Every winter, the list of NFL free agents looks tantalizing. And every March, the list shrinks considerably due to extensions and franchise tags. 2023 will be no different.
This year’s class, on paper, is loaded. And a team with enough cap space — like, say, the Chicago Bears — could build a Super Bowl contender with the players scheduled to hit free agency next spring. But much can and will happen between now and then.
With that in mind, here’s a snapshot in time of the 2023 NFL free agents, broken down by position.
2023 NFL Free Agents by Position | Offense
Future Hall of Famers, All-Pros, solid starters, and under-the-radar value signings — the group of 2023 NFL free agents has it all. It’s not every day Tom Brady hits the open market (assuming he wants to return for a 24th season).
While the quarterbacks get all the attention, the real strength of this year’s class is at running back and on the offensive line.
Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson would probably become the highest-paid player in NFL history if he reaches the open market. Spoiler alert: He will not. The Baltimore Ravens will franchise tag him if a deal isn’t reached by March 7. He’s simply too valuable to let walk.
The real drama will be where Jimmy Garoppolo, Geno Smith, and Taylor Heinicke end up. They all played well enough in 2023 to earn snaps somewhere — either with their current teams or a new one.
- Tom Brady
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Teddy Bridgewater
Miami Dolphins - Jacoby Brissett
Cleveland Browns - Andy Dalton
New Orleans Saints - Sam Darnold
Carolina Panthers - Joe Flacco
New York Jets - Jimmy Garoppolo
San Francisco 49ers - Taylor Heinicke
Washington Commanders - Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens - Case Keenum
Buffalo Bills - Gardner Minshew
Philadelphia Eagles - Mason Rudolph
Pittsburgh Steelers - Cooper Rush
Dallas Cowboys - Geno Smith
Seattle Seahawks - Mike White
New York Jets
Wide Receiver
The avalanche of receiver trades and/or extensions in the spring and summer of 2022 drained the talent from what was shaping up to be an incredible wide receiver class.
Imagine the following group, but with also Davante Adams, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel.
- Nelson Agholor
New England Patriots - Parris Campbell
Indianapolis Colts - DeAndre Carter
Los Angeles Chargers - DJ Chark
Detroit Lions - Randall Cobb
Green Bay Packers - Mecole Hardman
Kansas City Chiefs - Mack Hollins
Las Vegas Raiders - Juwan Johnson
New Orleans Saints - Jarvis Landry
New Orleans Saints - Allen Lazard
Green Bay Packers - Jakobi Meyers
New England Patriots - Sterling Shepard
New York Giants - Trent Sherfield
Miami Dolphins - JuJu Smith-Schuster
Kansas City Chiefs - Olamide Zaccheaus
Atlanta Falcons
Running Backs
This year will test the discipline of general managers when it comes to running back contracts. The biggest AAV’s currently on the books — Christian McCaffrey is earning $16 million annually, Ezekiel Elliott and Alvin Kamara $15 million each, and Dalvin Cook $12.6 million) — all are from 2020 or before.
But with Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard both coming off of monster contract years, those players could soon have some company, particularly with a salary cap estimated at around $225 million.
- Saquon Barkley
New York Giants - D’Onta Foreman
Carolina Panthers - Damien Harris
New England Patriots - Darrell Henderson Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Kareem Hunt
Cleveland Browns - Josh Jacobs
Las Vegas Raiders - David Montgomery
Chicago Bears - Raheem Mostert
Miami Dolphins - Rashaad Penny
Seattle Seahawks - Samaje Perine
Cincinnati Bengals - Tony Pollard
Dallas Cowboys - Miles Sanders
Philadelphia Eagles - Devin Singletary
Buffalo Bills - Jamaal Williams
Detroit Lions - Jeff Wilson Jr.
Miami Dolphins
Tight Ends
This year’s crop of tight ends is basically two classes in one. Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki played under the franchise tag in 2022, but it’s unlikely either will be tagged again in 2023.
Which is good news for teams needing a tight end. Beyond the top handful of players, there aren’t many significant names in this year’s class.
- Jordan Akins
Houston Texans - Evan Engram
Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Gesicki
Miami Dolphins - Austin Hooper
Tennessee Titans - Hayden Hurst
Cincinnati Bengals - Foster Moreau
Las Vegas Raiders - Dalton Schultz
Dallas Cowboys - Adam Shaheen
Miami Dolphins - Irv Smith Jr.
