Best options at every position in the 2026 NFL draft and free agency

Fernando Mendoza is the top quarterback: Between the NFL draft and free agency, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is the top guy.
A host of compelling running backs: Free agency boasts a number of strong running backs.
2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and NFL teams aren’t built in an offseason. Not every team will solve their problems in free agency — where the legal tampering period opens on March 9 — or the 2026 NFL Draft, which is just over six weeks away.

However, there are plenty of compelling options in both avenues for teams to address their specific needs. Yet, who are the top options in both the draft and free agency combined?

Quarterback

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is all but a Raider already, though; until the first pick in the draft comes in, he’s still the top quarterback option in both the draft and free agency combined. Technically, Daniel Jones (71.7 PFF grade) is still attainable under the transition tag, and even though he’s recovering from a torn Achilles, he can still provide upside for the right NFL offense. Geno Smith (60.9 PFF grade; 34th) had a disastrous 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, but enquiring teams will believe that hopefully says more about the situation in Las Vegas than with Smith.

The Arizona Cardinals‘ release of Kyler Murray earlier in the week added another layer to the quarterback landscape heading into free agency and the NFL draft. Before that, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis, who compiled an impressive 92.3 PFF grade in a small sample size in 2025, was seen as the top option, but if a quarterback-needy NFL team can pick up Murray on a minimum contract, it will get a quarterback who can provide steady play in the right offense.

Running back

It should come as no surprise that Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is the crown jewel among all running backs this offseason. Love earned a 93.1 PFF grade in 2025 and is heading toward being picked in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Aside from Love, though, the running back class doesn’t have many top-end talents. The same can’t be said for the free agency class, though.

Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is the top name in free agency among running backs after the New York Jets franchise tagged Breece Hall. Walker’s 91.4 PFF grade was first among running backs in 2025. The rest of the free agency group is rounded out by Travis Etienne (74.2 PFF grade; 25th), Rico Dowdle (63.5 PFF grade; 54th), who had a career-high 1,085 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2025, and Tyler Allgeier (71.5 PFF grade; 32nd). All three have shown they can be capable NFL starters, and Etienne, in particular, should get some buzz as a strong pass-catcher.

Wide receiver

Jordyn Tyson
Makai Lemon
Carnell Tate
Alec Pierce
Mike Evans

The free agency pool for receivers is a limited bag at the top after the Dallas Cowboys tagged George Pickens (85.9 PFF grade; seventh). The Indianapolis Colts’ Alec Pierce (79.3 PFF grade; 20th) is the top receiver on the board after a breakout season in 2025, where he ranked 16th in yards per route run (2.10) and had 1,003 receiving yards. If NFL teams want a vertical receiver who has proven he can win at the NFL level, they’ll look to Pierce or veteran receiver Mike Evans (69.8 PFF grade; 51st).

If they want to bet on youth, the top three receivers in the NFL draft — Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Carnell Tate — provide plenty of intrigue and potential. All three have legitimate cases to be the first receiver off the board on draft night, and all three are surefire first-round receivers. Take your pick.

Tight end

As always, tight end is a difficult position to navigate. The free-agent market provides a lot of veteran presence, as Dallas Goedert (66.7 PFF grade; 28th) was a constant producer in a Philadelphia offense that had a lot of mouths to feed after the last few years. Beyond him, Travis Kelce (72.0 PFF grade; 18th) might not be the best tight end in football anymore, but he still has production to give to an NFL team — even if that team is more than likely the Kansas City Chiefs.

The top tight end in the NFL draft, Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, is bound to get some buzz and attention. Sadiq blew up the NFL combine with an excellent performance and caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, compiling a 70.4 PFF grade. Sadiq is closely followed by Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, who led the nation with 769 receiving yards and whose 85.3 PFF receiving grade was sixth among tight ends in the FBS.

Offensive tackle

Rasheed Walker
Francis Mauigoa
Spencer Fano
Monroe Freeling
Jawaan Taylor

Naturally, there’s not a lot of high-end tackle talent in the free agent class. Good tackles just don’t hit the open market often, but former Green Bay Packers tackle Rasheed Walker (63.0 PFF grade; 53rd) is a rare exception to the rule. Walker has been a stable pass-protector throughout his NFL career, compiling a PFF pass-blocking grade over 69.0 in each of his three years in the league.

The consensus top two tackles in the NFL draft, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano, might not have prototypical tackle builds, but they can be long-term starters in the NFL — whether at tackle or guard. Georgia’s Monroe Freeling has started to shoot up draft boards after a strong combine performance, while former Kansas City Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor (53.3 PFF grade; 76th) will still get some looks as a good pass protector.

