Even after all the NFL free agency moves we've seen so far, there is a pretty substantial list of talented players still available.
What follows is the remnant of ESPN's original top 100 free agents. The list includes players whose contracts expired or voided, or whose deals were terminated early because of salary-cap or performance issues. It does not cover restricted or exclusive free agents, for whom the original teams have the right of first refusal. Players who have received the franchise tag are also excluded, even though they technically could be acquired in exchange for two first-round draft choices and the consent of the original team.
As always, our ranking is skewed toward players coming off their first contracts -- at the free-agent sweet spot of about 26 years old -- and takes into consideration that some positions are much more valued on the open market than others. Pass-rushers and quarterbacks are more sought after on the market than running backs and off-ball linebackers, at least for most teams, and we've tried to keep that in mind in establishing the rankings.
Let's jump in, with the best available players still unsigned. Who's next to join a new team?
1. Tyrann Mathieu, S
2021 team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2022 season: 30
Mathieu has been named to the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons with the Chiefs and was named an All-Pro as recently as 2020. He has played out his $42 million deal and is young enough to get another payday, even if his best years are behind him. His 13 interceptions over those three years are tied for the fifth most in the NFL over that period.
2. Jadeveon Clowney, DE
2021 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2022 season: 29
An annual addition to this list, Clowney has changed teams three times in the past three seasons. His nine-sack performance for the Browns in 2021 was his best since 2018 and ensured that he will be in demand this spring, as well. Going year to year in the NFL isn't for everyone, but Clowney has earned nearly $36 million in his path from Houston to Seattle to Tennessee to Cleveland -- with more to come.
3. Stephon Gilmore, CB
2021 team: New England Patriots/Carolina Panthers | Age entering 2022 season: 31
When the Patriots decided against signing him to a significant contract extension, Gilmore got himself traded to the Panthers. He was largely buried in the Panthers' second-half swoon, but in the right environment, he would provide a veteran anchor who can still play press-man coverage for a defensive backfield.
4. Landon Collins, S
2021 team: Washington Commanders | Age entering 2022 season: 28
Collins' tenure in Washington was a huge disappointment for a variety of reasons, including a torn Achilles tendon that cost him nine games in 2020. While he has always taken pride in playing safety, you wonder if his future is with a team that can create a hybrid position that uses him more as a tackler and pass-rusher than in coverage.
5. Jarvis Landry, WR
2021 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2022 season: 29
Landry had the least productive season of his career in 2021, but it was still a testament to the extraordinary numbers he had put up previously. In 12 games, some of which he played through with significant injuries, he caught 52 passes for 570 yards and two touchdowns. It's not outrageous to wonder whether his physical style of play will shorten the peak of his career, but Landry at 75 percent would still be a valuable player.
6. Duane Brown, OT
2021 team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2022 season: 37
It's certainly unusual to include on this list a player who will be 37 when the season begins, but Brown remains a very good player at a position where the NFL experiences an annual shortage. He has missed only four starts in four seasons since the Seahawks acquired him in 2018, all of which came in 2019, and he would be a strong option for a team seeking a short-term fill-in at left tackle.
7. Odell Beckham Jr., WR
2021 team: Cleveland Browns/Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 29
Beckham's torn ACL in the Super Bowl will complicate his expected trip into free agency. You're not going to see too many teams rush to pursue a player who not only has a history of multiple ACL tears but has also forced his way out of two NFL teams before the age of 30.
8. Rob Gronkowski, TE
2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 33
Yes, he will soon turn 33. And you're right, it has always seemed a near certainty that he would play next season only if it were alongside quarterback Tom Brady. But that doesn't mean Gronkowski isn't among the NFL's top players with expiring contracts. Even though he played in four fewer games, Gronk's pass-catching production increased in 2021 compared to 2020. He has caught 13 touchdowns passes among 166 targets over the past two seasons.
9. Terrell Edmunds, S
2021 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2022 season: 25
Edmunds is not the most well known of the Steelers' 2021 starting safeties, and he's not the most talented, either. (Minkah Fitzpatrick holds both of those titles.) The Steelers, in fact, declined Edmunds' fifth-year option last spring. But he had his best season in 2021, starting all 17 games and setting a career high with eight tackles for loss.
10. JC Tretter, C
2021 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2022 season: 31
The Browns released Tretter after five years, but he had a really strong season in 2021 and should be able to help another team for several years to come. He ranked No. 3 among centers in ESPN's pass block win rate (96.7%) and No. 2 in run block win rate (72.4%). A team looking for a veteran center might not find a better free-agent option.
11. Akiem Hicks, DT
2021 team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2022 season: 32
When healthy, Hicks was the Bears' most disruptive defensive player in 2021. His quickness, even after he turned 30, makes him quite difficult for interior linemen to block. But Hicks has had trouble staying on the field. He missed eight games last season and 11 in 2019 because of injuries and a trip to the COVID-19 list. At this point, he should be considered a part-time player who can be effective in short bursts.
12. Calais Campbell, DE
2021 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2022 season: 36
Entering his age-36 season, Campbell has all the intangibles to prop up what is still a productive on-field game. He started 14 games for the Ravens last season, he is one of the NFL's most respected locker room leaders, and his 6-foot-8 frame can come in handy for creative special teams coaches.
13. Eric Fisher, OT
2021 team: Indianapolis Colts | Age entering 2022 season: 31
Fisher settled for a one-year deal with the Colts last season as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and he went on to play 15 mostly mediocre games for them. It's telling that the Colts are apparently ready to move on, despite the relative dearth of starting-caliber left tackles in the league. But there is little doubt that Fisher will find a job.
