Predicting landing spots, contracts for top defensive free agents

NFL free agency is almost here.

Signings can't be made official until the new league year opens Wednesday, but that won't stop teams from locking in agreements when the negotiating period begins Monday at noon ET.

After playing matchmaker with some of the top names available on offense Thursday, let's do the same for the defensive side of the ball.

Offense | Defense

Hendrickson is finally hitting the open market after years of contract standoffs with the Bengals. Although the four-time Pro Bowler should be more valuable to a porous Cincinnati defense than anyone else, it's safe to assume this relationship is beyond repair. Hendrickson posted back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons before last year's injury-shortened campaign and will be the top defensive free agent.

I think the Chargers are uniquely positioned to go all-in. They've got as much cap space as any other team coming off an 11-win season, and they may only get one year with Mike McDaniel at offensive coordinator before he's scooped up for another head coaching job. Hendrickson would be a massive help in keeping Los Angeles' defense rolling despite the loss of Jesse Minter.

Lloyd's breakout season couldn't have come at a better time. The former first-round pick recorded five interceptions en route to second-team All-Pro honors and was a leading factor in Jacksonville's defensive resurgence. He should have no problem leveraging that breakout performance to become one of the NFL's highest-paid linebackers.

The Titans enter the offseason with $93 million in cap space. Wheeling and dealing in free agency isn't the safest way to turn over a roster, but last year's Patriots are a shining example of what's possible if you spend money on the right players. Tennessee's trade for Jermaine Johnson II won't be the only move to upgrade the front seven in the team's first year under Robert Saleh. Having worked with Fred Warner, the new head coach understands the value of a linebacker who can impact the game as a run defender, in coverage, and as a blitzer.

Deadline acquisition Phillips didn't produce as expected for Philly; he recorded two sacks across nine games (including playoffs) after coming over from the Dolphins. The 26-year-old's play trended downward after an exciting Eagles debut, which might lead some to believe he'll sign elsewhere. I'm not so sure.

Howie Roseman isn't in the business of losing talented players for nothing, especially mere months after giving up a third-round pick to get them. And Phillips ranked ninth among all edge defenders last season with 76 pressures, according to PFF - big-time sack numbers may be just around the corner. The Eagles need a No. 1 edge rusher to lead a three-man rotation with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt. Re-signing Phillips is their clearest path to a player with that kind of potential.

Mack is putting off retirement for at least one more year. The Chargers might hope that he's willing to finish his career in Los Angeles, but there will be plenty of competition for a nine-time Pro Bowler who can still set the edge and get after the quarterback.

Mack's former defensive coordinator may be the biggest threat to steal him away. The Ravens have long had a glaring need for pass-rush help on the edge. While Jesse Minter's arrival should elevate the defense as a whole, it would be no surprise if he turns to a familiar face to address that problem area. Mack's veteran presence could have a positive impact on the development of explosive 2025 second-rounder Mike Green while also helping the Ravens get back into Super Bowl contention this year.

Woolen was a key piece of Seattle's Super Bowl-winning defense. He gives up his share of plays in coverage, but he also had 12 interceptions and 38 pass breakups across four years with the Seahawks. Still just 27 years old, with a rare combination of size and athletic ability, teams will see Woolen as a player with potential to be a No. 1 cover man.

He'll be paid accordingly, and the Commanders should be among his most serious suitors. Washington needs to add a proven corner alongside recent draft picks Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos after whiffing on Marshon Lattimore. Dan Quinn has a history of maximizing aggressive defensive backs, and you can bet the one-time Pete Carroll assistant will place a premium on the gaudy physical gifts that led Seattle to draft Woolen in the first place.

It took some time, but Oweh has begun to show consistent signs of the upside that made him a 2021 first-round pick. The supremely athletic Penn State product broke out with 10 sacks for Baltimore in 2024. After a slow start to the 2025 campaign, he recorded 7.5 sacks over 12 games following an in-season trade to the Chargers.

Oweh's next team is betting that he'll continue trending in the right direction. It won't be cheap to add an ascending 27-year-old in an exploding edge-rush market, but the Commanders have more than enough cap space to justify this kind of move. And there's a good chance that the top players available at the position in this year's draft are off the board by the time Washington is on the clock at No. 7 overall.

Bosa is back on the market after a solid one-year stint with the Bills. While his five sacks might not seem spectacular on the surface, the five-time Pro Bowler led the league with five forced fumbles while tallying 54 pressures, his most since 2021. Crucially, the notoriously nicked-up Bosa avoided injury issues and suited up for 15 games in the regular season.

The 30-year-old may require some load management to continue that trend, but there's little doubt he can still be an effective player when available. Could the Bosa brothers link up in San Francisco? The 49ers need a pass-rusher who can make game-changing plays on passing downs. Adding a veteran like Bosa opposite his All-Pro brother Nick would allow promising sophomore Mykel Williams to rotate inside on passing downs.

