The NFL season may be over, but that doesn’t mean the NFL world is quiet. The NFL Draft is around the corner, before which NFL Free Agency appears.
At noon ET on March 10th, free agents can start talking to new teams, and at 4pm on March 12th, signing can begin at the start of the new league year.
So who is the 10 best free agents on either side of the ball? The top 10 offensive free agents are here. Now it’s time to look at the top of the defensive free agent.
As free agency approaches, this is the cream of the crop.
Top 10 Best Defensive NFL Free Agents
The first player on the list comes from Super Bowl champion Eagles who flexed pass-rush muscles in the playoffs. Williams was a large part of it, putting pressure on him throughout the season and ultimately finished the regular season with 19th of all defensive tackles, totaling 40 pressure, according to the Focus of Pro Football (PFF). . That number led to the 17th six sacks of all DTS. Williams is the type of player who gets a bigger role elsewhere and can see his play thrive with more snaps.
If there’s a season that performs best, it’s just before you hit free agency – that’s what Murphy did. He won his first Pro Bowl nod this season behind his six intercepts. Additionally, he was the only player in the NFL in 2024, losing more than five tackles, intercepting more than five times, becoming an elite player down the field at the line of scrimmage.
Mac is probably the biggest name on the average fan list, but his production fell to the stats sheet in 2024. His six sacks were the least of the season he played at least 10 games since his rookie year. He finished in just four. Still, a proper fit allowed him to reduce plays and be fresher due to the situational pass-rush snaps. Mac made the Pro Bowl in 2024. This is mainly due to 15 QB hits and nine passes being defended.
Odighizuwa had a great year in Dallas in 2024. He accumulated seven bags from the defensive tackle spots in the interior, taking 12th among the defensive linemen, according to PFF. He also rated No. 3 on total pressure and No. 4 on hits. But what’s most impressive is how good Odighizuwa is on all three downs. His ability to play both runs and passes sets him up to be a very important part of any defense.
A year after building his second team and becoming a pro bowler, Ward took a step back in 2024. In 2023, he registered 23 passes to lead the NFL. However, in 2024, he posted just 7 due to the fact that he played in just 12 games. That, if not all, massive chunks of drop-off can be traced back to the unimaginable tragedy that he faced when he lost his one-year-old daughter in October. In 2025, Ward may be able to play in a new city and return to his stellar play in 2023.
The little-known lead of the Jets’ starting cornerback was a dynamic performance on the other side of Source Gardner. The best thing about Reid is how consistent he has been in his career. In his last six seasons, Reid posted over 70 PFF grades and placed him in the DBS top quarter. He also excels at Run Defense when he comes to make tackles. His 55 solo tackles in 2024 were the 27th best of all cornerbacks in the NFL. If he repeats that level of play, he should be a great addition to the defensive backfield.
Miami’s defense had some issues in 2024, but the Netherlands was one of the main pieces that brought the team together. The Netherlands are a great player against running, with a total of 62 tackles in 2024, of which 42 came from solo variety. However, his play in the reporting fell a bit, finishing his year with just four pass breakups and no interceptions. Still, no matter where he is, play against the Dutch run will become the top player in his position.
One of the best defensive players on the team that won this year’s Super Bowl, Sweat should be seeing a massive payday in March. He finished the year with a combination of 10.5 sacks between the playoffs and regular season, and is 15th in the league in that range. Overall, he finished with 37 Harry in the regular season, 18th in his position. It puts him in a good position to win cash as one of them, if not the top pass rush in the market.
Bolton is just as physical as you’ll find in today’s games. As a result, he had a real nose for the ball and earned tackle numbers. This past season he posted 126 tackles and was one of 28 players who scored over 125 tackles last season (combined with regular and postseasons). Additionally, he is one of two players who have totaled over 125 tackles and over 13 tackles to join Eagles LB Zackboun. Bolton is planning to pay a lot of money.
One of the NFL’s biggest bargains of this past season, Bounn will get payday this offseason. He posted 184 tackles combined between the regular and postseason. This is the most in the entire league. His PFF grade of 90.1 was second out of all linebackers, and his five forced fumbles were the most in the NFC. Perhaps most impressively, Bounn is one of two players who recorded 150 tackles in 2024 and had more than five tackles and five forced fumbles in the 2024 regular season .
Honorable mention
- Asante Samuel Jr. CB
- Labonte David, lb
- Paulson Adebocb
- Dante Fowler Jr.corner
- Bobby Wagnerlb
- Dre Green Lowlb
- Donte Jacksoncb
- Eric Kendrickslb
- Haason Reddickcorner
- I’ll chase youthcorner
- Taranor Fuwhanga, s
- Patrick Jonescorner
- Camryn Bynums
- Levi Onwuzurike, dt
- Demarcus Lawrencecorner
- BJ Hill,dt
- Tershawn Wharton,dl
- Jarran Reed,dt
- Ernest Joneslb
- Carlton Daviscb
- Justin Reeds
- Tre’von Moehrig, s
- Jamian Sherwoodlb
- Dayo Odeyingbocorner
- Robert Spiranlb
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