14. Daryl Williams, OT/G
2021 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2022 season: 30
Williams started every game for the Bills over the past two seasons, shifting from tackle to guard in 2021, but was released to give the Bills some temporary cap relief. It's not out of the question that he returns to Buffalo at a lower number, but in the meantime, he is an attractive potential starter at multiple positions.
15. Dont'a Hightower, ILB
2021 team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2022 season: 32
Hightower started 15 games in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19, and he showed he could still have an impact. Pro Football Focus credited him with 18 quarterback pressures, the fourth most in the NFL for off-ball linebackers. But the recent history of Patriots free agents signing elsewhere, especially linebackers, is not great.
16. Justin Houston, OLB
2021 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2022 season: 33
Houston's 4.5 sacks in 2021 were his fewest for any season in which he has played more than five games, and his age has reached a point where at least some teams will shy away. But he proved he can still be an effective pass-rusher. Houston finished the year ranked No. 14 among edge rushers in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric (19.2%).
17. Jerry Hughes, DE
2021 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2022 season: 34
Hughes is another entry in a long list of aging pass-rushers who might still have a little bit left in their careers. He managed just two sacks in 2021, his lowest total since he was a part-time player for the Colts in 2011, but he ranked No. 11 among edge rushers in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric (21.2%).
18. Melvin Ingram III, OLB
2021 team: Pittsburgh Steelers/Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2022 season: 33
Ingram showed a little bit of life after forcing his way out of Pittsburgh after six games, but he finished the season with two sacks and tied for No. 43 among edge rushers in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric (10.1%). He'll get some looks.
19. Steven Nelson, CB
2021 team: Philadelphia Eagles | Age entering 2022 season: 29
After a one-year stint with the Eagles, it's possible Nelson will be looking for his fourth team in five seasons. The good news is that he has managed to stay healthy and hold down a starting job ever since his four-interception performance for the Chiefs in 2018.
20. Cole Beasley, WR
2021 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2022 season: 33
Beasley drew attention last season for his outspoken views on the NFL's protocols for unvaccinated players, but ultimately he showed that he is still one of the league's top slot receivers. He tied his career high with 82 receptions. Both sides probably need a fresh start.
21. Anthony Barr, ILB
2021 team: Minnesota Vikings | Age entering 2022 season: 30
Barr signed with the Jets during his last foray into free agency in 2019 before reversing his decision and returning to the Vikings. The first draft pick of former coach Mike Zimmer's tenure, Barr seems more likely to move on this season. He is a versatile player, but he has had a hard time staying on the field (20 missed games in the past two seasons) and has never been used in a pass-rushing role that would elevate his free-agent value.
22. Bryce Callahan, CB
2021 team: Denver Broncos | Age entering 2022 season: 30
What to make of a 30-year-old cornerback who has never made it through a season healthy? Callahan's performance when he has been on the field -- he has played between nine and 13 games in each of his six seasons -- has been good enough to merit looks from teams seeking a short-term answer or veteran depth.
23. DeShon Elliott, S
2021 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2022 season: 25
Elliott hasn't played much -- 16 of his 28 game appearances came in the 2020 season -- and he missed 11 games last season because of a biceps injury. But he has been impressive enough when on the field to merit a look.
24. Ereck Flowers, G
2021 team: Washington Commanders | Age entering 2022 season: 28
Flowers has changed rosters four times in the past four seasons, as teams chase the undeniable physical skills that originally made him the Giants' first-round draft pick in 2015. He has seemed to find a home at guard in recent years and is still young enough to envision continued interest around the league.
25. Riley Reiff, OT
2021 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2022 season: 33
Reiff is never anyone's first choice as a starting offensive lineman, but he has made a career out of being good enough to get by at multiple positions for three different teams. As a free agent in this cycle, he has a résumé that shows he made the shift from left tackle to right tackle. An ankle injury kept him out of the Bengals' Super Bowl run last season, but he has managed to make at least 12 starts in every season after his rookie debut in 2012.
26. Joe Haden, CB
2021 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2022 season: 33
It's tough to put too much stock in a cornerback of this age who went without an interception last season for the first time in six years. But Haden could be a short-term fix for a team that has a chance to push deep into the playoffs in 2022.
27. Ndamukong Suh, DT
2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 35
It has been said before but bears repeating: Suh has a remarkable physical skill set. He has never missed an NFL game due to injury, and the only games he has missed for any reason came in 2011 because of a suspension. Even as he approaches the second half of his 30s, Suh is very much a viable starting defensive tackle.
28. Kyle Van Noy, ILB
2021 team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2022 season: 31
Van Noy has now been released in two consecutive seasons, by the Dolphins in 2020 and now the Patriots. He actually played decent last season, but the Patriots deemed his salary-cap figure too high for 2022. There is a recent history of Patriots linebackers failing to find success elsewhere, and Van Noy is now looking to make the fourth change of teams in his career. But he can still be a reliable veteran presence.
29. Julio Jones, WR
2021 team: Tennessee Titans | Age entering 2022 season: 33
There is reason to wonder if Jones can make it through a full NFL season at this point. If not, is he worth signing with an eye toward the playoffs? He missed seven games in each of the past two seasons and just turned an age when most outside receivers have slowed down considerably. This list would look weird without him on it, but there won't be teams knocking over each other to sign him.
30. Larry Ogunjobi, DT
2021 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2022 season: 28
Ogunjobi had a productive year after moving from the Browns to the Bengals, recording a career-high seven sacks. After failing a physical with the Bears, he finds himself back on this list -- but his market might not be massive.