NFL Free Agents – Skill Positions

NFL teams have finished their examinations of their own performance from the 2024 season, and it’s all about going forward to 2025 at this point. Improving the roster through free agency and the draft are the primary goals for all 32 teams.

Free agency provides the best chance to make a big splash for established players. Finding established star players at the skilled positions is not an easy task, but finding the right player who can fit a team’s system is the primary assignment for NFL general managers when sifting through the available players.

Sam Darnold was not a star at this point last year, but the Minnesota Vikings signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract even though he had six undistinguished seasons under his belt with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers

Nevertheless, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell thought he would be the right quarterback to back up a high-profile rookie signal caller. The Vikings had parted ways with veteran Kirk Cousins and the plan was to draft one of the top rookie quarterbacks in the draft. They selected J.J. McCarthy from Michigan, and the idea was that Darnold would man the position until McCarthy was ready before the midway point of the season.

A meniscus injury suffered by McCarthy in the preseason scuttled those plans and Darnold was Minnesota’s starting quarterback for a full season. He had the best year of his career, as he completed 361 of 545 passes for 4,319 yard with 35 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.

Darnold is one of the best players who will be available to sign March 12 at the start of free agency unless the Vikings franchise him and trade him to a team that needs a starting quarterback.

Jacoby Brissett of the Patriots, Justin Fields of the Steelers and aging veteran Aaron Rodgers are some of the other high-profile quarterbacks who will be available in free agency.

Running back Najee Harris of the Steelers should be able to help several teams upgrade their running attack.

The fourth-year running back from Alabama is not a superstar, but he has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his seasons. He carried the ball 263 times for 1,043 yards with 6 touchdowns last season and he also caught 36 passes for 283 yards.

Harris is not a true breakaway threat as he has never had a run longer than 37 yards in his career. However, Harris has never missed a game, playing and starting all 68 games in his four years with Pittsburgh. He has been quite dependable and he could thrive at an even higher level with a new team.

Aaron Jones of the Vikings, J.K. Dobbins of the Chargers, Rico Dowdle of the Cowboys and Nick Chubb of the Browns are some of the other top running backs available in free agency.

Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins could have the biggest impact of any non-quarterback in free agency. He has partnered with Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati at the WR position and he has been a game-changer for quarterback Joe Burrow.

Higgins has wonderful size, length and strength at 6-4 and 219 pounds. The fifth-year receiver from Clemson wants to be paid as a No. 1 receiver and that was never going to happen with the Bengals.

Higgins has had two seasons with 1,000 yards or more in 2021 and 2022, and he has shown that he has the ability to make the big catch at the end of the game. Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and a career-best 10 touchdown receptions in 2024 and he is hungry to become a dominant player with the right team.

Davante Adams of the Jets, Amari Cooper of the Bills, Marquise Brown of the Chiefs and Chris Godwin of the Buccaneers are some of the other highly skilled wideouts who will be available in free agency.

Tight ends Evan Engram of the Jaguars and Zach Ertz of the Commanders are the two best tight ends who are likely to be available in free agency.

Engram is only one year removed from his remarkable 2023 season when he caught 114 passes for 963 yards and 4 touchdowns. Injuries limited him to 47-365-1 last year, but the 8-year veteran from Mississippi is still a dangerous player.

Ertz became one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite receivers with the Commanders. Ertz is a proven talent who has 12 years of experience — he also played for the Eagles and Cardinals — and has shown the ability to get open and make big plays. He caught 66-654-7 with Washington last season and 38 of his receptions resulted in first downs.

Noah Fant of the Seahawks, Mike Gesicki of the Bengals and Johnny Mundt of the Vikings are three of the other tight ends available in free agency.