• Chris Jones comes in at No. 1 in PFF's 2024 free agency top 50: It’s rare for a player of Jones’ caliber to reach unrestricted free agency, and Kansas City did not give up the right to franchise tag him for a second time when the two sides agreed to a reworked contract this past offseason.
• Edge rusher Josh Allen is the top edge defender: Allen backed up a strong 2022 with an extraordinary 2023 season, racking up career highs in quarterback pressures (69) and sacks (13.5) already through Week 14, coupled with a 20.1% pass-rush win rate that is among the league’s best.
• Everything you need to know about the 2024 free agency class: Click here for PFF's full 2024 NFL free agent rankings, which provide the most complete picture for each player, closer to a pro scouting report than ever before, with the best data in football putting us over the edge.
1. DI Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
It’s rare for a player of Jones’ caliber to reach unrestricted free agency, and Kansas City did not give up the right to franchise tag him for a second time when the two sides agreed to a reworked contract this past offseason. A tag for Jones would land north of $33 million, which perhaps helps him test the open market for the first time in his career.
Jones is not only one of the best interior pass-rushers in the game right now; he’s one of the best ever. He is also capable of lining up outside of tackles as a five-technique, bending around the edge and getting home.
Top free agent comparison: Ndamukong Suh, 2015
| Player | Run-defense grade | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Pass-rush win rate | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Chris Jones | 76.9 | 92.1 | 91.7 | 17.3% | ? |
| Ndamukong Suh | 80.0 | 83.0 | 82.5 | 11.2% | 13.3% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Four years, $120 million ($30 million per year), $80 million total guaranteed
2. Edge Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Allen backed up a strong 2022 with an extraordinary 2023 season, racking up career highs in quarterback pressures (69) and sacks (13.5) already through Week 14, coupled with a 20.1% pass-rush win rate that is among the league’s best.
Top free agent comparison: Melvin Ingram, 2017
| Player | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Pass-rush win rate | Run-defense grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Josh Allen | 87.6 | 91.0 | 17.0% | 81.5 | ? |
| Melvin Ingram | 89.2 | 90.5 | 13.6% | 68.4 | 9.6% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Franchise tag
3. Edge Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers
Burns cannot seem to escape Carolina as the team turns down trade offers and consistently loses football games, but he’s had a strong second half of the 2023 season. He is on his way to his fourth straight pass-rush grade above 70.0, keeping his stock high amid the chaos.
Top free agent comparison: Frank Clark, 2019
| Player | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Pass-rush win rate | Run-defense grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Brian Burns | 75.4 | 80.0 | 11.2% | 56.2 | |
| Frank Clark | 80.4 | 83.6 | 14.3% | 63.2 | 11.1% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Franchise tag
4. DI Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens
Madubuike has a strong case for being the player to earn himself the most money in 2023. With at least half a sack in 11 of 13 games this season, Madubuike has already doubled his prior season high — and he may double his total pressure output by the end of the season, as well. His effort and intensity on backside pursuit plays have always been there, and now an improved arsenal of moves with a more explosive first step has Madubuike set to cash in big time.
Top free agent comparison: Javon Hargrave, 2020
| Player | Run-defense grade | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Pass-rush win rate | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Justin Madubuike | 67.2 | 71.9 | 79.3 | 10.8% | ? |
| Javon Hargrave | 81.3 | 77.5 | 79.8 | 12.2% | 6.5% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Four years, $92 million ($23 million per year), $60.25 million total guaranteed
5. DI Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
Wilkins hoped to get an extension done before the 2023 season but hasn’t let the lack of one amid many at the position slow him down. Wilkins is as good a run defender as any interior defensive lineman in the NFL, setting career highs in every pass-rushing category — including pass-rush win rate, pressure rate, sacks, quarterback hits and pressures.
Top free agent comparison: Malik Jackson, 2016
| Player | Run-defense grade | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Run-stop rate | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Christian Wilkins | 78.3 | 73.4 | 74.3 | 10.3% | |
| Malik Jackson | 81.5 | 74.1 | 78.1 | 9.7% | 9.2% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Franchise tag
6. S Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winfield can line up in the box, take on receivers in the slot and play as a roaming deep-third free safety, finding success in single-high and two-high coverage shells. The former second-round pick is a difference-maker on the backend, and his remarkable versatility carries value at a position that appreciates it more than perhaps any other.
Top free agent comparison: Jessie Bates III, 2023
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Run-defense grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Antoine Winfield Jr. | 70.5 | 70.9 | 10.4% | 93.3 | |
| Jessie Bates III | 65.7 | 80.9 | 5.7% | 78.1 | 7.1% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Franchise tag
7. CB Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Johnson wasn’t quite able to have the third-year breakout in 2022 he hoped for as nagging injuries kept him off the field for several stretches, and he and the team were unable to find common ground on an early extension. Johnson continued to push for a new deal right up to requesting a trade at the deadline this year, but after conversations with other teams, Chicago elected to keep him around. Now, with edge defender Montez Sweat extended and the franchise tag freed up, another negotiation looks to be on the horizon.
At this rate, Johnson’s stock is rising each week. The physical, technically sound wide cornerback boasts ball production and lockdown coverage abilities that prevent targets as well as anyone, never allowing a 60% completion rate in any NFL season thus far.
Top free agent comparison: Byron Jones, 2020
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Jaylon Johnson | 83.4 | 89.6 | 15.9% | 64.3 | |
| Byron Jones | 78.1 | 77.5 | 13.2% | 73.7 | 8.3% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Franchise tag
8. CB L'Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs
Sneed has been a fixture out wide in 2023 after lining up primarily in the slot over his first three seasons, and he’s held up quite well in several tough matchups. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks, and Sneed is sticky in coverage, getting into receivers' hip pockets and becoming very hard to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point.
Sneed could stand to cut down on penalties, but his aggressive nature would be welcome on many teams, and his inside-outside versatility is a nice benefit, as well.
Top free agent comparison: James Bradberry, 2020
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| L’Jarius Sneed | 70.0 | 69.4 | 12.7% | 49.9 | |
| James Bradberry | 62.5 | 72.8 | 13.3% | 48.9 | 7.3% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Three years, $52.5 million ($17.5 million per year), $35 million total guaranteed
9. Edge Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings
Hunter has been a revelation in new defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme, though he was just as productive in 2022. Teams that run a 3-4 or 4-3 could probably find a way to effectively deploy Hunter, and injury concerns of a few years ago seem like distant memories. He is on pace for another season with 900-plus snaps, 70-plus quarterback pressures and double-digit sacks.
Top free agent comparison: Jason Pierre-Paul, 2017
| Player | Pass-rush grade | True pass set pass-rush grade | Pass-rush win rate | Run-defense grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Danielle Hunter | 83.1 | 86.0 | 15.4% | 62.0 | ? |
| Jason Pierre-Paul | 75.9 | 77.8 | 12.8% | 63.3 | 9% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Three years, $65 million ($21.67 million per year), $40 million total guaranteed
10. CB Kendall Fuller, Washington Commanders
Fuller has been the lone bright spot in the Commanders' cornerback room in 2023, and while he’s been plenty capable as a wide cornerback, perhaps his prior experience in the slot and at safety could be attractive to teams that desire the ability to move the savvy Fuller around as he and his game ages.
Top free agent comparison: Sean Smith, 2016
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Kendall Fuller | 87.3 | 84.9 | 9.6% | 68.2 | |
| Sean Smith | 81.8 | 86.8 | 11.7% | 57.9 | 6.1% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract Projection: Three years, $40 million ($13.33 million per year), $25 million total guaranteed
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