Bill Belichick be shopping in NFL free agency. He has instantly reloaded New England's air weapons (Jonnu Smith, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne) and their pass-rushing attack (Matt Judon). Fun fact, Hunter Henry would have made this list, but he got signed while this was being written.
In a word, this NFL free-agent class is deep, and teams are moving in. Tampa Bay's scariest pieces have bought in, Kansas City nabbed the best lineman in the class, and Belichick is still big-game hunting.
Now, the furious first day and change of NFL free agency still leaves some valuable pieces left on the table for teams to grab. Let's see who the best names are left on the board.
10. Mitchell Schwartz, OT
Now, here's the thing about Mitchell Schwartz: back injuries are no joke.
Regardless of that, Schwartz is the best right tackle in this class and is only two years removed from a stellar Super Bowl run in Kansas City. He is a born winner and a gigantic body. Invest in your training and recover staff, and see him absolutely anchor your offensive line.
9. Mike Hilton, CB
This is simple: if you can take a defensive Steeler, you take a defensive Steeler.
Mike Hilton doesn't have the talent or athleticism of Desmond King or Richard Sherman, but he has as much dog and twice the heart of anyone in this lass. Imagine clawing your way to the top of the Steelers' defensive depth chart from the practice squad. Given his unique specialization in slot coverage, he is bound to command huge amounts of value going forward.
Pick him up. Now.
8. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE
Here's the thing about Clowney: he's not young anymore. Which, in his case, is not a bad thing!
While it's unlikely he'll ever be truly great in a pass rush, he remains as one of the very best run stuffers in recent memory. He's quick, he's huge, and he hits hard.
Clowney can potentially earn himself a king's ransom in the short term, but at 28 years of age, he still has plenty left in the tank. He has the tools and motor to remain elite at what he does for the next few years.
7. Richard Sherman, CB
One of the elder statesmen of this group of NFL free agents, Richard Sherman can still play, even after dealing with injuries last season.
For teams that are already loaded with young athletes, Sherman provides a great locker room presence who can still show the kids how it's done. As his athleticism has declined, he has managed to get even better with his reads, which makes him a great short-term wild card for a win-now team to spend on.
6. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
Lost out on Kenny Golladay? Outbid for Will Fuller? Guess what: your consolation prize is JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The jury is still out on whether or not JuJu can function as the primary option on an NFL offense, as he was booted back into the slot by Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool this past season. There are questions about his maturity as well on the field after some weirdly bad looks as the season went on.
But he is only 24, is only a few years removed from being a PFF darling, and is still the best pure slot receiver in this class, with potential for more.
Take him and watch as he flourishes. At the very least, you'll have a new legion of 12-15-year-old fans to sell jerseys to.
5. Desmond King, CB
This year's free-agency period is just brimming with perimeter talent, on both sides of the football.
It was only a few years ago that King was a no-questions-asked All-Pro as a defensive stud on a Chargers team that went 12-4. Two years later, he was traded to the Titans for some loose change and Dyer's burgers, and he disappointed with his new team in comparison. This has brought up some concerns, albeit valid, about his attitude in the locker room and toward teammates.
But let's look at another talented CB who needed to find a home to keep his attitude in check and maximize his skills: Jalen Ramsey.
Yes, Desmond King's tools are on that level. Get him a good dancing partner, and he's good to go.
4. Anthony Harris, S
Another player who has been working in relative obscurity, Anthony Harris has been one of the lynchpins of Minnesota's incredible coverage defense over the past few years. That obscurity comes from the fact that the aforementioned vaunted defense took a measurable step back last season.
But Harris is still in his athletic prime, and he reads eyes and routes like a psychic, at the same time on most days. Anthony Harris is that rare blend of raw athletic talent on defense and the brains with which to leverage it.
Any team looking for name recognition with Richard Sherman on the market would do much better to take this younger and more athletic mirror version of him.
3. Trent Williams, OT
Slotting Williams here is primarily due to age and wear questions. After all, how much more tread could there possibly be on 32-year-old tires?
In Williams' case? Probably a good bit.
Trent Williams enters free agency this year a little underrated after two years of anonymity. There was that long holdout in Washington, and then the 49ers regressed mightily last season without a continuous signal caller to protect. But the tools are there.
At 32, Trent Williams is coming off a 91.9 PFF grade (hasn't scored in the 60s since his rookie year), and apparently intends to play until he's 39. Who are we to doubt him?
And if nothing else, with Joe Thuney off the market, Williams is easily the best option for any team looking to shore up their offensive line before the draft (*cough*Giants*cough*).
2. Will Fuller, WR
If you haven't watched Will Fuller play football, or at least paid attention, have you been missing out.
Outside of Tyreek Hill, Fuller might just have the best end-to-end speed among all wide receivers in the NFL, and that's with his injury history.
This offseason is as good as any to go bobbing for apples (read: WRs), and Will Fuller is among the best. Period. He is young, he is athletic, he proved himself a bit as a primary talent last season, and the butterfingers he had in college are an absolute non-issue now.
While he was suspended last season for performance-enhancing substances, you should still get him while he's hot.
1. Kenny Golladay, WR
This comes a bit as a surprise, but is probably understandable. No doubt Golladay's team is trying to maximize whatever deal he is offered, and they are willing to wait as long as possible to do so.
And for good reason. Golladay is one of the biggest deep threats in the league when he is healthy: huge, athletic, and with great hands. But he also has the skill to run very precise routes, enabling him to be placed almost anywhere on the field.
Whoever is lucky enough to snap him up instantly levels up their offense, bar none. He was the best weapon on the board (maybe second to Aaron Jones before he re-signed with Green Bay) and is undoubtedly exactly that now.
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