5 NFL Players Who Already Look Like 2026 NFL Free-Agent Steals in Training Camp

NFL training camp may have only begun a couple of weeks ago, but there are already a number of free agents standing out for the impact they've been making for their new team.

While it's not a surprise that some marquee free-agent pickups are moving the needle after signing blockbuster contracts, there are also quite a few players who have been outperforming more modest deals.

Let's focus on this latter group, highlighting five signings who are shaping up to be steals based on their training-camp performances.

DE Calais Campbell, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Calais Campbell elected to stave off retirement this offseason, agreeing to join the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

He will turn 40 years old right before the 2026 campaign—his 19th in the NFL—kicks off, but he is set to be a significant contributor in the defensive trenches for a Super Bowl hopeful.

This won't be Campbell's first stint in Charm City, having last played for the Ravens back in 2022. The defensive end was productive that season—notching 5.5 sacks in 14 games—and has remained a stalwart contributor for each of the three different clubs he's suited up for over the three years that followed, recording five-plus sacks in each of those campaigns.

While Campbell's training camp debut was delayed due to personal tragedy, he practiced for the first time last Monday. He quickly made his presence felt and was called a "force multiplier" by head coach Jesse Minter, who raved about the veteran's impact on the organization:

"He's like a force multiplier of just how he operates, the wisdom that he brings, the leadership that he brings. On top of [that], he is still a really high-caliber player for his position…The guys love him. He brings such a great value to that defensive line room, and [I] just love having Calais out there."

Campbell may no longer be an every-down defender and hasn't logged a defensive snap share higher than 64 percent since 2019, but he's still capable of playing at least half of Baltimore's defensive snaps at a high level while serving as a leader both on and off the field.

Given his budget contract and renowned ability to stay healthy, Campbell will deliver far greater results in 2026 than his pay might suggest.

TE Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

After a disappointing 2025 season, the Washington Commanders needed to replace an injured and aging Zach Ertz.

Scoring the skilled but inconsistent Chig Okonkwo on a three-year, $27 million deal was one of the better low-risk, high-reward moves of the offseason.

Okonkwo flashed plenty of potential after being taken in the fourth round of the 2022 draft by the Tennessee Titans, but never took the type of leap he appeared capable of. His career-highs of 56 catches, 560 receiving yards and three touchdowns aren't terrible, but there has always been the sense that the tight end is capable of much more.

Okonkwo could finally break out now that he's moved to the nation's capital.

The Commanders offer an ideal blend of opportunity and supporting talent around him. While incumbent backups John Bates and Ben Sinnott could conceivably vie for more playing time this year, Okonkwo figures to lead the position by a wide margin when it comes to receiving contributions.

Ertz was second on the team in targets in 2024 and third last year, looks that are likely heading Okonkwo's way in 2026. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels will leverage the tight end heavily as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing campaign and get Washington back into contention.

The Daniels-Okonkwo battery has already started making waves in training camp and should only improve in the coming weeks:

As long as Daniels can stay healthy after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, Okonkwo is a shoo-in to put up career-best marks in 2026.

DT D.J. Reader, New York Giants

AP Photo/Chris Carlson

The New York Giants made the bold decision to move on from Dexter Lawrence this offseason. While there aren't many players who can seamlessly replace the star defensive tackle, the G-Men helped ease the blow by signing D.J. Reader.

Reader linked up with Big Blue on a two-year, $12.5 million deal, fair value for a grizzled nose tackle with a decade of NFL experience. The veteran is entering an age-32 season and has some history of injury, but he's been healthy for the better part of the past three years and stands to be a pivotal piece in the defensive trenches in 2026.

New York made it a priority to overhaul the front seven to begin the John Harbaugh era. While the team relied heavily on Lawrence for much of its production up front in recent years, Reader will be part of a deeper unit that also added fellow veterans in Shelby Harris and Tremaine Edmunds this offseason.

That depth should help keep Reader fresh and ready to shut down the run, something the Giants desperately need to improve on after ranking in the bottom seven of the league for five consecutive seasons. The big tackle called run defense "the most important" aspect of the game and noted that it takes a team effort to successfully execute:

"That's the most important part of the game. That's one of those things I take pride in as a nose guard, especially – it's part of the game that everybody can get involved in. And that's what it takes, effort. It's going to take everybody's effort to build that wall, force things back inside to your bigger guys, let things roll up top to your corners who can tackle. It's one of those things that takes effort from everybody, and if you're bought in, you can stop the run."

Considering Reader has already pitched in a strong run-stuffing tackle for a loss and a sack during one of Big Blue's training camp sessions, he's clearly on his way to having a successful 2026 campaign. If New York fields a quality rush defense for the first time in over a half-decade, Reader will be a big reason for this improvement.

WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The San Francisco 49ers made one of the shrewdest pickups of the summer when they brought Deebo Samuel back into the fold on a budget one-year, $7 million contract. The move provided them with much-needed wide receiver depth as well as a player who is well-versed in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system and has thrived in it before.

Samuel is already helping ease the loss of Ricky Pearsall, who will miss all of 2026 after undergoing surgery for a PCL injury. Despite profiling as Pearsall's replacement, Shanahan revealed that Samuel was already on San Francisco's radar and would have likely joined the club regardless.

"They're just two completely different types of players," Shanahan said (per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio). "Deebo was someone that we were hoping it would work out, depending on Deebo's other opportunities and what it could be here. That was something that we were hoping for a long time could work out and it ended up working out for both of us. The Ricky thing changed nothing."

While Samuel will play a different role than the one Pearsall was set to take on, he'll benefit from the targets the third-year wideout has vacated. Samuel will have a chance to establish himself as the No. 2 in San Francisco's pecking order, battling with Christian Kirk and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling for looks behind key free-agent pickup Mike Evans.

Samuel's first stint in the Bay Area had its fair share of highs and lows, a six-year stretch that included an All-Pro campaign in 2021 and a contractual dispute that led to him being traded after the 2024 season. Although it's unlikely Samuel will return to the elite form he displayed a half-decade ago during his breakout 1,770-yard, 14-touchdown season, he still figures to be a critical piece of an explosive offense.

Samuel's ability to churn up tough yards as both a rusher and receiver, coupled with Shanahan's ability to get him the ball in space, will be a huge boon to San Francisco's title chances in 2026. Getting those skills for a meager $7 million is just icing on the cake.

S Andrew Wingard, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The Arizona Cardinals may be in the midst of a rebuild, but underrated free-agent pickup Andrew Wingard could help expedite the program through this stage.

The veteran safety is a savvy, versatile defender who will quickly put his stamp on this up-and-coming defense.

While Wingard's budget one-year, $3 million deal doesn't jump off the page as the type of contract a game-changing defender commands, the Cardinals got a steal on the 29-year-old's services.

Wingard entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, working his way from special teamer to defensive starter within the span of three seasons.

Although his role changed multiple times during his seven years in Duval, Wingard consistently made winning plays for the club. He was one of Jacksonville's most reliable contributors during a stellar 2025 campaign, recording 84 tackles, nine pass defenses, an interception and fumble recovery in 16 games.

Wingard should slot in as Arizona's starting free safety, but he's talented enough to line up at multiple positions within defensive coordinator Nick Rallis' system. He's already proved capable of covering Marvin Harrison Jr. at camp, putting the clamps on the team's No. 1 receiver during a recent practice session.

Rallis praised Wingard and the effect he's had on the team during his short stint in the desert:

Arizona may be facing an uphill battle to compete in 2026, but this defense will at least be more difficult for foes to deal with while Wingard is in the mix.