NFL's top 25 free agents of 2025

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the football world's attention turns to free agency. The NFL's negotiating window opens March 10, so here's an early look at the 25 best players slated to hit the market.

1. Tee Higgins

🔖 Franchise-tag candidate

Higgins is the consensus top free agent. The two-time 1,000-yard wideout could hit the market after catching a career-high 10 touchdowns last season with the Cincinnati Bengals while playing under the tag. Injuries have been a concern, but Higgins - who's played with Ja'Marr Chase for most of his career - proved he can be the No. 1 guy on any team.

2. Trey Smith

🔖 Franchise-tag candidate

If the Kansas City Chiefs let Smith test free agency, teams looking to upgrade their O-line interior shouldn't think twice before pursuing him. He just earned his first Pro Bowl berth and has started 67 games since entering the NFL as a 2021 sixth-round pick.

3. Sam Darnold

🔖 Franchise-tag candidate

Darnold is the most interesting quarterback available. He bounced back and had a career year with the Minnesota Vikings, passing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. His 33 big-time throws ranked only behind Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, according to PFF. Darnold may be entering his prime, assuming his 2024 wasn't a one-season wonder.

4. Chris Godwin

An injury limited Godwin's 2024 to seven games, but he still posted a 50-576-5 stat line. He previously topped 1,000 yards each year from 2021-23. Tagging Godwin would cost almost $40 million, so that doesn't appear to be an option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, notes CBS Sports' Joel Corry.

5. Ronnie Stanley

Stanley finally started all 17 games after several injury-plagued campaigns. When healthy, the Ravens veteran remains a capable lineman, allowing only two sacks in 2024, according to PFF. He naturally would've been a tag candidate, but Baltimore's salary-cap situation complicates things.

6. Jevon Holland

🔖 Franchise-tag candidate

Holland's stats don't jump off the page - he didn't record an interception in '24 - but his versatility stands out. It's only a matter of time before the 2021 second-round pick - who can play deep, in the box, or in the slot - becomes a Pro Bowler (or even an All-Pro).

7. Zack Baun

Baun deserves attention after earning a first-team All-Pro berth and helping the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl while playing on a one-year contract. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist recorded 151 tackles, five forced fumbles, four pass breakups, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.

8. D.J. Reed

Teams will look at Reed as possibly the best free-agent corner available. He has experience, appearing in 101 games on three different clubs, including the last three years with the New York Jets. Reed ranks 15th among CBs with 42 pass breakups since 2021, according to Football Reference.

9. Josh Sweat

Sweat amassed 74 QB hits and 33 sacks in the last four seasons with the Eagles, including a team-high eight sacks in 2024. He notably took down Patrick Mahomes 2.5 times in Super Bowl LIX and could be a hot commodity given the lack of high-profile edge rushers in free agency.

10. Charvarius Ward

Ward is coming off a down season (like many members of the 49ers). In 2023, he had a career-best five interceptions and an NFL-high 23 pass breakups to earn a second-team All-Pro berth.

11. Khalil Mack

Mack considered retirement but decided to return for his 12th NFL season. The nine-time Pro Bowler recorded only six sacks in 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, he enjoyed a 17-sack campaign in 2023 and should still be able to help a contender looking for depth and star power.

12. Osa Odighizuwa

Odighizuwa, one of the more underrated interior linemen available, had his best year as a pass-rusher with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, registering 23 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, and 60 pressures, the second-most in the NFL among defensive tackles, according to TruMedia.

13. Nick Bolton

It's hard to imagine Bolton leaving K.C., but his leadership and consistency stand out ahead of free agency. Steve Spagnuolo maximized Bolton's potential and helped him average 115 tackles (eight for loss), four pass breakups, and one sack per season since entering the league in 2021.

14. Milton Williams

Williams set career highs with 10 QB hits and five sacks in 2024. Another underrated member of the Eagles' Super Bowl run, he could cash in after improving his value even more by posting two sacks and a forced fumble in the big game.

15. Byron Murphy Jr.

Murphy is one of the best corners available after posting a career year with Minnesota. The Pro Bowler, who can play inside or outside, amassed 81 tackles (six for loss), 14 pass breakups, and six interceptions in 2024.

16. Haason Reddick

Reddick comes with questions after he held out to start the 2024 season and finished with one sack in 10 games while playing on a one-year deal with the Jets. But teams have reasons to believe the two-time Pro Bowler can be productive - he had double-digit sacks each year from 2020-23 while playing for three different teams.

17. Stefon Diggs

Diggs may not be as explosive anymore, and he tore his ACL in October, but the four-time Pro Bowler caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games with the Houston Texans before his injury.

18. Cam Robinson

Robinson has lacked consistency, but the 6-foot-6, 335-pounder has the size and experience to fill in at left tackle, having started 101 career games. He played seven-plus campaigns in Jacksonville but finished 2024 as Christian Darrisaw's replacement on the 14-win Vikings after an in-season trade.

19. Zack Martin

Martin is mulling retirement, but the longtime Cowboy would remain a capable guard and one of the league's most respected linemen if he returns for a 12th campaign. Yes, the nine-time Pro Bowler regressed recently, but he's just one season removed from his seventh first-team All-Pro selection.

20. Aaron Jones

The running back position is a hot topic again, and Jones is the position's best free agent in '25. Teams may see his age as an issue, but he showed it's just a number after rushing for 1,138 yards (4.5 per carry) and five TDs for the Vikings last year. Jones also caught 51 passes, his third-best single-season mark.

21. Rasul Douglas

Douglas made an instant impact on the Bills with four interceptions in nine games after joining Buffalo as part of a 2023 in-season trade. His 2024 wasn't nearly as impressive, but he still had five tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Douglas has averaged 10 pass breakups per season since being drafted in 2017.

22. Amari Cooper

How much does Cooper have left in the tank? The veteran had limited impact while playing for the Cleveland Browns (six games) and Bills (eight) last year, but he's less than two years removed from a 1,250-yard 2023 season.

23. Tre'Von Moehrig

Moehrig has combined for 187 tackles, 18 pass breakups, five INTs, and three sacks since 2023 while seeing an increased number of snaps in the box for the Las Vegas Raiders. Personnel evaluators have even told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that the explosive defensive back's 2024 film was the best among 2025 free-agent safeties.

24. Justin Fields

Fields didn't look bad in six starts for the Steelers in 2024, accounting for 10 TDs against one INT while completing 66.2% of his passes. Pittsburgh did turn to Russell Wilson as its QB1 for the rest of the season, but Fields could be an interesting option if he lands with an offense that maximizes his dual-threat ability.

25. Talanoa Hufanga

Injuries limited Hufanga to 17 appearances over the last two seasons. However, he earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2022 and showed he can be one of the league's best playmakers as a box safety when healthy.

Salary cap space

(Source: Over The Cap)