NFL free agency is almost here. Who are the best free agents on the defensive side of the ball? Here are my top 10 players, minus the six defenders who received either the franchise or transition tag. For a list of offensive players, click here.
10. Danny Trevathan, Linebacker
One of many free agents from the defending Super Bowl champions, Trevathan, 25, has been a starting linebacker for three years in Denver. However, he missed most of one of these seasons (2014) with a knee injury. In the two full seasons he has started, he recorded a combined 238 tackles, 16 passes defensed, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and two sacks. Other teams don’t necessarily have to worry about scheme fit, as he has played at a high level in a 4-3 defense (2013) and a 3-4 defense (2015).
9. George Iloka, Safety
The safety market is a strength of this year’s free agent class, with three appearing on this list. Iloka, 25, is still a young player and has three years of starting experience in Cincinnati. His best statistical season came in 2014, when he recorded 74 tackles, 10 passes defensed and three interceptions. He isn’t necessarily a playmaker in the backend––he has produced only seven turnovers in four seasons––but he is a dependable player who can play both free and strong safety.
8. Tashaun Gipson, Safety
When you think of the prototypical deep, coverage safety, Gipson, 25, is the type of player that comes to mind. In an 11-game streak that spanned the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he intercepted nine passes. A quality centerfield-type safety is one of the hardest players to find, and the impact they can have on a game is tremendous. For this reason, he should sign a substantial contract. Playing in Cleveland has kept his name from being well known, but make no mistake, a healthy Gipson is one of the best safeties in the NFL.
7. Bruce Irvin, Outside Linebacker
Irvin, 28, was a surprise first round pick of the Seahawks in 2012, but he has proven to be an above-average player. He isn’t a spectacular outside linebacker, but he is the type of player who improves a defense and can be a quality starter on a good unit. For his career, he has 22 sacks, 5.5 of which came in 2015. In Seattle, he played strongside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, but he has the versatility to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense too. Due to the Seattle connections in Atlanta and Jacksonville, he has been linked to those teams multiple times.
6. Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback
Los Angels’ decision on who to tag went down to the wire, but in the end they chose their other starting cornerback, Trumaine Johnson, over Jenkins. Jenkins, 27, is a quality No. 2 cornerback who has a penchant for big plays. However, these big plays can go either way, whether it be an interception for Jenkins or a long gain for the receiver he was covering. If he can eliminate this big plays, his game would take the next step. For now though, he’ll be one of the best cornerbacks on the market and a team is sure to pay a high amount of money for his abilities.
5. Damon Harrison, Nose Tackle
The least glamorous position on defense is nose tackle. The main job of a nose tackle is just to occupy blockers, allowing the rest of the defense to run around and make plays. Harrison, 27, is easily one of the best in the game. He only plays about half the snaps in a game, but he is an elite talent at a position where there aren’t many blue-chip caliber players. Adding to his value, he is the rare nose tackle that makes plays. In the past three seasons, he has 193 tackles. Harrison is a one-dimensional defender, but he is extremely good at what he does.
4. Sean Smith, Cornerback
Compared to other free agent cornerbacks, Smith, 28, doesn’t have name recognition. What he does have, however, are top-tier coverage skills and elite size (6-foot-3, 218 lbs). Since joining Kansas City three years ago, he has really stepped up his game. In these three years, he has 41 passes defensed. Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton charts cornerbacks in his coverage productivity series, and he considers Smith is a No. 1 cornerback.
3. Jason Pierre-Paul, Defensive End
A hand injury kept Pierre-Paul, 27, from playing in the first eight games of the season and will likely force him to wear a club on his hand for the rest of his career. When he returned, he only recorded one sack. Statistically, his 2015 season doesn’t look good. However, he was consistently getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. His injury probably played some sort of role in this, but to say that he is no longer a quality pass rusher in the NFL would be a big mistake.
2. Eric Weddle, Safety
It is rare for five-time All Pro to become a free agent while still playing high-level football, but that is exactly what is happening here. Weddle’s relationship with the Chargers has soured to a point that the two will part ways after nine seasons together. For years, he has been a model of consistency at free safety. In his last four seasons, he has 404 tackles and has only missed seven games in his career, three of which came in 2015. Weddle, 31, may not receive a massive contract due to his age, but he should sign a contract that pays very well for a few years.
1. Malik Jackson, Defensive Tackle
Jackson is hitting free agency exactly at the right time. His first full season as a starter was a huge success, meaning the 26-year-old is about to cash in big time. He may have only finished the season with five sacks, but he was constantly getting pressure throughout the year. Unless your name is J.J. Watt, you probably aren’t going to get tremendous sack numbers as a 3-4 defensive end. Jackson scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl 50 when he recovered a fumble forced by Von Miller. Adding to Jackson’s value, he isn’t limited to one defensive scheme, as he played in a 3-4 and 4-3 defense in Denver. Don’t be surprised if he is able to find a team to pay him $15 million per season.
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