- Jadeveon Clowney can still contribute: Clowney’s cumulative PFF grade over the last three years is 83.2 while averaging 589 snaps per season over that span, suggesting he can once again be one of free agency’s best value signings in 2026.
- Coby Bryant would be a wise addition to a team needing a safety: He’s produced an overall 72.7 PFF grade over the last two seasons, grading particularly well against the run with an 80.9 run-defense grade since the start of 2024.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
With the 2025 season now officially in the books, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2026. Free agency opens on March 9th and players can sign with new teams on March 11th, so we are just a few short weeks away from the offseason really kicking off.
While there will be the usual cast of premium big-name free agents on the market, it’s often the under-the-radar free agent signings that end up making the biggest differences down the line.
With this in mind, let’s look at one underrated free agent at every defensive position:
EDGE Jadeveon Clowney, Dallas Cowboys
Back in 2014, Clowney was viewed as a generational talent with freak athleticism coming out of South Carolina and was picked first overall by the Houston Texans. While he never quite lived up to the All-Pro potential many thought he had due to injuries and inconsistent play, he has put together a strong NFL career to this point.
Clowney’s 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys was his seventh team in the last eight years, which is shocking for a player who has been as productive as he’s been while on the field. Since the start of 2015, Clowney has finished with a 70.8-plus PFF overall grade in all but one season (66.5 in 2021) and is coming off a year in which his 19.1% pressure rate trailed only Micah Parsons and Will Anderson Jr. for the top mark in the league.
Clowney’s cumulative PFF grade over the last three years is 83.2 while averaging 589 snaps per season over that span, suggesting he can once again be one of free agency’s best value signings in 2026.
DI John Franklin-Myers, Denver Broncos
Franklin-Myers has been an important piece for one of the league’s best defenses in Denver the last two seasons, generating 96 pressures and 41 defensive stops over that span. He’s been a consistently productive player over the course of his career, as he generated at least 50 pressures in every season from 2020-2024, earning PFF overall grades of 70.4 or higher in each year.
While there appears to be mutual interest in a return to Denver, it may be tough for the organization to bring him back after they signed cornerback Patrick Surtain II, EDGE Nik Bonitto and interior defender Zach Allen to big extensions in recent years. Should he hit the open market, there should be no shortage of suitors for the 29-year-old's services in free agency.
LB Alex Anzalone, Detroit Lions
Anzalone has been a rock in the middle of the Detroit Lions’ defense since he arrived in 2021, playing 1,000 or more snaps in three of those seasons. His first year with the team was the worst of his career (35.4 PFF grade), but he’s been strong over the last three years with a cumulative 71.2 PFF grade over that span.
Anzalone’s biggest area of improvement over the years has been as a tackler, and he’s coming off a year in which his 6.9% missed tackle rate was a career best. He will provide stability and leadership to the linebacker unit for whatever team he ends up with in 2026.
CB Rasul Douglas, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins signed cornerback Douglas to a one-year, $3 million deal in late August, and he went on to be one of the league’s top value free agent signings in the NFL this season. The former third-round pick out of West Virginia ranked 21st out of 112 qualifying cornerbacks with a 73.5 PFF overall grade.
Douglas was one of 21 cornerbacks to record at least nine pass breakups and his 72.6 passer rating allowed ranked 11th among cornerbacks with at least 250 coverage snaps. He’s been an excellent coverage corner over the last five years, recording 16 interceptions and 35 pass breakups in that time.
S Coby Bryant, Seattle Seahawks
Bryant was a key member of the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl Champion defense in 2025, leading the unit with 1,163 snaps over the regular season and playoffs. He’s produced an overall 72.7 PFF grade over the last two seasons, grading particularly well against the run with an 80.9 run-defense grade since the start of 2024.
Bryant was originally drafted as a cornerback back in 2022 but has primarily lined up as a safety over the last two years, suggesting it’s likely he has not quite reached his potential as a defensive back. He will turn just 27 years old in March and will look to continue establishing himself as one of the game’s better safeties in 2026 and beyond.
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