• 2024 avg. salary: $21,816,000

• Who is he? Higgins has long been one of the league’s most efficient wideouts. Now he gets the chance to shine as an uncontested WR1 if he leaves Cincinnati.

2. G Trey Smith

• 2024 avg. salary: $902,676

• Who is he? Smith has been vital to Patrick Mahomes’ success, teaming with Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey to give the Chiefs the league’s best interior line trio.

3. S Jevon Holland

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,179,101

• Who is he? Holland is the youngest player in the top 30 and still has room to grow as a versatile safety who can provide help over the top of streaking toward the line of scrimmage.

4. OT Ronnie Stanley

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,500,000

• Who is he? Stanley is an elder statesman with prior injury concerns, but returned to Pro Bowl form in the first 17-game season of his career.

5. EDGE Josh Sweat

• 2024 avg. salary: $10,000,000

• Who is he? Sweat may be a pass rusher first and foremost, but you need look only at his Super Bowl 59 performance to understand how devastating he can be.

• 2024 avg. salary: $13,500,000

• Who is he? Ward’s 2024 was regrettable, but pretty much everything about the 2024 49ers was. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2023.

7. LB Zack Baun

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,500,000

• Who is he? Baun’s shift from edge rusher unlocked a dynamic wrecking ball at the heart of Philadelphia’s elite defense.

8. S Tre’von Moehrig

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,973,753

• Who is he? Moehrig ended a curse of highly drafted Raiders defensive backs. With his size (6-foot-2) and speed he’s capable of erasing plays at every level.

9. QB Sam Darnold

• 2024 avg. salary: $10,000,000

• Who is he? Which Darnold will show up in 2025? The Pro Bowl quarterback who led the Vikings to a 14-2 start or the slopmeister who presided over the two-game losing streak that ended Minnesota’s season?

10. WR Chris Godwin

• 2024 avg. salary: $20,000,000

• Who is he? Godwin is an uber-productive presence, though his age and the torn ACL that ended his 2024 make him more of a risk this free agent cycle.

• 2024 avg. salary: $11,000,000

• Who is he? Reed quietly held down the other outside corner slot next to Sauce Gardner and did it well.

12. DL Osa Odighizuwa

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,271,550

• Who is he? Odigihizuwa is a gap-shooting monster who emerged as one of the NFL’s most reliable interior pass rushers last fall.

13. C Drew Dalman

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,064,181

• Who is he? Dalman is the best center in a free agent class filled with veteran options, and his market may suffer as a result.

14. LB Dre Greenlaw

• 2024 avg. salary: $8,200,000

• Who is he? Greenlaw’s 2024 was limited to two games thanks to the torn Achilles he suffered in Super Bowl 58. His value may be best shown by how San Francisco played in his absence.

15. S Talanoa Hufanga

• 2024 avg. salary: $930,038

• Who is he? Hufanga burst onto the scene as a 2022 All-Pro but injuries limited him to just 17 game since. If back to 100 percent, he’s a rangy playmaker and deep ball deterrent.

• 2024 avg. salary: $8,750,000

• Who is he? Murphy was trusted in one-on-one coverage to allow for the Vikings’ blitz-heavy defense and responded with the best season of his career (six interceptions!) last fall.

17. S Camryn Bynum

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,049,453

• Who is he? Bynum improved significantly over his three years as a starter who can fill multiple roles as a reliable safety net in the secondary.

18. DL Milton Williams

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,277,546

• Who is he? Williams thrived in the middle of a stacked front seven and probably won’t replicate his 2024 pressure numbers. Still, he’s yet to reach his potential and brings lane-eclipsing power in the middle.

19. EDGE Malcolm Koonce

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,249,490

• Who is he? Koonce exploded to finish his 2023 (eight sacks, 14 quarterback hits in nine games) but missed all of 2024 due to injury.

20. OL Mekhi Becton

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,750,000

• Who is he? Becton was an undervalued asset after injuries sidetracked his Jets career. Now he’s one of the league’s largest guards after helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl.

