Like the receiver position, there are not nearly as many star pass rushers set to hit the open market as originally anticipated. Josh Allen (Jaguars) and Brian Burns were going to be two of the best free agents available, regardless of position, but both pass rushers were slapped with the franchise tag, meaning they won't be free to sign with any team.
There are still some high-quality pass rushers set to become free agents when free agency opens up on March 13. The edge rusher spot is considered by many to be the most valuable position on the defensive side, so pass rushers will be highly coveted in free agency. In this article, we ranked the 10 best pass rushers becoming free agents during the 2024 offseason.
Honorable Mention: Shaq Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (age 31)
Shaq Barrett has had a good career and has an impressive resume. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, and he was even the sacks leader in 2019. Barrett is now 31 years old, and he has only produced 7.5 sacks over the last two seasons. His best days are clearly in the rearview mirror, but Barrett has experience working as a situational pass rusher.
That was the role that Barrett played for the Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos before he became a star in Tampa Bay. His next team might not be able to count on him to play high snap totals, but you can feel confident that he will still make life hard on opposing quarterbacks when rushing on third downs.
10. Dorance Armstrong, Dallas Cowboys (age 26)
The Dallas Cowboys have had a stacked front seven for the last couple of years, which has forced Dorance Armstrong into a backup role. Armstrong is better than that, and he will be looking for a starting gig this offseason. The soon-to-be free-agent pass rusher had 7.5 sacks last season.
The fact that Dallas is already deep at his position, along with the number of extensions they will have to hand out sooner rather than later, means it is likely that Armstrong will be playing for a new team next season. Look for Armstrong to burst onto the scene in 2024 on a team that gives him more of a chance to shine.
9. Leonard Floyd, Buffalo Bills (age 31)
After disappointing as a top-10 pick with the Chicago Bears, Leonard Floyd has picked up his sack production during the back half of his career. Most recently, he sacked the quarterback 10.5 times in a contract year with the Buffalo Bills. Floyd now has at least nine sacks in each of the last four seasons.
Last offseason, Floyd wasn't signed until June. This go around, it would make sense for a team to lock him up earlier during free agency. The Buffalo Bills are in cap space hell right now, and they have already released stars like Tre'Davious White and Jordan Poyer. Their cap space outlook means it is unlikely they will have the room to bring Floyd back.
8. Andrew Van Ginkel, Miami Dolphins (age 28)
With players like Christian Wilkens and Xavien Howard set to become free agents, the Miami Dolphins are likely to lose a number of their top defensive players. One upcoming free agent who is going under the radar is Andrew Van Ginkel. Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb – two fellow pass rushers – both suffered season-ending knee injuries last year, so losing Van Ginkel as a free agent would be devastating for the team.
7. Jadeveon Clowney, Baltimore Ravens (age 31)
Jadeveon Clowney was viewed as a generational prospect when he was selected first overall in 2014. He has instead bounced around from team to team, as he never truly lived up to expectations. Clowney is still a very good player, though. At 6-foot 5-inches, 266 pounds, Clowney has great size and strength. He is often able to outmuscle offensive linemen, and he even had his best season since he last made the Pro Bowl in 2018 last season.
For years, it seems, Clowney has had to wait until deep into free agency before he signs a deal. That may be the case again this year, but Clowney is a pass rusher that teams can feel confident in that he will come in and play at a starting-caliber level.
6. Za'Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns (age 31)
Za'Darius Smith has played for a new team in each of the last three seasons. At this point in his career, teams view him as a stop-gap option at the edge position. He is still producing at a high level, though, and he will likely contribute a key role wherever he ends up next season.
Smith did see some regression last season, though, which is to be expected for someone over 30 years old. It likely didn't help his numbers that he was playing on a stacked Cleveland Browns defense. He had to compete for sacks with a player like Myles Garrett, a player at the same position who won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
5. Josh Uche, New England Patriots (age 25)
Josh Uche has been a situational player who hasn't seen a ton of time on the field with the New England Patriots, but he has been incredibly productive when he has gotten playing time. Uche has been on the field for only 1,119 snaps during his four-year career, but he has 116 pressures and 19 sacks during that time.
He knows how to get after the quarterback, and he seems destined for a bigger role somewhere. Uche isn't the best run-stopper, and that may prevent him from ever being an every down player, but he certainly deserves more playing time than he has received thus far in his career.
4. Jonathan Greenard, Houston Texans (age 26)
Will Anderson, the number three overall pick last season, received a lot of the attention for the Houston Texans defense last year. That was rightfully so, as the edge rusher became the Defensive Rookie of the Year. It was Jonathan Greenard, though, who led the team in sacks.
Greenard got the quarterback down 12.5 times last year, and he was a big reason that the team turned things around. He is still only 26 years old, which means he fits the Texans' timeline if they can bring him back.
3. Chase Young, San Francisco 49ers (age 24)
Chase Young hasn't quite lived up to the expectations of being a number two overall pick, but that doesn't mean he isn't a valuable player. He is solid both rushing the quarterback and stopping the run, and a big reason for his early struggles was because of the ACL tear he suffered in his second season.
Perhaps, Young will be gettable on a cheap “prove-it” deal, where he can improve his stock. He is still only 24 years old, so he still has time to improve and develop to reach his full potential.
The San Francisco 49ers had one of the deepest rosters in the league last year, especially on the defensive end. With as much talent as they have, they won't have much cap space to use up in free agency. That means it is very possible that Young serves as just a rental for San Francisco and is destined to leave in free agency this offseason.
2. Bryce Huff, New York Jets (age 25)
Bryce Huff is incredibly quick and has a variety of pass-rushing moves, which have led to insane efficiency when rushing the quarterback. The New York Jets have brought in several pass rushers over the last couple of seasons, which means Huff is likely on his way out.
Whichever team signs Huff in free agency will be getting one of the best pass rushers in the league. However, you still need to be able to stop the run at the edge position, and that is something that Huff hasn't been great at.
1. Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings (age 29)
With Josh Allen and Brian Burns locked up with the franchise tag, Danielle Hunter becomes the top pass rusher set to become a free agent. Sack-getting is considered the best trait to have as a defensive player, and few do it better than Hunter. Last season, Hunter's 16.5 sacks were the fifth most in the NFL.
Hunter has even secured double-digit sacks in four of the last five seasons he has played in, as well as one additional time before that. Hunter has a sustained history of getting after the quarterback, and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, considering last season was his best in the league.
The Vikings blitz more than any other team in the league, which likely helped Hunter's numbers, but he would have produced in any scheme around the NFL.
Follow Us
Subscribe