Predicting the Landing Spot for the Top 2026 NFL Free Agent at Every Position

With only Super Bowl LX left to be played this season, most NFL fans are already looking ahead to the 2026 offseason with hopes that their favorite team will land the type of impact players needed to be in contention next year.

While the 2026 crop of free agents isn't overloaded with big names, there are enough game-changing players available whose decisions will shift the league's landscape. These standout players have the potential to transform a franchise from a pretender to a contender and will be highly coveted for that reason.

With that in mind, let's highlight the top free agent at every position—using the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest big board to determine who that player is—and predict where they will wind up at the start of the new league year.

QB: Daniel Jones

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

For the first half of the 2025 NFL season, Daniel Jones looked like one of the league's best quarterbacks while overseeing one of the hottest teams in football.

Things went off the rails after the team's Week 11 bye, though, as he regressed while nursing a fibula injury and was eventually lost for the year in Week 14 after tearing his Achilles.

Jones now hits free agency for the second consecutive year with plenty of question marks surrounding his ability to be a long-term solution for a QB-needy squad.

While the 28-year-old's ceiling remains high—over the first eight weeks of the 2025 season, he completed 71.2 percent of his throws for 2,062 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading a 7-1 team—he has durability red flags that have plagued him throughout much of his seven-year NFL career.

Predicted Landing Spot: Indianapolis Colts

A reunion with the Colts makes the most sense for both Jones and Indy.

Both parties have expressed interest in making another run in 2026, with the quarterback saying he'd "love to be back" and seemed optimistic about his recovery, expecting "to be ready to go by training camp."

Colts GM Chris Ballard echoed that sentiment, stating "I think Daniel Jones has a really bright future here in Indianapolis" while describing the signal-caller and the franchise as "a really good fit" for one another.

Given the lack of alternatives—the disappointing Anthony Richardson, unproven 2025 sixth-rounder Riley Leonard and undrafted practice squad rookie Seth Henigan are the notable QBs the Colts have under contract for 2026—it makes too much sense for both Indianapolis and Jones to run it back on a team-friendly, short-term deal.

RB: Travis Etienne Jr.

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Etienne returned to form and put himself back on the map this past season. Despite missing his entire rookie year with injury and suffering several ailments that limited him in 2024, the versatile, dynamic running back has been one of the most consistent performers in football over the past four years.

After racking up 1,107 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 260 totes in 2025, Etienne has now eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in three of his four healthy NFL seasons.

With a total of 5,136 all-purpose yards and 32 total touchdowns for his career, the 27-year-old should have little issue contributing at a high level throughout the life of his next contract.  

Predicted Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs cannot afford to ignore their backfield inadequacies any longer.

Kansas City's ground game completely stalled out in 2025 with both Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt averaging fewer than four yards per carry. No Chiefs back eclipsed the 200-yard receiving mark, either, a concerning lack of production that contributed to the club's first missed playoff berth in the Patrick Mahomes era.

With the superstar signal-caller now working his way back from a major knee injury, the Chiefs must bring in an upper-echelon back who can shoulder a large chunk of the offensive load in 2025. Etienne fits the bill as a do-it-all playmaker who can give this flailing backfield a much-needed shot in the arm.

WR: George Pickens

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Pickens is the No. 1 overall free agent on the B/R Scouting Department's big board and should have no shortage of suitors following his breakout campaign with the Dallas Cowboys.

After he finally linked up with a top-tier quarterback, he unsurprisingly posted the type of monster season that he had been teasing early in his career.

The wideout quickly emerged one of Dak Prescott's favorite weapons and finished the season with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 137 targets—all career-best marks.

While Pickens could cash in with a blockbuster extension, there's a good chance Dallas won't allow him to reach the open market.

Predicted Landing Spot: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys may have failed to reach the playoffs during Pickens' first season with the club, but the rising star wideout clearly wasn't part of Dallas' roster woes.

The 24-year-old was the most reliable option in a receiving corps that also featured a four-time Pro Bowler in CeeDee Lamb, who Pickens outperformed in every major statistical category this season.

Although the Cowboys would probably prefer to retain Pickens on a long-term deal, the team could opt to franchise tag the wideout to ensure he sticks around at least one more year.