• 2024 avg. salary: $17,583,333

• Who is he? Robinson continues to provide above-average blocking on the left corner, and while Pro Bowl invitations may not be forthcoming he’s an answer who can keep several pages of the playbook open.

22. CB Asante Samuel Jr.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,805,737

• Who is he? Samuel’s tackling isn’t great and injury limited him to four games last season, but he’s sticky in coverage with top notch ball tracking skills.

23. EDGE Khalil Mack

• 2024 avg. salary: $19,000,000

• Who is he? At 34 years old the party’s gotta end soon, but despite a dip in production Mack remains a terror for opposing quarterbacks.

24. G Zack Martin

• 2024 avg. salary: $18,425,000

• Who is he? Martin is a Hall of Fame-bound guard who was limited by injury in 2024, but could be a boon even in a diminished state next fall.

25. G Will Fries

• 2024 avg. salary: $891,344

• Who is he? Fries is rock solid, and while he may lack the ceiling of the interior linemen ahead of him he can be the exact kind of anonymous o-line presence teams value.

• 2024 avg. salary: $20,000,000

• Who is he? Cooper’s days of being a 1,000-yard threat may be numbered, but he was a willing blocker and tone-setter for the Bills who could remain a valued arrow in Josh Allen’s quiver if he returns.

27. S Justin Reid

• 2024 avg. salary: $10,500,000

• Who is he? Reid’s coverage fell off a bit in 2024, but he’s a downfield missile who can stop run plays in their tracks and, paired with above average sideline corners, thrive in coverage.

28. LT Alaric Jackson

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,890,000

• Who is he? Jackson is still growing into his potential, but he’s a 6-foot-7, 345 pound mountain whose presence helped Los Angeles overcome its early season blocking issues.

29. G James Daniels

• 2024 avg. salary: $8,833,333

• Who is he? Daniels missed most of 2024, but remains an above average guard capable of mashing linebackers in the run game or repelling linemen on passing downs.

30. G Teven Jenkins

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,096,962

• Who is he? It’s difficult to praise the Bears’ blocking in 2024, but Jenkins wasn’t a contributing factor to that chaos. He’s a powerful run-blocker with injury concerns.

• 2024 avg. salary: $15,000,000

• Who is he? What does Reddick still have left after sitting out most of 2024 in a contract impasse with the Jets? He had a single sack in nearly 400 snaps, but a full offseason could restore his luster.

32. WR Marquise Brown

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,000,000

• Who is he? Hollywood wasn’t the threat Kansas City hoped due to a shoulder injury, but he remains a viable mid-range target capable of creating separation for easy completions.

33. CB Paulson Adebo

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,261,250

• Who is he? Adebo has quietly been solid in coverage the last two seasons, even if his 2024 was limited to seven games due to injury.

34. LB Nick Bolton

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,458,510

• Who is he? Bolton’s contract year was a disappointment, but he remains a dynamic run-stopper and tight end tracker at a position of need in the NFL.

35. CB Carlton Davis

• 2024 avg. salary: $14,833,333

• Who is he? Davis had one of his best seasons in coverage for the Lions, but his tackling can be streaky and he’s never played a full season in the pros.

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,000,000

• Who is he? Douglas is a bit long in the tooth, but thrived in his 2023 debut with the Bills before backsliding last fall. Can he get back to peak form?

37. WR Darius Slayton

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,200,000

• Who is he? Slayton was asked to do entirely too much for a depleted Giants offense. Now he can get back to being a downfield threat for a team with an established WR1… maybe even the Giants!

38. WR Stefon Diggs

• 2024 avg. salary: $22,520,000

• Who is he? Diggs was on a 1,000-yard pace before a torn ACL ended his season. How much will that take from his game as his 32nd birthday approaches?

39. RB Aaron Jones

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,000,000

• Who is he? Jones has remained an effective RB1 into his 30s, and while the clock is ticking, he can still be a dual-threat difference maker from the backfield.