Offensive guard

In some opinions, Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane might be the best offensive lineman in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s certainly viewed as the best interior offensive lineman. Ioane’s 80.0 PFF grade was 14th among guards in 2025, and he’ll be a Day-1 starter wherever he lands. Veterans Isaac Seumalo (73.3 PFF grade; 16th) and David Edwards (70.3 PFF grade; 22nd) have been sturdy starters across their NFL careers, and both will start wherever they land.

Back to the draft, and Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon rounds out the top five. Pregnon allowed just five pressures in 2025 and projects to be another day-one starter.

Center

Connor McGovern (70.9 PFF grade; ninth) hasn’t allowed a sack in two years as the Buffalo Bills’ starting center and could end high-end starter money on a team that misses out on Linderbaum. Cade Mays (61.0 PFF grade; 24th) stepped into the full-time starting role for the Carolina Panthers in 2025 and is only about to turn 27 years old, and he could blossom into one of the better pass-blocking centers in football. There aren’t many names that are in top-100 consideration at center, but Kansas State‘s Sam Hecht compiled an 80.0 PFF grade in 2025.

Edge defender

Trey Hendrickson
Arvell Reese
Reuben Bain Jr.
David Bailey

Trey Hendrickson (82.9 PFF grade; 11th) is the top free agent on the market this offseason. Even if he logged just 285 snaps in 2025, he’s still one of the NFL’s top pass-rushers, and he had 21.5% pass-rush win rate—the fifth-highest among edge rushers.

The NFL draft doesn’t feature an edge with the same upside as Abdul Carter, but Arvell Reese shot up draft boards after a strong season with Ohio State in 2025. His status as a tweener linebacker/edge complicates his stock, but Reese is still one of, if not the, most talented players in the class. Miami’s Reuben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech’s David Bailey are polarizing prospects, but were two of the best edge rushers in all of college football in 2025, and flashed their respective skillsets in the College Football Playoffs.

Interior defender

Caleb Banks
Kayden McDonald
Peter Woods
D.J. Reader
Lee Hunter

The defensive tackle class in free agency is full of veterans who can bring a lot of expertise and power to the middle of any NFL defense. Former Detroit Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader (68.9 PFF grade; 32nd) is the top name on the market. Heading into the 2025 college season, Clemson’s Peter Woods was the name on everyone’s lips, but a drop in size and production has seen him fall down draft boards.

That’s opened up the door for Florida’s Caleb Banks. The massive interior lineman played just 96 snaps in 2025, but his excellent combine performance and insane measurables—as well as the growing importance of defensive tackles in modern defenses—mean he’ll potentially be a top-15 pick in April. Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter are also names who could be in consideration as late first-round picks.

Linebacker

Sonny Styles
Leo Chenal
Jacob Rodriguez

Leo Chenal (75.1 grade; 19th) has been a pivotal role player for the Chiefs in his four seasons in the NFL, and deserves the chance to shine in a full-time capacity.

In terms of the draft, Ohio State’s Sonny Styles was already seen as a potential top-10 pick, but one of the best combine performances of all-time all but assured his status as the best off-ball linebacker in the draft. Anyone who gets him will be delighted.

Cornerback

Mansoor Delane
Jermod McCoy
Avieon Terrell

The top corner in the NFL draft is LSU’s Mansoor Delane, whose 90.5 PFF grade was third among cornerbacks in the FBS, while he’s closely followed by Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. McCoy missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL, but his 2024 tape was tantalising. Rounding out the top five is another likely top-20 pick, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, the brother of Falcons’ cornerback A.J. Terrell.

Safety

Caleb Downs
Dillon Thieneman
Bryan Cook
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Kevin Byard

Potential medical hangups and questions about his overall athleticism have clouded Downs’ position as a top-five pick, but he’s undoubtedly the best safety in the draft and free agency combined — Downs compiled an 85.0 PFF grade or higher in all three of his seasons in college and will make any NFL defense better. If NFL teams miss out on Downs, they’ll have a shot at Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the first round. Both have what it takes to be real difference-makers in the NFL.

While Kamren Curl re-signing with the Los Angeles Rams pulls another safety off the free agency board, Bryan Cook (83.5 PFF grade; fourth) was one of the best safeties in the NFL in 2025, and will be the top name in free agency. If a team wants a veteran safety with ballhawking instincts, then Kevin Byard (75.4 PFF grade; 14th) could be an interesting one-year option.