- Sam Darnold‘s three-year contract looks like a steal for the Seahawks: Despite ranking 18th among quarterbacks in average annual value, Darnold ranked ninth in overall PFF grade while leading Seattle to a championship.
- Mike Jackson was elite for the Panthers: Jackson made his two-year, $10.5 million extension with Carolina seem very low after finishing as one of the best corners by PFF metrics.
- 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: 8 minutes
With the opening of the free-agent market just around the corner, many teams and fans will focus mainly on big-name free agents. However, every year, there are more than a handful of players that get somewhat smaller contracts and outplay those in their very first (or only) season with their new teams.
Here is a list of several players who signed with their new teams last offseason, and whose acquisition already paid dividends for their new organizations in 2025.
QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
It would be remiss to not include the quarterback of the team that won the Super Bowl after signing said player in free agency. That feat alone would guarantee a spot for Darnold on this list.
However, besides hoisting the Lombardi at the end of the season, the USC product also played really well in 2025, especially early in the season and in the postseason. Even though his annual pay per season ranks just 18th among all quarterbacks, Darnold finished the year with the ninth-highest PFF overall grade (79.0). Furthermore, his 93.5 PFF overall grade led all quarterbacks over the first nine weeks of the season, highlighting how much Darnold contributed to Seattle’s strong start during the first half of 2025.
It’s fair to say that even if he does not play particularly well over the next two seasons (before his contract would expire without an extension), Darnold has outplayed the contract Seattle gave him last offseason.
RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
Dowdle signed a textbook example of a “prove-it” type of deal with Carolina during the 2025 offseason. The former Dallas Cowboys runner signed a one-year deal that was worth just $2.75 million, which ranked only 33rd among the annual average earnings of all running backs — essentially meaning that he was not paid as a starter for last season. However, that did not stop Dowdle from racking up the 14th-most rushing yards among running backs with 1,076 during the regular season.
Further, Dowdle was essential over a five-week stretch between Weeks 5-9 when the Panthers went 4-1 — recording half of their wins during the entire season over that window. During this period, his 652 rushing yards led all running backs, with the gap between him and the second player (Jonathan Taylor) being the equivalent to the gap between Taylor and the 10th running back. In addition, Dowdle’s 85.0 PFF rushing grade also led the league during this period. Despite not being paid as a starter, Dowdle had a huge impact on the Panthers during a crucial time of the season.
T Morgan Moses, New England Patriots
Durability and age were concerns surrounding Moses, who turned 34 last offseason and had failed to top 1,000 snaps in each of his last two seasons. However, starting with the latter, Moses logged a career-high 1,294 snaps — including the postseason — in 2025 and already defied expectations in that department.
Also, his 76.1 PFF overall grade was his sixth-highest mark over his 12-year career. That overall grade also ranked 12th among all right tackles in the NFL this year.
That represents good business for the Patriots when comparing that grade with the contract Moses signed last offseason. In fact, the $8 million annual average value of his contract ranks just 19th among right tackles. That highlights how Moses has outplayed his contract so far, especially when we consider how reliable he was during the 2025 season and how much he played.
EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks
It was uncertain how much Lawrence still had to offer when he became a free agent last offseason. This is highlighted by the contract that the former Dallas Cowboys signed with the Seahawks in 2025, too.
Lawrence, who turned 33 last offseason, inked a three-year contract with an annual average value of just $10.8 million, which ranked only 33rd among edge defenders in 2025. However, not only did Lawrence contribute significantly to Seattle winning the Super Bowl — but his 82.0 PFF overall grade also ranked 13th among all edge defenders. In addition, largely due to multiple forced fumbles on run plays, his 83.7 PFF run-defense grade placed second at the position last season.
DI Sheldon Rankins, Houston Texans
Rankins, who turned 31 last offseason, signed a one-year contract with the Texans in 2025. Whereas his $3.25 million cap number ranked 69th among interior defenders, he finished the 2025 season with a 70.8 PFF overall grade, which was 28th at the position.
Moreover, he slotted in the top 40 both in run defense and pass-rushing. In fact, his 61.2 PFF run-defense grade ranked 40th among interior defenders, while his 67.5 PFF pass rushing grade was 38th at the position.
In addition, this was not necessarily done on a small sample size of snaps, either. Rankins’ 623 snaps during the regular season were 36th among interior defenders.
CB Isaiah Rodgers, Minnesota Vikings
Rodgers signed a two-year deal worth $11.05 million with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. As a result, his contract averages just $5.52 million, which ranks only 38th among cornerbacks. However, his 73.8 PFF overall grade placed 19th at the position, mainly due to a perfect game early in the season and a strong finish to a campaign.
Although he did not start the campaign well, Rodgers put together a truly exceptional performance in Week 3 against the Bengals, earning PFF’s first-ever 99.9 PFF overall grade in an individual contest. Later on, he finished the season strong: Rodgers earned a 79.9 PFF overall grade over the last eight weeks of 2025, which ranked eighth among 120 cornerbacks over that stretch.
CB Michael Jackson, Carolina Panthers
Last offseason, the Panthers re-signed Jackson to a contract that averages just $5.25 million across the two years of his deal, which ranks only 40th among cornerbacks. However, Jackson rewarded Carolina with an excellent season, as his 83.5 PFF overall grade was the third-best among cornerbacks across the entire year.
More specifically, from Week 7 on, his 90.7 PFF overall grade led all players at the position, as did his 91.4 PFF coverage grade. In addition, he also allowed a passer rating of just 42.8 during this period, which paced all corners.
Jackson capped off his 2025 campaign by being the best player on the field in Carolina’s wild-card loss to the Rams. On eight targets, he gave up just one reception while forcing four incompletions and recording an interception as well.
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