It would behoove Dallas to avoid losing Pickens in wake of his first Pro Bowl campaign. With a wide receiver's projected tag value of $28 million for the 2026 season, the Cowboys should have no issues retaining him for another season at that cost.

TE: Kyle Pitts

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Pitts has been a polarizing player for much of his half-decade in the league, but still has immense promise and untapped potential going into Year 6.

After entering the NFL as a highly-touted generational prospect and posting a strong rookie season, the Atlanta Falcons star largely struggled to reach his ceiling for the next three seasons.

Pitts finally returned to Pro Bowl form in 2025, though, and he is set to hit the open market at an opportune time.

Predicted Landing Spot: Miami Dolphins

After shipping off Jonnu Smith before the 2025 season kicked off, the Dolphins failed to generate reliable pass-catching production from their tight end spot.

Neither Greg Dulcich nor Darren Waller stood out while splitting time as Miami's primary receiving TE and the team now desperately needs to fill that hole this offseason.

While there are plenty of other question marks for the new Miami regime led by head coach Jeff Hafley to sort out, getting a potential game-changer like Pitts in the lineup could pay dividends.

Regardless of whether Tua Tagovailoa, Quinn Ewers or someone else ends up starting under center for Miami in 2026, Pitts should emerge as a favored target thanks to his excellent playmaking skills and ability to create mismatches all over the field.

OL: Tyler Linderbaum

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Linderbaum has developed into one of the NFL's finest offensive linemen over his first four seasons in the league. After starting all 17 games and earning some Offensive Rookie of the Year votes in 2022, the Baltimore Ravens center has gone on to earn three consecutive Pro Bowl nods between 2023-25.

With Linderbaum allowing just two sacks over the past three seasons combined, it's clear he's not only the top available offensive linemen but also one of the best overall free agents up for grabs this offseason.

Predicted Landing Spot: New York Giants

It wouldn't be a shock to see Linderbaum reunite with John Harbaugh after the former Ravens head coach landed in the Big Apple this offseason.

According to SNY's Connor Hughes, the Giants will be "aggressive in targeting ex-Ravens in free agency", with Hughes highlighting Linderbaum as the main target who New York could make a run at.

Big Blue needs to overhaul an offensive line that allowed 48 sacks and struggled to protect rookie signal-caller Jaxson Dart. Adding Linderbaum on a long-term deal would solidify the unit and give the franchise an anchor to build around in the offensive trenches for years to come.

DL: John Franklin-Meyers

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Franklin-Meyers may not be a superstar with Pro Bowls or All-Pro accolades to his name, but the Denver Broncos defensive lineman has been a key piece along several dominant fronts in a variety of roles across his seven years in the NFL.

Landing with the Broncos in 2024 under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has helped Franklin-Meyers raise his game to new heights.

Over the past two seasons, the versatile d-lineman has racked up 14.5 sacks—including a career-high 7.5 in 2025—while also tallying 65 tackles (14 that went for a loss), 44 pressures and 33 QB hits.

Predicted Landing Spot: Chicago Bears

The Bears were one of the feel-good stories of the 2025 season, turning a team that went 5-12 the previous year into an 11-6 squad that managed to win the franchise's first playoff game since 2010.

If Chicago wants to build on that and remain a contender going forward, it must bolster the defensive front with talents such as Franklin-Meyers.

At 6'4", 288 pounds, he can line up at both the defensive end and defensive tackle spots. That versatility, coupled with an unstoppable motor, allows him to thrive in whatever role he's tasked with on a game-to-game or even play-by-play basis.

Although the 29-year-old isn't the youngest free agent, he still has plenty of tread left on his tires and shouldn't have any issues continuing to contribute at a high level for the duration of the type of long-term deal he's expected to sign this offseason.

Edge: Trey Hendrickson

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Hendrickson's string of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances may have come to an end after he suffered a core muscle injury that limited him to just seven games in 2025, but it wouldn't be wise to bet against the edge-rusher returning to form next season.

