliable player. The Delaware product appeared in 16 games with 15 starts this past season, finishing with 62 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions.
Adderley allowed an OPR of just 83.6 in coverage. He won’t turn 26 until the end of May and is projected to have a market value of $8.7 million annually.
That’s a fair price for a reliable defensive back, and just about every team in need of secondary help should have interest. The Cincinnati Bengals should be high on the list of intrigued parties.
Cincinnati’s Super Bowl window is wide open, but the Bengals could lose safeties Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell in free agency this offseason. While they did use a first-round pick on Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill last April, he saw limited playing time (131 defensive snaps) as a rookie and remains a relative unknown.
The Bengals also happen to be among the league leaders in projected cap space with $36.5 million and should have little trouble paying a fair rate.
Best Fit: Cincinnati Bengals