The 10 best available players after first week of NFL free agency

Three $100 million-plus contracts were handed out during the first week of NFL free agency. In total, more than 250 players found new homes for the 2024 season.

While most of the big names are already off the board, here are some of the best available players heading into the second wave of free agency.

1. Justin Simmons, S

Four-time All-Pro safeties don’t get to market very often, which is why Simmons presumably has a solid list of potential new employers. He hasn’t had fewer than three interceptions in any season since 2017, and aside from the 2020 season, he hasn’t allowed more than four touchdowns since 2018. Simmons can tackle, cover and break up passes, making him an underrated signing for any team looking to shore up its secondary.

2. Trent Brown, OT

Brown is certainly better suited to play right tackle than left; he averages one sack allowed per every 343 snaps at RT and one sack per every 135 snaps at LT. But he has experience playing both positions and at 30, he’s still young enough to serve as a one- or two-year bridge starter for a team looking to ease in a rookie lineman.

3. Stephon Gilmore, CB

Even at 33, Gilmore is a top-notch cover corner. He allowed a 54.9 completion percentage in 2023 while seeing 91 targets in coverage, the third-most of his 12-year career. He allowed four touchdowns with nine pass breakups and two interceptions. Opposing QBs had an 83.3 passer rating when targeting him, well below the 88.9 league average for the 2023 season.

4. Connor Williams, C

With Lloyd Cushenberry and Tyler Biadasz already signing with new teams, Williams is the best center available. Though he only played in nine games last year, Williams surrendered just one sack, six pressures and four hurries on 497 offensive snaps, per PFF. He played primarily guard during his first four seasons, but since switching to center, he’s allowed fewer sacks and has improved his run blocking.

5. Mike Williams, WR

Yes, Williams is coming off an ACL injury and he’ll turn 30 around the time next season starts, but he can still be a strong contributor in a pass-heavy offense. He has two seasons with 1,000 or more yards and nine or more touchdowns, and his 6-foot-4, 218-pound frame makes him an excellent option for jump balls in the end zone. Williams reportedly has plenty of suitors, so he may not be on the market for much longer.

6. Kevin Zeitler, G

Earning the first Pro Bowl of his career in 2023, Zeitler was an anchor for a Baltimore Ravens offensive line that blocked for the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL. Playing 982 offensive snaps, Zeitler allowed 19 pressures and 16 hurries while surrendering just two sacks. He’s given up more than two sacks in a season just twice over the last decade, and he’s never allowed more than 29 pressures in a season during his 12-year career.

7. Xavien Howard, CB

Howard surrendered a completion percentage of 50 percent or less in six of the 13 games he played in 2023, allowing just two touchdowns with eight pass breakups and one interception while playing 475 coverage snaps. He also never allowed more than 77 yards receiving in any game. Howard can be an effective No. 2 cornerback in the right situation.

8. Tyler Boyd, WR

Relegated to a No. 3 role in Cincinnati over the last few years, Boyd has proven he’s more than capable of handling a No. 2 WR role. He has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, five seasons with 90 or more targets and three seasons with 75 or more receptions. He could be an under-the-radar signing for a WR-needy team like the Panthers, Chargers or Jets.

9. Mike Danna, DE

While Danna doesn’t have the name recognition as some of the other top edge-rushers who’ve already signed elsewhere like Bryce Huff, Danielle Hunter or Leonard Williams, he’s shown over the last two seasons he can be disruptive in the backfield. Danna has 76 pressures, 53 hurries, 11.5 sacks and 10 QB hits since 2022, and he was a big reason the Kansas City Chiefs had the second-most sacks in the NFL in 2023.

10. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE 

Clowney thrived during his lone season in Baltimore, finishing with a career-high 78 pressures, 57 hurries and 9.5 sacks and leading the team in the former two categories. Despite lackluster seasons in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans and 2022 with the Cleveland Browns, Clowney has been a pretty solid pass-rusher in his other seven seasons (he averaged 57.7 pressures, 39.4 hurries and seven sacks per season during those years) and could be an inexpensive solution for a team needing a pass-rush boost.