Let's tell it like it is: The 2025 free agent class is not very good. The best names were Tee Higgins and Trey Smith, neither of whom made it beyond the franchise tag stage. On ESPN's top 100 list, the best remaining players are Ronnie Stanley, a 31-year-old tackle with a tough injury history; D.J. Reed, the CB2 from the Jets looking for a CB1 job; Chris Godwin, who ... well, Godwin is actually very good and I would pay him a lot of money (but even he is 29 with an injury history). Sam Darnold ranks fourth.
This is bad news for fans of cellar-dwelling teams looking for a one-year makeover, but those rarely work anyway. It is, however, excellent news for sharp teams. The competitive edge in this free agent class isn't the size of the wallet, but the keen eye of the evaluator. Though there aren't any slam dunk players, there is plenty of value to be had in the second, third and fourth tiers of NFL starters. Remember: The Eagles' defense did not ascend to Super Bowl heights because of the $51 million they gave edge rusher Bryce Huff last offseason, but the $3.5 million they gave linebacker Zack Baun. Great free agency wins are more often on the margins than they are in the center.
The list of potential free agent steals is massive -- so many players can improve as they recover from injury, join competitive teams or fit into new schemes. I distilled my list down to 14 players. Some are household names who are simply underappreciated in the current free agent discourse; some are indie bands you might not have heard of yet, but they're going to blow up once people start listening to their music.
Here are my steals for the 2025 class:
coverage:
Grading biggest deals | Best available free agents
Offense free agent tiers | Defense free agent tiers
Franchise tag deadline winners, losers
CB Carlton Davis III
2024 team: Detroit Lions | Age entering 2025 season: 28