40. S Julian Blackmon

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,700,000

• Who is he? Blackmon’s coverage dipped as the Colts took a step back in 2023, but his stellar 2023 (46.3 passer rating allowed, only four missed tackles) suggests the capability to be a Pro Bowl pickup.

• 2024 avg. salary: $13,000,000

• Who is he? Young’s 73 pressures were sixth best in the NFL and a career high. He wasn’t able to convert that into a big stat line, but it proves he’s still viable as an edge rusher.

42. LB Jamien Sherwood

• 2024 avg. salary: $958,714

• Who is he? Sherwood is a thumper who can contribute in coverage, though he only has one season as a full-time starter under his belt.

43. EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,544,383

• Who is he? Odeyingbo has the size and athleticism to harass quarterbacks from the defensive end spot but failed to capitalize on his eight-sack 2023 breakthrough last fall.

44. C Ryan Kelly

• 2024 avg. salary: $12,412,500

• Who is he? Kelly is a reliable tone-setting starter, though injuries have cost him at least three games in three of the last four seasons.

45. LT Tyron Smith

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,500,000

• Who is he? Smith is a Hall of Fame left tackle. He also turns 35 in December and hasn’t played a full NFL season since 2016.

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,000,000

• Who is he? Hilton can handle himself over the slot and bring value as a blitzer, but his coverage slipped a bit in 2024 and could signal an age-related decline.

47. LB Ernest Jones

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,171,339

• Who is he? Jones is a steady, reliable linebacker who may not wow with splash plays but could still have room to grow.

48. QB Justin Fields

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,717,988

• Who is he? Fields is a viable dual-threat quarterback who hasn’t quite found his niche, though the Steelers could turn back to him in 2025 after a 4-2 record as a starter last season.

49. S Ar’Darius Washington

• 2024 avg. salary: $985,000

• Who is he? Washington is a restricted free agent unlikely to escape the Ravens’ clutches after emerging as a walloping force in Zach Orr’s secondary.

50. DL Levi Onwuzurike

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,037,223

• Who is he? Onwuzurike is a useful pass-rushing interior lineman who has yet to reach his potential thanks to injuries that marred his first three seasons as a pro.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,610,000

• Who is he? Dobbins’s injury woes threatened to cut short a promising career. Moving to Los Angeles cleared him to run for 900-plus yards in only 13 games.

52. S Jeremy Chinn

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,105,000

• Who is he? Chinn is a downfield missile who needs to play next to a reliable free safety but can be an absolute asset in the right defense.

53. DL Javon Hargrave

• 2024 avg. salary: $21,000,000

• Who is he? Hargrave isn’t officially a free agent, but the Niners have made it clear they play to designate him a post-June 1 release. He’ll be 32 years old and played just three games last fall, but remains a pass-rushing stalwart who makes the most of his interior pressure.

54. LB Bobby Wagner

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,500,000

• Who is he? Wagner is declining as he nears his late-30s, but he’s a future Hall of Famer with the intelligence to find the shortcuts that make up for any waning athleticism.

55. G Kevin Zeitler

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,000,000

• Who is he? Zeitler continues to be a rampart in pass protection. His value as a puller may be a concern as he gets older, but he remains a rock solid starter.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,255,000

• Who is he? Dowdle seized his opportunity with more than 1,000 rushing yards in his first season as a starter. He projects as an above-average runner for the foreseeable future.

57. EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,250,000

• Who is he? Fowler was a much-needed pass rushing presence for a needy Washington defense, racking up 10.5 sacks while barely playing more than 50 percent of the Commanders’ defensive snaps.

58. G Brandon Scherff

• 2024 avg. salary: $10,000,000

• Who is he? Scherff isn’t the stalwart he once was, but he can still be a viable veteran leader in the interior of the line.

59. QB Russell Wilson

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,210,000

• Who is he? Wilson waned as 2024 wore on, but his back-shoulder moon balls still provided drive-sustaining pass interference penalties and he could be a useful stopgap option.

