- The Bengals' young linebacker corps needs a veteran presence: Rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter earned poor 40.2 and 39.5 PFF overall grades, respectively, in 2025, yet the team hasn't addressed the position in free agency.
- Miami's rebuild has left the roster barren: While almost any of the Dolphins' units could have made this list, the secondary is a particular weakness. Each of their five defensive backs who played more than 110 snaps last season earned PFF overall grades below 60.0.
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Free agency is a perfect opportunity for NFL teams to find quick fixes for roster weaknesses, and many teams did just that over the first week of free agency.
However, there are still gaping holes on some rosters. We're looking at some roster liabilities that have yet to be addressed by teams.
New York Jets wide receiver corps
The Jets rostered arguably the worst group of pass catchers during the 2025 season. None of their wideouts reached 40 receptions or topped 400 receiving yards, leading to a combined 59.5 PFF receiving grade, which ranked 31st in the league.
New York's 17 combined drops were tied for the sixth most in the NFL, even though the wide receivers were targeted just 272 times — the seventh fewest in the league. Garrett Wilson, who was battling injuries and did not play after Week 10, led the group with a 72.5 PFF overall grade (38th among all wide receivers). Among 80 wide receivers with at least 50 targets, Wilson’s 1.74 receiving yards per route run ranked 28th.
However, the Jets not only failed to sign a wide receiver during the first wave of free agency, but they also lost John Metchie III, who logged the second-most receptions among the team's wide receivers in 2025. He signed with the Panthers. New York’s projected starters at the position are Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Isaiah Williams, who ranked 38th, 86th and 94th in PFF overall grade this past season, respectively.
Cincinnati Bengals linebackers
The Bengals fielded one of the NFL's worst defenses in 2025, if not the worst, largely due to the poor play of their inexperienced linebackers.
Rookies Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter both played between 790 and 800 snaps last season, with no other Cincinnati linebacker logging more than 400 snaps. Yet, the young duo remained a liability for the entire season. Whereas Knight’s 40.2 PFF overall grade ranked 83rd among 88 qualifying linebackers, Carter’s 39.5 mark placed only 85th. The 88th-ranked player at the position was also on Cincinnati’s roster: veteran Oren Burks. He played 340 snaps and earned a 30.2 PFF overall grade.
Surprisingly, the Bengals have not addressed the position in free agency thus far. Cincinnati’s front office and fans must hope that at least one of their two young linebackers makes significant progress in their second season in the league and develops into a starting-caliber player. The Bengals should still be expected to add a veteran at the position this offseason.
Washington Commanders cornerbacks
Five cornerbacks logged at least 150 snaps for the Washington Commanders in 2025. Each one earned a PFF overall grade below 60.0. Washington’s cornerbacks combined to earn a 47.8 PFF coverage grade, which ranked last in the NFL, while their 62.7 completion percentage allowed placed ninth worst.
The only moves the Commanders have made to address the position so far in free agency are releasing veteran Marshon Lattimore and signing Amik Robertson. Out of 112 qualifying cornerbacks in 2025, Robertson ranked just 107th with a 48.6 PFF overall grade, while his 48.0 PFF coverage grade placed 101st out of 109 qualifying cornerbacks. If his last season with Detroit is any indication, the Commanders are far from stabilizing their cornerback room.
Miami Dolphins secondary
The Dolphins could have made multiple appearances on this list across their barren roster. Even though Miami had safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and cornerbacks Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas in 2025, the team traded Fitzpatrick to the Jets, while Jones and Douglas are currently still free agents. Miami added multiple defensive backs in free agency, including Darrell Baker Jr., Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Zayne Anderson, but it's not an encouraging unit on paper.
Of the 17 defensive backs currently under contract with the Dolphins, only two — Baker and Dante Trader Jr. — logged more than 400 snaps in 2025. Furthermore, their five defensive backs who played more than 110 snaps last season each earned PFF overall grades below 60.0.
While this unit looks like arguably the worst in the league, the Dolphins' other moves suggest that they could be content with what they have in the secondary right now.
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