Dean turns 30 in October. Knowing cornerbacks' production tends to fall off a cliff around that stage of their careers, some teams will be more aggressive than others. The longtime Bucs defensive back has positioned himself for a nice payday either way, however, as he's coming off a season in which he posted a league-best 46.9 passer rating against.

The Rams already made one big move to address the cornerback position, trading a package of picks for Chiefs star Trent McDuffie. With Matthew Stafford back for another year but no guarantee beyond that, now is the time to go all-in. Adding McDuffie and Dean effectively addresses the one questionable area of an otherwise outstanding roster. At that point, how could the Rams not be the clear favorites to win it all?

This probably isn't the best time for Walker to be hitting free agency. Last season, he allowed a career-worst 120.8 passer rating and five touchdowns in coverage. The former first-rounder plays the run well, though. And at just 25 years old, he'll have a reasonably robust market.

The Cowboys are among the many teams with a glaring need at linebacker. Jerry Jones has talked a lot about stopping the run since the Micah Parsons trade, and he'd probably like the idea of stealing a player away from the Packers a year later. A deal that makes Walker one of the NFL's eight highest-paid linebackers could be the sweet spot for both sides.

Don't be surprised when Franklin-Myers' deal approaches $20 million per year. The 29-year-old defensive lineman may not be a household name, but he was a key contributor for Denver's league-best pass-rush over the last two seasons. His 7.5 sacks in 2025 set a new career high for the second time in as many years, and he tied for 18th among all interior defensive linemen with a 12.7% pass-rush win rate.

He's got many potential fits, but a reunion with Robert Saleh feels like a layup. Franklin-Myers joining Jeffery Simmons would provide the new Titans head coach with a solid duo on the interior. And if the trade for Jermaine Johnson is followed by another addition on the edge (potentially with the No. 4 overall pick of the draft), Saleh will be well on his way to laying the kind of defensive foundation he had in New York.

Dean dealt with some injury issues across four seasons in Philly, missing all but five games in 2022 and getting a late start to the 2025 season due to a torn patellar tendon suffered in the playoffs the year prior. He's been impactful when healthy, though, making him an intriguing free agent at just 25 years old.

The Raiders seem to understand there's no quick fix this time around and may only be willing to use their significant cap space on players who match their timeline. With some Eagles connections in the building - including top personnel exec Brandon Hunt and new assistant linebacker coach Ronell Williams - Dean could be a priority for Las Vegas. His ability to contribute in coverage and as a blitzer would make him valuable for a rebuilding defense under first-year coordinator Rob Leonard.

Hitting free agency on the heels of a two-sack season could negatively affect Mafe's market. But the underwhelming numbers had more to do with the Seahawks' loaded front seven than any lack of ability on his part. The former second-rounder put up 15 sacks over the two seasons prior.

The Buccaneers are looking for someone to fill the starting spot opposite Yaya Diaby. They should be among the many teams willing to bet that Mafe's production will trend back in the right direction if he gets more consistent opportunities. Mafe's explosiveness off the edge would represent a big upgrade to a middling Tampa Bay pass-rush and would take some pressure off a young secondary.

Cook is the best bet to cash in among this year's free-agent safeties. The former second-rounder can handle any role on the back end, playing as a deep safety or rotating down closer to the line of scrimmage. He was among the league's most reliable tacklers in 2025, posting the sixth-lowest miss rate (5.6%) at the position while tying for fourth with six pass breakups.

The Jets may not be close to contention, but Cook is the kind of steady player Aaron Glenn should be eyeing to run the show in the secondary. New York has more than enough cap flexibility to justify a contract with a top-10 average annual value among safeties.

The Bears released Edmunds in a cost-cutting move. It may be telling that no team was willing to trade for the final year of his contract at $15 million. However, he should still attract plenty of interest on the open market. The 28-year-old offers a unique combination of size and speed for the position, and he's coming off a productive season with four interceptions - second among all linebackers.

Could the Bengals aim to make a bit of a splash here? Cincinnati should probably focus on adding a top pass-rusher to replace Trey Hendrickson, but this organization isn't exactly known for aggressive moves involving significant guarantees. Edmunds would be a slightly more cost-effective addition at another position of need, providing a strong veteran presence alongside sophomore linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.

Kansas City probably can't afford to let Watson walk after trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams. Then again, that deal continued a trend for the perennial Super Bowl contenders: The Chiefs haven't extended a defensive back they've drafted since Eric Berry. That might not change just yet, as Watson is poised to earn a solid multi-year deal of his own.

His ability to hold up in press coverage should be particularly attractive to a team like the Jets, who are short on corners that fit Aaron Glenn's man-heavy defense. Watson, 27, could still be an important contributor when the team is ready to take a step toward playoff contention.

Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.