Sportsnaut
Looking ahead to NFL free agency this offseason, the top NFL free agents in 2026 don’t exactly offer elite game-changing talent who can turn a playoff-caliber team into a Super Bowl contender. Instead, this offseason will be about filling offseason needs in the hopes of it leading to strong improvements on either side of the football.
Let’s dive into our early NFL free agency rankings right now.
George Pickens largely put concerns regarding his maturity and on-field antics to the side in 2025 with the Dallas Cowboys. In 17 games, he posted career-highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429) and receiving yards per game (84.1), all the while putting up more touchdowns (nine) than his previous two seasons combined (eight). All of that comes from a 6-foot-3 receiver who can stretch the field with the best of his peers (22 deep targets) and is a dangerous threat inside the 20-yard line, as evidenced by his 23 red-zone targets in 2025. However, Dallas is almost certainly going to use the franchise tag on Pickens this offseason, so he won’t even wind up being available in NFL free agency.
Of the top NFL free agents in 2026, Tyler Linderbaum is the likeliest to reach the open market. The Baltimore Ravens didn’t exercise the fifth-year option on him for the same reason they won’t use the franchise tag; it is based on the cost for a top-paid offensive lineman. No team is willing to pay a center $27.454 million a year, which is $5-plus million more than the highest-paid center makes. So, either Baltimore signs Linderbaum to a new deal this spring or he hits free agency. If he’s available, we’re talking about a three-time Pro Bowl selection entering his age-26 season.
Trey Hendrickson will likely be higher in consensus NFL free agency rankings. After all, the 6-foot-4 edge rusher finished second for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and posted 112 QB hits with 57 sacks and 53 tackles for loss across four seasons from 2021-24. With that said, he is coming off core muscle surgery in December and will be 32 years old next December. Assuming the Cincinnati Bengals don’t franchise tag him, Hendrickson will likely have enough suitors to land a multi-year deal worth north of $35 million per season.
Durability is the primary knock on edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. After being acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles at the NFL trade deadline, the 6-foot-5 edge defender recorded 17 pressures in 8 games to finish the year with 35 pressures and 5 sacks. He’s also a very capable run defender. At 26 years old, he should be entering the prime of his career. The only questions: Will the Eagles franchise tag him at $27.454 million? Can he stay healthy after suffering an Achilles injury in 2023 followed by an ACL injury in 2024?
