Best Fits for Defensive NFL Free Agents After Cameron Jordan Returns to Saints

The New Orleans Saints plucked one of the best available free agents off the board when they came to terms on a new one-year deal for franchise legend Cameron Jordan. While Jordan's return to the Big Easy weakened the pool of veteran free-agent defenders, there are plenty of game-changing talents still looking for a new team to play with for the 2026 NFL season.

Several proven standouts remain on the open market midway through June, including a couple that were ranked on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's list of the top 100 free agents for the 2026 NFL offseason. These players may be past their primes or coming off injuries, but all have the skills and know-how to be major assets if they land with a team that can leverage their abilities.

With that in mind, here's a look at the top available defenders and the teams they fit best with.

LB Bobby Wagner

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Bobby Wagner might be in the twilight of his esteemed career, but the future Hall of Famer can still contribute in a significant manner if he signs with a contending squad.

Wagner's resume is as illustrious as they come for an off-ball linebacker. Throughout his 14 NFL seasons, Wagner has racked up a borderline-ridiculous 2,000 tackles—making him the league's active leader by a wide margin—in addition to 39.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, 12 fumble recoveries and seven forced fumbles.

The six-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler was an integral part of the Seattle Seahawks' first Super Bowl win over a decade ago and has gone on to play big roles with the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders in recent years.

Although Wagner has lost a step and struggled at times in coverage in 2025, he still accumulated 162 tackles and impacted games regularly with stellar run defense. His incredible instincts and football IQ have helped him stave off Father Time for several years and will allow him to keep playing at a high level in 2026.

The Cincinnati Bengals would benefit heavily from Wagner's services. The team made several splashy moves to improve its defense this offseason, but Cincinnati has yet to significantly reinforce a linebacking corps that struggled mightily last year.

While Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter flashed promise as rookies last year, they were both inconsistent and neither played anywhere close to the level that Wagner consistently performs at. Adding Wagner as at least a rotational piece to this unit would significantly lift a defense that must improve to avoid squandering a Super Bowl window.

Best Fit: Cincinnati Bengals

Edge Joey Bosa

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Joey Bosa has spent nearly a decade terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. While the edge rusher is no longer the same game-breaking force he once was, he's proven in back-to-back seasons that he can still handle key roles for quality defenses.

Last offseason, the Buffalo Bills capitalized on the Los Angeles Chargers' decision to part ways with a franchise legend coming off a Pro Bowl season. Buffalo added Bosa to its starting lineup and got 15 mostly solid performances out of the veteran during the regular season and two more in the playoffs.

Bosa amassed five sacks for the second consecutive season while adding 29 tackles and a league-leading five forced fumbles to his eye-popping career tallies. He also stayed largely healthy, a promising development given the injury woes he had suffered through during the 2022-23 campaigns.

While Bosa's availability may be a bit puzzling, it shouldn't be long before a team like the San Francisco 49ers picks him up.

The Niners know better than anyone that depth—especially in the defensive trenches—is critical for success in the modern NFL. San Francisco managed to weather a rash of injuries last year to punch a playoff ticket and reach the Divisional Round, but still needs to reinforce the edge again after losing Clelin Ferrell, Yetur Gross-Matos and Bryce Huff this offseason.

San Francisco did grab a defensive end in Romello Height during the 2026 NFL draft, but the team needs a proven pass-rushing piece like Bosa to complete its edge rotation.

Factor in that such a move would unite Bosa with his brother Nick—the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner—for the first time since high school and it becomes clear that this is the best possible fit.

Best Fit: San Francisco 49ers

CB Trevon Diggs

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Trevon Diggs may have regressed significantly in recent years, but it wasn't too long ago that he was widely regarded as one of the NFL's best cornerbacks.

Diggs broke out in his second season by posting a league-leading 11 interceptions—the largest single-season tally since Everson Walls recorded the same number in 1981—and parlayed that monster performance into a massive contract extension.

