• Baker Mayfield's next contract is set to surprise: The former No. 1 overall pick revived his career last season in Tampa Bay and is now projected to sign a deal worth north of $30 million per year.
• Kevin Dotson kicks things off with a significant deal: PFF projected Dotson for a four-year, $60 million contract, and the standout guard came close in average annual value by signing with the Rams for three years and $48 million.
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NFL free agency tends to produce some contracts that raise eyebrows, both overpays and underpays. Here are 10 impending free agents who we think could get bigger contracts than what the general public anticipates.
QB Baker Mayfield
The former No. 1 overall pick revived his career last season in Tampa Bay. Mayfield earned a 77.2 PFF grade — his highest mark since 2020 — to rank 19th among quarterbacks in 2023. His 7.1 passing yards per attempt ranked 14th among 49 qualifying quarterbacks.
PFF contract projection: Three years, $97.5M total, $58.5M guaranteed
T Jonah Williams
Although Williams finished the 2023 season with the lowest PFF grade (59.1) of his career, it was his first year playing on the right side instead of lining up at left tackle. While his inconsistency can be a concern, Williams has flashed enough ability — in part by earning a 75.6 PFF grade in the Bengals' Super Bowl season — to earn a starting left tackle role in the NFL.
PFF contract projection: Four years, $60M total, $37.5M guaranteed
G Jonah Jackson
Jackson played on arguably the best offensive line in football in 2023 in Detroit. His biggest issue might be durability, as he has missed at least four games in each of the past two regular seasons. When healthy, he can be a big upgrade for many run games in the league, which is highlighted by his 75.5 run-blocking grade through the 2021 and 2022 seasons, ranking 12th among 85 qualifying guards over that span.
PFF contract projection: Three years, $30.75M total, $16.75M guaranteed
G Kevin Dotson
Traded from the Steelers to the Rams in late August, Dotson had a breakout season in Los Angeles as he established himself as one of the best run-blocking offensive linemen in the NFL. His 88.3 run-blocking grade ranked second among guards in the NFL in 2023. He also earned a positive grade on 19.8% of run plays this past season, which ranked fifth among guards in the NFL.
Dotson signed a three-year, $48 million deal with $32 million guaranteed to remain with the Rams, per Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, coming close to Brad Spielberger's projection below.
PFF contract projection: Four years, $60M total, $36M guaranteed
G Robert Hunt
While he missed seven games during the 2023 season, Hunt put together his most impressive campaign yet. His 76.4 PFF grade this past year was a career high, and he continued to perform as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league. Since entering the NFL in 2020, he ranks 14th among 68 qualifying guards in pass-blocking grade (73.2).
PFF contract projection: Four years, $70M total, $42M guaranteed
DI D.J. Reader
Similar to some other players on this list, durability has been a concern for Reader, who has played just over 500 snaps in each of the past two seasons. However, he was still playing at a high level in 2023 before his injury and remains one of the most underrated players, regardless of position, in the NFL. His 89.9 PFF grade since he entered the NFL in 2016 ranks 10th among 58 qualifying interior defenders over that span.
PFF contract projection: Three years, $45.75M total, $29.75M guaranteed
DI Teair Tart
Tart is one of the toughest evaluations in this free-agent class, as the Titans cut him toward the end of the 2023 season due to effort issues, per ESPN. His 2022 season alone makes him an intriguing player for many teams, however. Two years ago, Tart had a breakout campaign and finished with the 17th-highest pass-rushing grade (75.9) among interior defenders.
PFF contract projection: Three years, $21M total, $11M guaranteed
EDGE Bryce Huff
Huff has been one of the NFL's best situational pass rushers over the past two seasons, and he was able to keep up his productivity in 2023 on an increased workload. He ranks first among 73 qualifying edge defenders with a pressure rate of 20.9% since 2022, and his 90.4 pass-rushing grade over the span places him sixth at the position.
PFF contract projection: Three years, $50M total, $35M guaranteed
EDGE Jonathan Greenard
It would not be fair to call 2023 a breakout season for Greenard, as he already had a terrific 2021 campaign. But he received the biggest workload of his NFL career this past season and did not disappoint. He finished the season with 15 sacks, tied for the 10th most in the NFL.
PFF contract projection: Four years, $76M total, $52.5M guaranteed
LB Patrick Queen
The former first-round pick neared bust status through a few NFL seasons, looking out of place and erratic in the Ravens' defense. However, that changed once Baltimore traded for Roquan Smith. Since Week 9 of the 2022 season — when Baltimore acquired Smith — Queen ranks 19th among 76 qualifying linebackers in PFF grade (77.0). While it may be risky to sign Queen to a big deal and separate him from Smith, it is a promising sign that toward the end of the 2023 season Queen was arguably the Ravens' best linebacker.
PFF contract projection: Four years, $72.5M total, $50.25M guaranteed
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