60. RB Najee Harris

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,261,861

• Who is he? Harris’s best availability may be his availability, but you could do worse than an average, experienced running back capable of churning out tough yards.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,044,475

• Who is he? Moore is still coming into his own as a starter but could be a multi-year solution for the team that can maximize his good-not-great athleticism and consistency.

62. EDGE Baron Browning

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,168,944

• Who is he? Browning is a rotational pass rusher who generated pressure on nearly 15 percent of his snaps last fall. At 26 years old, he retains the capacity to make a leap forward in 2025.

63. CB Brandon Stephens

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,170,433

• Who is he? Stephens declined after former coordinator Mike Macdonald left, but the corner still has juice left to be squoze.

64. S Justin Simmons

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,500,000

• Who is he? Is Simmons about to hit an age-related decline? Or were his lapses in Atlanta the function of moving to a new defense that failed to maximize his talent?

65. DL Tershawn Wharton

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,742,500

• Who is he? Wharton is a situational pass-rusher from the middle of the line who generated a career-high 35 pressures in 2024.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,790,000

• Who is he? Ford’s brief stopover in Los Angeles proved he could still be the kind of underrated presence he was at his best as a Seahawk.

67. G Aaron Banks

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,768,402

• Who is he? Banks is relatively young in a group of older free agent guards, and while he brings injury concerns he’s a solid puller who keeps lanes open when given space.

68. WR DeAndre Hopkins

• 2024 avg. salary: $13,000,000

• Who is he? He’s long in the tooth, but Hopkins’ 1.86 yards per route run was right next to Jordan Addison in the NFL leaderboard, which suggests he’s still creating his own space for clutch throws.

69. CB Donte Jackson

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,000,000

• Who is he? Jackson seemed like a throw-in to the Diontae Johnson trade but played his best football since 2020 last fall, holding quarterbacks to a 69.4 passer rating when targeted thanks to five interceptions.

70. DL B.J. Hill

• 2024 avg. salary: $10,000,000

• Who is he? Hill is useful against the run or pass and can remain a three-down presence and veteran leader in the middle of the line.

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,985,000

• Who is he? Hoecht is a high-effort outside linebacker who can get to the quarterback and provide valuable depth in the pass rushing rotation or fill in as a starter.

72. CB Stephon Gilmore

• 2024 avg. salary: $7,000,000

• Who is he? Gilmore is still doing the dang thing, even as his late 30s approach. He allowed 7.1 yards per target last fall — one of his worst marks, but still better than the league average of 7.4.

73. LB Robert Spillane

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,500,000

• Who is he? Spillane is a workhorse with coverage concerns but a valuable presence in the middle of the field.

74. CB Benjamin St-Juste

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,275,190

• Who is he? Can he return to his peak of “pretty good” from 2022 to 2023?

75. WR Tim Patrick

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,125,000

• Who is he? Patrick was finally healthy in 2024 and returned to his role as a valuable possession receiver capable of occasional eye-opening performances.

• 2024 avg. salary: $5,150,000

• Who is he? Mekari can play anywhere on the offensive line and did across six seasons in Baltimore.

77. WR Keenan Allen

• 2024 avg. salary: $20,025,000

• Who is he? Allen’s impact waned in Chicago, which was a bad scene for pretty much everyone involved. He’s on to the “crafty veteran” stage of his career.

78. LB Tyrel Dodson

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,260,000

• Who is he? Dodson isn’t great against the run, but he’s a useful addition on passing downs who may still have a second gear yet to be found.

79. CB Elijah Molden

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,196,463

• Who is he? Molden was a bit of a mess as a Titan but rebuilt his value with a single season under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles (62.6 passer rating allowed).

80. TE Juwan Johnson

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,005,000

• Who is he? Johnson isn’t the kind of in-line blocker who’ll clear a path with aplomb, but he can get open up the seam and use his big frame to create easy gains.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,258,014

• Who is he? Palmer keeps standing atop a breakthrough that hasn’t happened, though he has the talent and efficiency to be a proper WR2 for the team that maximizes his potential.