Minnesota Vikings - Robert Tonyan
Green Bay Packers
Offensive Line
The depth of this offensive line class is impressive. Among the biggest names: Orlando Brown Jr., a multiple-time Pro Bowler traded by the Ravens to the Chiefs in early 2021.
The Chiefs and Brown were unable to reach a contract extension ahead of the July 2022 deadline for players on the tag and probably cannot afford to tag him again. Tagging him again would cost the Chiefs in the neighborhood of $20 million.
- Kelvin Beachum
Arizona Cardinals - Garrett Bradbury
Minnesota Vikings - Orlando Brown Jr.
Kansas City Chiefs - Nate Davis
Tennessee Titans - Andre Dillard
Philadelphia Eagles - David Edwards
Los Angeles Rams - George Fant
New York Jets - Cameron Fleming
Denver Broncos - Kaleb McGary
Atlanta Falcons - Connor McGovern
New York Jets - Mike McGlinchey
San Francisco 49ers - Mitch Morse
Buffalo Bills - Ethan Pocic
Cleveland Browns - Dalton Risner
Denver Broncos - Wes Schweitzer
Washington Commanders - Isaac Seumalo
Philadelphia Eagles - Jawaan Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars - Billy Turner
Denver Broncos - Isaiah Wynn
New England Patriots
2023 NFL Free Agents by Position | Defense
A loaded collection of defensive backs and some of the most recognizable front seven names of the last decade highlight a deep and talented group of defensive 2023 NFL free agents.
Defensive Line
There isn’t an Aaron Donald or a Jeffery Simmons in this batch of trench warriors, but teams in need of defensive line help can certainly find it here.
- Zach Allen
Arizona Cardinals - Fletcher Cox
Philadelphia Eagles - Poona Ford
Seattle Seahawks - Javon Hargrave
Philadelphia Eagles - Akiem Hicks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Matt Ioannidis
Carolina Panthers - David Onyemata
New Orleans Saints - Daron Payne
Washington Commanders - Sheldon Rankins
New York Jets - Jarran Reed
Green Bay Packers - A’Shawn Robinson
Los Angeles Rams - Dalvin Tomlinson
Minnesota Vikings
EDGE
Justin Houston proved that age is just a number, at least for pass rushers. But the real gems of this year’s class include a couple of talented 49ers and the G-men’s X-man.
- Lorenzo Carter
Atlanta Falcons - Jadeveon Clowney
Cleveland Browns - Marcus Davenport
New Orleans Saints - Samson Ebukam
San Francisco 49ers - Justin Houston
Baltimore Ravens - Melvin Ingram
Miami Dolphins - Dre’Mont Jones
Denver Broncos - Yannick Ngakoue
Indianapolis Colts - Charles Omenihu
San Francisco 49ers - J.J. Watt
Arizona Cardinals - Oshane Ximines
New York Giants
Linebackers
Wow, what an excellent group of linebackers about to get paid. Lavonte David was an All-Pro in 2021. Roquan Smith — traded by the Bears to the Ravens — is an All-Pro seemingly every year.
The Ravens will tag Smith if they have to, but even still, this will be a talented and deep group.
- Alex Anzalone
Detroit Lions - Cody Barton
Seattle Seahawks - Lavonte David
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tremaine Edmunds
Buffalo Bills - T.J. Edwards
Philadelphia Eagles - Rashaan Evans
Atlanta Falcons - Deion Jones
Cleveland Browns - David Long
Tennessee Titans - Bobby Okereke
Indianapolis Colts - Alex Singleton
Denver Broncos - Roquan Smith
Baltimore Ravens - Drue Tranquill
Los Angeles Chargers - Leighton Vander Esch
Dallas Cowboys
Defensive Backs
A big reason why passing was down in 2022? The quality of coverage men has gone way up. This is a loaded class of defensive backs that includes a number of stars who would have hit the open market last year if not for the franchise tag.
- Jessie Bates III
Cincinnati Bengals - Vonn Bell
Cincinnati Bengals - James Bradberry
Philadelphia Eagles - Anthony Brown
Dallas Cowboys - Jamel Dean
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Terrell Edmunds
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Edwards
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Rashad Fenton
Atlanta Falcons - Mike Hughes
Detroit Lions - Jonathan Jones
New England Patriots - Emmanuel Moseley
San Francisco 49ers - Byron Murphy
Arizona Cardinals - Sean Murphy-Bunting
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jordan Poyer
Buffalo Bills - Cameron Sutton
Pittsburgh Steelers - Greedy Williams
Cleveland Browns - Rock Ya-Sin
Las Vegas Raiders