5 Under-the-Radar NFL Free Agents Who Could Be Steals on the 2026 Market

The stars of the 2026 NFL free-agent class may be dominating offseason discussions, but these big names won't be the only players signing new deals this spring.

There will be hundreds of players looking to ink a contract on the open market when the new league year begins next month, many of whom could go on to play key roles despite a lack of fanfare surrounding their availability.

These unheralded free agents are the meat and potatoes of a free agency class, the type of budget signings that don't move the needle or make headlines but end up having a significant impact on how the upcoming season plays out.

With that in mind, let's highlight five 2026 free agents flying under the radar who look like potential steals.

RB Kenneth Gainwell

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

After spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kenneth Gainwell moved to the other side of Pennsylvania in 2025 and had a breakout campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Although he spent most of his tenure in Philly as a sparsely-utilized change-of-pace option, Gainwell thrived in a larger role for the Steelers. He finished the season with 1,023 yards from scrimmage (almost double his previous best) and eight touchdowns while logging a career-high 50 percent offensive snap share.

Gainwell showed he could make an impact as a critical part of a backfield platoon, working as a dynamic pass-catching complement to starter Jaylen Warren's hard-charging style.

While Gainwell will be hitting free agency on the heels of a personal-best season, his timing is a touch unfortunate with so many other skilled running backs also in the market for new deals. There's a good chance he'll be overlooked due to the logjam of available backfield talent, but any team that signs him to a cheap deal will get a huge bang for their buck.

WR Christian Kirk

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Christian Kirk has been on a steady decline since his breakout 1,108-receiving yard campaign in 2022, but there's reason to believe he could bounce back in 2026.

Despite posting career-low regular season marks during his lone year with the Houston Texans, Kirk capitalized on an increased role in the playoffs and put together an impressive last look before hitting the open market.

After recording a meager 28 catches for 239 receiving yards and a score across 13 regular season contests, the wideout wrapped up a two-game playoff run with 164 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions.

While Kirk has struggled to stay healthy throughout his eight-year NFL career—he's missed multiple games in all but two of those seasons—he won't turn 30 until November and should still have some tread left on his tires.

With a modest Spotrac market valuation of $5.4 million per season, Kirk could end up being a solid bargain for a cash-strapped squad in need of production from the slot.

TE Greg Dulcich

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

It's been almost four years since Greg Dulcich emerged as a potential breakout rookie star for the Denver Broncos, but injuries and inconsistency have largely derailed his NFL career.

After posting 411 receiving yards and two scores on 33 catches across 10 games in 2022, the 25-year-old only appeared in six total contests and made a nominal impact across the next two seasons.

He resurfaced in 2025, joining the Miami Dolphins practice squad following his release from the New York Giants. He started to make some noise after getting called up to the active roster, a nine-game run in which he recorded 335 yards and a touchdown on 26 receptions.

It remains to be seen if the UCLA product's resurgence is for real, but the 2022 third-round pick will be worth kicking the tires on after an impressive stretch of play in which he averaged a hefty 2.7 yards per route run from Week 9 on—the second-best mark in the league among qualifying tight ends.

With Dulcich projected by Spotrac to net just a shade over $1 million per season on his next deal, there's a real possibility a franchise lands a starting-caliber tight end for peanuts this offseason.

Edge Arnold Ebiketie

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Arnold Ebiketie struggled to carve out a meaningful role during his four up-and-down seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He was buried in the team's pass-rushing rotation this past year, mustering a career-low two sacks despite being active for all 17 games.

While Ebiketie possesses solid athleticism on the edge, he's a touch undersized at 6'2", 250 pounds and has been wildly inconsistent in terms of production.

Working in Ebiketie's favor is his second-round pedigree, health—he's missed just one game in four seasons—and a pair of respectable six-sack seasons in 2023-24.

It all adds up to Ebiketie being valued by Spotrac at approximately $9 million per season. That's a bargain for a potentially hyper-productive edge defender in the modern NFL, although teams will want to see the 27-year-old take a leap and become more reliable on his next contract.

If he can continue to generate pressure consistently while getting after the quarterback and finishing plays more reliably, he'll make for a huge return on a relatively small investment this offseason.

CB Greg Newsome II

AP Photo/John Raoux

Greg Newsome II is set to hit free agency after an up-and-down 2025 campaign during which he spent time with both the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.

While Newsome was inconsistent during his 12 games in Jacksonville—playing just 60 percent of the team's defensive snaps and allowing a career-worst five touchdowns in that span—he did contribute 29 tackles and an interception while helping the Jags win an AFC South title.

Any team signing Newsome will be hoping the 2021 first-round pick can regain the elite form he displayed earlier in his career. During his first three seasons in Cleveland, he recorded 128 tackles and two picks while allowing a 59.9 percent completion rate in coverage and giving up only five total touchdowns across 41 contests.

Due to his size, schematic versatility and age (Newsome won't turn 26 until May), Newsome shouldn't have too much trouble inking a market value deal—projected by Spotrac to be in an affordable $9 million per year range—this spring.