NFL Defensive Players Ready to Become Stars After 2023 Free Agency
In 2022, Foyesade Oluokun of the Jacksonville Jaguars led the NFL with 184 total tackles. Rashaan Evans of the Atlanta Falcons tied for seventh in the league in that regard with 159 stops. Haason Reddick of the Philadelphia Eagles tied for second in the NFL with 16 sacks.
All three of those players have one thing in common—besides being wildly productive in 2022.
That trio was in their first season with a new team after signing a contract in free agency. It's the kind of impact acquisition that NFL teams hope for. Dream of.
The 2023 offseason saw dozens of defensive players change teams. Hundreds of millions in contracts were doled out. Admittedly, there's no guarantee that any of those players will explode like that in their first season with a new team or that players who stayed put but saw those around them change will shine in an expanded role.
But every one of the defenders listed here is stepping into an advantageous situation in 2023.
And every one of them has the talent to take advantage of that.
Dre'Mont Jones, DL, Seattle Seahawks
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The services of defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones didn't come cheaply for the Seahawks. Seattle gave the 26-year-old a three-year, $51.5 million contract to head to the Pacific Northwest. But while speaking to reporters at the NFL owners' meetings, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said he was surprised that's all it took.
"I didn't think we'd have a chance at him," Schneider said. "We thought his market would be even stronger than it ended up being and, quite honestly, we got in later on in the day. It just kind of happened. We had been in contact early in the day and had been working on something else that kind of led to that."
A four-year veteran out of Ohio State, Jones is coming off the best season of his career, posting 47 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss last year in Denver. Per ESPN, Jones was sixth in the league among interior linemen in pass rush win rate.
Jones is stout against the run, capable of rushing the passer both off the edge and inside and impressively agile for a 281-pounder. In each of the past three seasons, he has tallied at least 5.5 sacks.
Now, Jones will have the opportunity to anchor an improved Seahawks front, and by season's end it won't be surprising if he has entrenched himself as one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge, Cleveland Browns
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There are some big changes along the defensive line in Cleveland this year. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the Browns will be moving to a wide-nine front. There is a new defensive tackle in Dalvin Tomlinson and a new edge-rusher in Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
The 27-year-old Okoronkwo, who amassed 44 tackles and five sacks in 518 snaps with the Houston Texans in 2022, told reporters that he thinks the combination of Schwartz's scheme and playing opposite Myles Garrett should pave the way for the best season of his professional career.
"With coach Schwartz, just traditionally, D-ends have a lot of success in his defense—high sack numbers and high production. I am really excited about that," he said. "Playing on the other side of Myles Garrett, I think it speaks for itself. He has been one of the best pass rushers in the league year in and year out. Being able to play alongside him will open up a lot of things for me, so I am excited about that, as well."
It's not that hard to see where Okoronkwo's excitement comes from. His speed off the edge should be a good fit for the wide-nine, in which the defensive ends line up wide of opposing tackles. With Garrett commanding so much attention on the other side of the line, Okoronkwo should consistently see one-on-one situations.
Between the scheme, those single-teams and a sizable bump in playing time, the first 10-sack campaign of Okoronkwo's career is well within reach.
Jordan Davis, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
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By some estimations, Jordan Davis had a disappointing rookie season. The 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft played just 224 snaps, managing just 18 total tackles.
However, as Davis told Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia back in February, he viewed his reserve role behind Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave last year less as a disappointment and more as a learning opportunity.
"Just making sure when your number's called you're ready, and that's something I take pride in," Davis said, "because everybody will look at it as, 'Oh, he's not playing,' 'He's a first-rounder,' but I look at it like I'm gaining experience and I'm using that experience to sharpen my tools, so when my time does come I'll be ready, and when we have young D-tackles I'll be the one to pass down everything I know to them like those guys are now with me."
Well, now Davis' time has come. Hargrave signed a massive contract with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, clearing the path for Davis to have a much larger role in 2023.
Mind you, this is a player that Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department viewed as the top defensive tackle prospect in his class and a top-10 talent overall.
"Davis is a rare prospect based on his measurables alone," Derrik Klassen wrote. "There aren't many 6'6", 340-pound players, period, let alone those as athletically gifted as he is."
Now, that elite prospect will be counted on to play a much larger role for an Eagles front that remains stacked with talent.
And it won't be a shock if he makes Philly fans forget about Hargrave in relatively short order.
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Nakobe Dean, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
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Jordan Davis isn't the only second-year pro who will be asked to play a bigger role for the defending NFC champions in 2023.
The free-agent exodus in Philadelphia this year included both starting linebackers from last year's Super Bowl squad. Philly brought in veteran Nicholas Morrow to help offset the loss of Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards, but the Eagles will also be counting on Nakobe Dean to step up in a big way this year.
While appearing on Real Talk with Ryland Goede and Tate Ratledge, Dean said he has some lofty goals for 2023.
"I'm looking forward to being the best version of myself, you know? I feel like all my goals I got is lined up for the season," he said. "If I'm the best version of myself, the absolute best version of myself, I can accomplish every single one. So, that's what I'm working towards now in this offseason."
Durability concerns caused Dean to drop to Round 3 last year, but like Davis, he was the No. 1 prospect at his position last year at Bleacher Report.