82. T Morgan Moses

• 2024 avg. salary: $5,000,000

• Who is he? Moses shows up, blocks fellas, and mostly stays anonymous the way you want an offensive tackle to be.

83. DL Jarran Reed

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,500,000

• Who is he? Reed is a veteran pass-rushing interior tackle who may be beyond his peak but still capable of providing good snaps.

84. G Cade Mays

• 2024 avg. salary: $985,000

• Who is he? Mays is an unexciting but useful starting center who is better in pass protection than he is clearing run lanes.

85. TE Zach Ertz

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,000,000

• Who is he? Ertz keeps ticking even as he chugs through his 30s; his seven touchdown catches in 2024 were his most since 2018.

• 2024 avg. salary: $8,500,000

• Who is he? David probably won’t be leaving Tampa and will eventually start to look his age. He’s still better — and faster — than you expect.

87. DL Adam Butler

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,800,000

• Who is he? Butler isn’t a household name but continues to provide above average defense against both the run and pass, ranking in the top 20 for both pass rush and run stuff win rates, per ESPN.

88. WR Dyami Brown

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,236,000

• Who is he? Brown came on late to give Jayden Daniels a game-changing safety valve. Was that a sign of things to come with competent quarterbacking, or an outlier for a player with fewer than 60 career NFL regular season receptions.

89. WR Mack Hollins

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,600,000

• Who is he? Hollins does the little things thanks to good hands and solid blocking. He’s also a lunatic who shows up to games barefoot and dressed like various Muppets.

90. G Dalton Risner

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,410,000

• Who is he? Risner is getting older but remains an above average presence in the middle of the line, though he may be limited to a depth role this fall.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,693,729

• Who is he? Ojulari failed to live up to his draft status but still has room to grow as a pass rushing specialist.

92. EDGE Marcus Davenport

• 2024 avg. salary: $6,500,000

• Who is he? Davenport has played just six games the last two seasons and it may have taken a toll on his athleticism as he nears 30. But he has 12 pressures and 2.5 sacks in those games, which suggests there’s still juice to be squeezed here.

93. EDGE Dennis Gardeck

• 2024 avg. salary: $3,333,333

• Who is he? Gardeck was a local hero in Arizona and could still have value as a part-time pass rusher and chaos creator.

94. EDGE Chauncey Golston

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,229,147

• Who is he? Golston’s 5.5 sacks were a career best, but came along a drop in pressure rate, from 10 to seven percent. What happens if Micah Parsons isn’t around to take away blocking focus?

95. CB Nate Hobbs

• 2024 avg. salary: $945,763

• Who is he? Hobbs is best served covering from the slot, where he can erase short throws and take away quarterbacks’ insurance policies over the middle.

• 2024 avg. salary: $937,612

• Who is he? Pinnock was not a solution for the Giants’ awful 2024 secondary, but acquitted himself well enough in 2023 (74.8 passer rating allowed) to be worth a look in a more functional secondary.

97. LB E.J. Speed

• 2024 avg. salary: $4,000,000

• Who is he? Speed’s play helped extinguish the Shaquille Leonard era in Indianapolis. He backslid in 2024, but he remains a veteran starter at a position of need across the league.

98. RB Nick Chubb

• 2024 avg. salary: $2,275,000

• Who is he? Chubb was greatly diminished in 2024 after coming back from the ACL tear that ended his 2023. He’s got the kind of mileage that spells the end of a running back’s career. Will another year of rehab get him looking like his former self?

99. S Harrison Smith

• 2024 avg. salary: $9,000,000

• Who is he? Smith is likely deciding between returning to the Vikings for a 14th season or retiring. The sour end of Minnesota’s 2024 could bring him back for one last ride.

100. P Ryan Rehkow

• 2024 avg. salary: $795,000

• Who is he? Rehkow ranked sixth in the NFL in net yards per punt (43.3). There’s more touchbacks than you’d like in his game, but he’s a skilled punter.

• 2024 avg. salary: $1,125,000

• Who is he? Daniel Jones is, famously, Daniel Jones.