- Linebacker Dre Greenlaw reunites with the San Francisco 49ers: Greenlaw spent the first six years of his career in San Francisco and returns after one season in Denver. He will team up with All-Pro Fred Warner on a defense looking to improve after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
- Los Angeles Chargers add speed to the running back unit: The Chargers signed running back Keaton Mitchell, adding speed and explosiveness to the offense. Mitchell should have an opportunity to shine under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
- 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: 5 minutes
We are now a few days into NFL free agency, and with the legal tampering period over, teams are officially signing players for 2026 and beyond. While there have been plenty of big deals going around (in terms of both names and dollars), it’s the under-the-radar moves that fill out rosters and often have bigger impacts than the premium free agents.
With that in mind, let’s look at five under-the-radar moves that stood out in the first week of 2026 NFL free agency.
S Jaylinn Hawkins signs with the Baltimore Ravens
Contract: Two years, $10 million
Hawkins broke out in a big way for the AFC Champion New England Patriots, finishing the year with a career-high 74.9 PFF overall grade, 15th out of 91 qualifying safeties for the season. He was effective both in coverage (74.7) and defending the run (79.7) while finishing third on the defense with 1,102 snaps (including the postseason).
The Ravens are getting tremendous value with this deal ($10 million over two years) in comparison to the PFF projected contract ($33 million over three years). Hawkins will help form arguably the league’s best safety room alongside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and standout 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks.
LB Dre Greenlaw signs with the San Francisco 49ers
Contract: One year, $7.5 million
Greenlaw returns to San Francisco after a strong season in Denver in which he set a career-high in PFF run-defense grade at 86.9, 10th among 93 qualifying linebackers. The former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers and will reunite with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner in 2026 as the 49ers look to improve their defensive unit that ranked 31st in PFF grade as a team at 49.4.
While he’s still a top-notch run defender, Greenlaw’s coverage capabilities appear to be on the decline as he’s dealt with injuries over the last few years. He peaked with an 82.6 PFF coverage grade in 2022, but that number has steadily declined to 64.4 in 2025.
This is a classic low-risk, high-reward contract for a player the 49ers know better than anyone. Greenlaw will turn 29 years old in May and still has some productive years left, assuming he can stay healthy.
CB Nahshon Wright signs with the New York Jets
Contract: One year, up to $5.5 million
Wright was a third-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys back in 2021 but never found a role with the team, playing just 272 snaps over his first three years. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings just prior to the 2024 season but spent the entire year on the practice squad.
Wright broke out in a big way as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2025, appearing in all 19 games (including the playoffs) while intercepting five passes during the regular season, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod in the process.
A cornerback who stands 6-foot-4 and plays predominantly on the outside, Wright will have another opportunity to showcase his skills in Aaron Glenn’s system in New York. The Jets were the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without at least one interception, so this is a good, low-risk move for a defense looking to create more turnovers in 2026.
RB Keaton Mitchell signs with the Los Angeles Chargers
Contract: Two years, $9.25 million
Mitchell has carried the ball just 121 times since he joined the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2023, as injuries and playing behind future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry were two of the biggest reasons why. With that said, there are plenty of reasons for optimism moving forward.
Mitchell has proven to be a big-play threat in his limited opportunities, as 22 of his 121 career carries went for 10-plus yards (explosive plays), which resulted in a stellar 6.3 yards per carry average. Additionally, Mitchell has shown the ability to make defenders miss, finishing with 27 forced missed tackles over that span.
It’s hard to imagine a better landing spot for Mitchell with offensive guru Mike McDaniel now with the Chargers. McDaniel helped build an offense around another speedster in De’Von Achane, who has established himself as one of the game’s elite running backs. Mitchell will work alongside 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton to form what could be one of the better running back duos in the NFL in 2026.
C Luke Fortner signs with the Carolina Panthers
Contract: One year, up to $4.75 million
Fortner started 10 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2025 and is coming off his best season in the NFL, earning a 72.5 PFF pass-blocking grade (fifth out of 37 qualifying centers) after allowing just 11 pressures across 442 pass-blocking snaps. He was also solid in the run game, where his 62.5 PFF run-blocking grade was the highest of his four-year career.
Cade Mays – the Carolina Panthers starting center in 2025 – signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Detroit Lions. Fortner can step in at center for 2026 at a discounted contract that frees up their cap to spend elsewhere in free agency.
The Panthers have one of the league’s most underrated offensive lines on paper heading into 2026, as three starters finished the year with PFF overall grades higher than 70.0 (Ikem Ekwonu – 70.1, Damien Lewis – 77.7 and Taylor Moton – 81.0) in addition to the return of Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt, who missed all but three games due to a torn biceps injury.
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