"Dean's speed, energy and craft for navigating congested areas give him an enticing foundation of traits to build upon," Klassen said. "His size may make it difficult for him to ever cover tight ends down the field or blow up blocks the way he wants to, but he still wins in enough other ways to provide value. Dean could play both 'Mike' and 'Will' in the NFL, and he has the potential to be a multi-time Pro Bowler."
The talent is there with Dean. The opportunity is coming.
And a star turn could follow.
Bobby Okereke, LB, New York Giants
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While speaking to reporters after signing a four-year contract to join the New York Giants, Bobby Okereke said that heading to the Big Apple was a dream come true.
"This honestly is the perfect situation for me," Okereke said. "I told my agent from Day 1, 'I want to play in New York City. New York City's been one of my favorite cities, growing up, my whole life. And this franchise is on the rise."
The $10 million a season over four years and almost $22 million in guarantees didn't hurt.
In some respects, Okereke has already broken out. Last year with the Indianapolis Colts, the 26-year-old piled up a career-high 151 tackles and nearly posted 100 solos. It marked the second season in a row in which Okereke topped 130 total stops.
However, there's quite a bit of difference between playing in the shadow of Shaquille Leonard in a small market like Indianapolis and being the No. 1 off-ball linebacker for a team in one of the largest media markets in the world. And the four-year veteran said he's looking forward to showcasing what he can do.
"I've got great length," Okereke said. "I've got great speed. I've got great athleticism. And I think just my mental processing helps me be a very good zone coverage linebacker. So, I'm just excited about the opportunity."
There's little reason to think Okereke can't have the same sort of success in New York he did in Indy.
And if that's the case, then Okereke could hear his name mentioned among the best in the NFL at his position playing under brighter lights.
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Tennessee Titans
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For some players, free agency is much more than just a payday. It can be a fresh start. An opportunity to see substantially more time on the field. A chance to actually play.
Such is the case for Azeez Al-Shaair. In San Francisco, Al-Shaair was buried on the depth chart behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. But now that he's in Tennessee, the fifth-year pro should be a full-time starter for a Titans team light on talent at the position.
Per Jim Wyatt of the team's website. Al-Shaair is eager to show what he's capable of as a full-time player.
"I think it's a great opportunity. I am grateful to be here, to be a Titan," he said. "Obviously, linebacker right now is a position of need, so I am grateful to come in here and show everybody what I am about. I feel like I have so much to bring to the team, as a football player and as a person, as a leader."
Al-Shaair showed flashes when afforded the opportunity in the past. Back in 2021 when Greenlaw missed most of the season, the 25-year-old piled up 102 total tackles in 13 starts. He has shown to be a capable linebacker in coverage as well, posting a passer rating against less than 70 in 2020.
It may be a stretch to say that Al-Shaair is going to be a "star" in 2023. But in terms of playing time and productivity, he could see the biggest jump of any free agent at linebacker.
He could also turn out to be one of the biggest bargains in this year's class after signing just a one-year, $5 million contract.
Cameron Sutton, CB, Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions entered the 2023 offseason with more positive momentum than the team has had in any year in recent memory. But if the Lions were to build on what they accomplished in 2022, the team had to do something about a defense that ranked dead last in yards allowed, tied at 28th in points allowed and 30th against the pass.
To that end, the team signed veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton to a three-year, $33 million contract. While speaking to reporters at the NFL owners' meetings, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear he was sorry to see the 28-year-old go.
"First of all, I always hesitate, because the first thing I think about is his above-the-neck game, his maturity and his preparation," Tomlin said. "But, in stating that first, you're almost disrespectful to his talent. He's a talented guy.
"But beyond that, I think the things that are his calling cards are his intellect and his prep, his communication skills. I just think it allows him to be versatile. He does a good job of getting people around him on the same page, and I'd imagine those are skills that are going to travel."
Jeff Okudah may have the draft pedigree, but Sutton is the best cornerback on the team. He's capable of playing the boundary and the slot, and he allowed less than 48 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed last year, with a passer rating against of just 65.9.
If the Lions can make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Sutton will likely play a big part in that success.
And Motown will have its newest hit.
Daxton Hill, S, Cincinnati Bengals
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This last future defensive star is another young player who didn't switch teams in the offseason. But changes around him have drastically altered the trajectory of his career.
When the Cincinnati Bengals used their first pick in the 2022 draft on Michigan safety Daxton Hill, it was with an eye toward the future. And sure enough, that future is now. Both of Cincinnati's starting safeties from a year ago, Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, signed elsewhere in free agency.
Hill played sparingly as a rookie, largely at cornerback. There were some first-year struggles, but Cincinnati defensive backs coach Robert Livingston said earlier this month he has every confidence that Hill can handle added responsibilities in Year 2.
"I have a lot of stresses and worries in my life, and he's not one of them," he said. "He's a first-round pick for a reason."
In his scouting report for Hill last year, Bleacher Report's Cory Giddings touted Hill's versatility and physicality against the run.
"Hill is a versatile player who has the ability to play all over the secondary," Giddings said. "With his physical nature, he performs best when he's close to the line of scrimmage. He relies on his physicality in the run game, with good strength and aggressive tackling."
As the ostensible replacement for Bates, Hill is going to have every opportunity to showcase what he can do for one of the AFC's best teams.
And just like Bates, he could soon be regarded as one of the better deep safeties in the NFL.
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