While Diggs was able to secure another Pro Bowl nod in 2022, an ACL tear the following year limited him to just two appearances. The corner never appeared to be the same after returning from that major injury, lasting just one-and-a-half more seasons before being released by the Cowboys.

Diggs finished out 2025 with the Green Bay Packers but failed to move the needle in Titletown. He's now lingering in free agency with his value at an all-time low, but there's reason to believe the 27-year-old could still turn his career around.

Joining the Washington Commanders could instantly rejuvenate Diggs. A move to the nation's capital would reunite the corner with Dan Quinn, Dallas' defensive coordinator during his pair of Pro Bowl seasons.

That familiarity, comfort and schematic fit would allow Diggs to hit the ground running. He'd also have a clear path towards playing time, with the Commanders currently lacking depth in the secondary.

Although it would likely take an injury for Diggs to take on more than a part-time role, he could end up being an instrumental signing for a Washington squad that has hopes of bouncing back in a big way following a down 2025 campaign.

Best Fit: Washington Commanders

Edge Jadeveon Clowney

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Jadeveon Clowney is the ideal mercenary for any Super Bowl contender still lacking juice on the edge ahead of training camp.

After opening his career by spending a half-decade with the Houston Texans—the franchise that selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft—Clowney has bounced around the league, suiting up for six different clubs over the last seven years. Despite lacking a consistent employer, Clowney has still been an extremely reliable player during this stretch.

Clowney tallied at least 5.5 sacks in four of the last five years, including in 2025 when he contributed 8.5 sacks in just 13 games with the Dallas Cowboys. He's proven he can set an edge, disrupt in the backfield and play run defense at a high level regardless of the system, making him one of the best possible defensive free-agent pickups at this point of the offseason.

The New England Patriots are a fantastic fit for Clowney. The team needs to bolster the edge after coming up just short of a Super Bowl last season, adding some firepower to combat the top-tier opposing signal-callers the squad is set to come up against during the 2026 campaign.

While the Pats added a veteran edge this offseason in Dre'Mont Jones, the team also parted ways with key defender K'Lavon Chaisson. The remainder of the pass-rush rotation is a touch thin, with second-round rookie Gabe Jacas, fifth-round sophomore Bradyn Swinson and veteran Harold Landry III all figuring to see significant snaps.

By signing Clowney, New England would get some much-needed depth for this unit while also adding a potential plug-and-play starter if their unproven youngsters can't make a leap.

Best Fit: New England Patriots

Edge Haason Reddick

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Haason Reddick's fall from grace is a cautionary tale for young NFL players, but there's still time for the veteran edge rusher to turn things around.

While Reddick entered the league as a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017, he was a late-bloomer who didn't emerge as a star until his breakout 12.5-sack campaign in 2020. He remained a force during his four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, notching at least 11 sacks in all four of his seasons with the club and earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods in the final two.

Things went off the rails shortly after he was traded to the New York Jets, with a puzzling contract dispute leading Reddick to participate in just 10 games and record a meager one sack during the 2024 campaign. Reddick failed to return to form following a change of scenery, mustering only 2.5 sacks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025.

Reddick is now sitting on the free-agent scrap heap hoping for another opportunity to show he can still be a force in the NFL. While he's on the wrong side of 30 years old and has several red flags surrounding him, the edge rusher could get one more opportunity to prove himself before washing out of the league entirely.

The Dallas Cowboys haven't shied away from rolling the dice on talented but troubled players in the past and could make Reddick their next reclamation project.

Dallas invested heavily into the defensive line in recent years, but can still afford to take a low-risk, high-reward gamble on Reddick. The team has the second-lowest amount of cap space in the league right now, but it shouldn't cost them much to secure Reddick's services.

While the Cowboys are set with their starters and top backups on the edge, Reddick would be ideal injury insurance and a rotational piece who could offer immense bang-for-the-buck value if he's locked in and motivated.

Best Fit: Dallas Cowboys