Although he struggled with the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals defense this past year, he's only a season removed from earning All-Pro honors after piling up a career-best 17.5 sacks in 2024. He amassed a total of 61 sacks in 72 games for Cincy and should get right back to terrorizing opposing quarterbacks at his next stop.

Predicted Landing Spot: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will be looking to make a splash in free agency to open the post-John Harbaugh era. With Jesse Minter now at the helm, Baltimore could steal Hendrickson away from an AFC North rival and deploy him as the centerpiece of a pass-rushing unit that must improve in 2026.

Baltimore's 30 sacks this past season tied for the third-fewest in the league and marked a significant regression from the 54—the second-most in the NFL—the team amassed the prior year. Three players on the 2024 Ravens recorded 6.5 or more sacks, while Travis Jones led the team in 2025 with five total sacks.

Considering Hendrickson had four sacks in seven games this past year and hasn't had fewer than eight sacks in any of his healthy seasons as a starter, he would be a massive upgrade on the edge in Charm City.

LB: Devin Lloyd

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

After having his fifth-year option declined by the new Jacksonville Jaguars regime this past offseason, Lloyd responded with a monster 2025 campaign that makes him the most coveted linebacker on the open market.

Lloyd finished the season with 81 tackles (six for a loss), seven pass defenses, five interceptions—including one returned for a 99-yard touchdown—1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

He earned second-team All-Pro honors for his efforts while helping lead a Jacksonville defense that allowed a league-best 85.6 yards per game on the ground and ranked No. 8 in scoring with a mere 19.8 points per game allowed.

Predicted Landing Spot: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Staying in Florida could be the best move for Lloyd, moving to the southwest to join the Bucs as a much-needed defensive reinforcement.

Tampa's linebacking corps already struggled in 2025 and could get even worse if longtime star Lavonte David elects to retire after 14 years with the program. Lloyd would make for an excellent replacement due to his strong coverage capabilities and solid all-around talents.

While Lloyd still must prove he can perform at a high level consistently following some polarizing early seasons, he appears to have found his footing this past year and should be a great addition to a Buccaneers squad that sorely needs his skill set.

CB: Jaylen Watson

The Kansas City Chiefs have been cultivating elite defensive backs throughout the Andy Reid era, with Jaylen Watson set to become the latest in a growing line of Kansas City corners to cash in with a big contract.

While Watson didn't come off the board until the seventh round of the 2022 draft, he quickly developed into a quality starter with the size and athleticism to match up against big wideouts on the outside.

He will be an ideal free-agent target for any franchise looking to secure a perimeter cornerback this offseason.

Predicted Landing Spot: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are squandering a Super Bowl window for Joe Burrow and a dynamic offense by consistently fielding abysmal defenses. The cornerback position has been of particular concern in Cincinnati in recent years, even after emergence of DJ Turner as one of the league's better defensive backs.

With Cam Taylor-Britt a candidate to exit in free agency, the Bengals shouldn't hesitate to pair Turner with Watson to create one of the better cornerback tandems in football.

The 6'2", 200-pound Watson would make an ideal partner on the outside, helping the Bengals finally start locking down opposing wideouts with more consistency.

While there are injury concerns with Watson—he missed most of the 2024 season with a broken fibula and finished 2025 on the IR with a groin issue—he's still only 27 years old and has plenty of upside ahead of his second NFL contract.

S: Reed Blankenship

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Blankenship clawed his way up the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart after going undrafted in 2022. He's served as a stalwart starter for the past three years, an impressive span for the club that included a Super Bowl LIX victory.

The 26-year-old has tallied 308 tackles, 23 pass defenses, nine interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble during his career. He is now on the cusp of cashing in with a new contract, one that should see him earn a significant raise as one of the top available safeties on the open market.

Predicted Landing Spot: Philadelphia Eagles

Staying in the City of Brotherly Love would be a great move for both Blankenship and the Eagles. The franchise clearly understands the value he brings to the team, as he has been an instrumental part of the defense throughout his tenure.

While he may not be the most athletic or dynamic player, the Middle Tennessee product has consistently come up with big tackles, interceptions and pass breakups that have won the Eagles several close games. He's a versatile talent who brings plenty to the table and won't break the bank to retain for several more years.