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Now that the draft is over, let’s figure out the best available NFL free agents.
The 2023 NFL Draft is now over, and with that teams will begin to examine the roster and find out where they can improve within the margins. Teams have a better understanding of their needs coming into the season after the draft, and with that we should see an uptick in the free agent market again. You can find a full projection of the remaining cap space for every NFL team at Over the Cap. The Chicago Bears lead with the league with more than $30 million available to spend right now.
In this final wave of free agency, teams will just be signing veterans who can raise the floor of their team, or help educate the young guys on the roster. With major players making their moves already (Lamar Jackson extending his contract with the Ravens, Aaron Rodgers getting dealt to the Jets), now is the chance for NFL front offices to fill out the rest of their roster.
With all of that being said, here are the top 13 free agents left post-NFL Draft.
Lots of help along the defensive line available
If you’re a team in need of help along the defensive line, this could be the time to make some free agency moves. The free agent pool is still full of defensive linemen who can make an impact for a team, starting with EDGE Leonard Floyd. Floyd may not be the top tier pass rusher that the Rams paid him to be, but he’s still extremely active against the run and can be a productive secondary pass rusher. Same goes for Yannick Ngakoue, who is a little worse in the run game but better as a pass rusher off the edge.
On the interior, you have multiple interesting guys who can still offer a lot to a team. Al Woods is 36 years old, but he’s still a very good run stopper on the interior. For a team needing a one gap pocket penetrator, Poona Ford can certainly help, and if he’s healthy, Chris Wormley can be a versatile name across your defensive front. This list isn’t even including guys like Dawuane Smoot, who got hurt near the ened of last season but can be a productive and versatile defender.
Not a lot of promise at receiver
The receiver/pass catcher group left in free agency is underwhelming to say the least. TE Dan Arnold is the best of the bunch, but he’s at best a TE2 who can marginally improve the passing game. Outside of Arnold, there aren’t many receiving options left in free agency that are especially impressive. Most of the top free agents at the position were picked up before the draft, or guys like Brandin Cooks and Allen Robinson were traded for before the draft. Not exactly the most promising group here.
What to make of RBs Ezekiel Elliot and Leonard Fournette
These two are the top backs left in free agency, and in a way, they feel sorta similar. Both are bigger, more powerful backs at this stage in their career who probably work best in a tandem in the backfield. Elliot has a lot more tread on the tires (Fournette has 1,284 carries in his career in both the regular season and postseason, Elliot has 1,881 in just the regular season alone), and is probably a more valuable receiver. Fournette might offer a bit more juice at this stage in his career, but is more scheme dependent and improving in the passing game.
Both can be good short yardage backs in a rotation, who can provide some upside on passing downs with their blocking. The question will be how valuable is that when teams would be more willing to sign an undrafted free agent back who could occupy the same role. Their markets should be interesting to examine at this point.
