Defensive free agency never gets the same love. These aren’t the guys throwing for 5,000 yards or scoring the touchdowns. Most of the clips you see on Sunday are offensive guys making somebody on defense look bad.

But here’s the reality: if you don’t have these players, you’re not winning anything. Just ask the 2024 Bengals. It doesn’t matter how explosive your offense is if you can’t get stops when it matters. At some point, every season comes down to one drive, one third down, one red-zone snap. And if your defense can’t hold up in those moments, the rest of it doesn’t mean much.

So yeah, these names might not dominate the headlines this spring. But a few of them are going to completely change the trajectory of teams — and in some cases, entire seasons. 

1) Trey Hendrickson, EDGE

If you’re building a defense and you don’t have a real closer up front, you’re going to be frustrated after a lot of third downs.

Hendrickson has been that guy for years.

The part that never changes is the motor and consistency. He plays like someone insulted his family. Every rep is full speed. He doesn’t need the crowd.

And that’s why he’s also a legit culture guy. Not in the corny “captain speech” way. In the way where young players watch him work and realize, “Oh… that’s the standard.”

Now, the market is going to have to grapple with the 2025 reality:

• He played seven games.

• He posted four sacks.

• And his season ended with core muscle surgery after an injury that first popped up around mid-October.

So yeah — he comes with a question. The body has to cooperate.

He’s Proven He Can Produce When the Defense Is Shaky

There are pass rushers who eat when everything around them is perfect. Good interior. Good coverage. Offenses forced to hold the ball. Easy living.

And then there are the guys who still show up when none of that exists. When the secondary is leaking, the run defense is inconsistent, and the offense is basically saying, “Cool, we know exactly where you are. We’ll just slide the whole protection your way and live with the rest.”

Hendrickson has been productive in that exact environment. That’s a huge part of his value. He’s not dependent on the rest of the defense being dominant for him to make an impact.

Now, coming off surgery, teams are going to be skeptical. That’s just how this works. But if you’re the team that stays disciplined, builds in some protection on the contract, and trusts the long-term body of work, you’re still getting one of the most reliable edge closers of this era — and a guy who doesn’t need perfect conditions to win.

2) Devin Lloyd, LB

Linebacker is one of the most misunderstood positions in the sport.

Fans see tackles and think the guy is good. But modern linebacker play is about the stuff that forces tackles — whether they're the one getting credit for them or not.

Lloyd isn’t just a tackle counter. He’s a quarterback problem.

He had a full-on breakout in 2025:

• 81 tackles

• Five interceptions

• 24 pressures (25% rate)

• 51 passer rating allowed in coverage

• Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition

• And the signature moment: a 99-yard pick-six off Patrick Mahomes.

And the best part is the versatility matched with impact.

Prime-Age Reliability Matters

He can be a centerpiece of a linebacker corps — honestly, you could build your whole second level around him and not feel crazy about it.

He’s not the biggest linebacker, and you’ll hear that brought up in draft rooms and front offices. But when you actually watch him play, it doesn’t show up the way you’d expect. The instincts and fundamentals let him hold up against the run, and he rarely looks out of place. He understands angles, he uses his hands well to stay clean, and he’s not guessing. That’s half the battle at that position.

Then against the pass, the length and athleticism take over. He’s comfortable in space, he trusts what he sees, and he’s got a knack for getting in throwing lanes at the exact right moment. Those are the traits that translate no matter what system you’re in.

And this is the part teams are going to love: Lloyd isn’t the aging vet where you’re praying for one more year. He’s not the young guy where you’re paying for hope either. He’s in that sweet spot — already good, already productive, and still trending up.

That’s why the fit conversation is so simple. He’ll work anywhere. Seriously. If your second level has been a weekly problem, if you’ve been getting picked apart in the middle of the field, if your linebackers have been the weak link in big moments, Lloyd raises your floor the second he walks in the building.

3) Odafe Oweh, EDGE

Oweh is the kind of free agent who makes you pause because you can see two outcomes, and they’re both believable.

Option A: he’s a really good starter who flashes, gives you pressure, gives you sacks, and you’re mostly happy.

Option B: the next home unlocks the consistency and he becomes a weekly problem.

And in 2025, the production finally started matching the traits more consistently.

He finished with 7.5 sacks in 12 games, but the story is how it happened. A quieter stretch early. A midseason trade to the Chargers. Then a strong finish where the flashes started turning into real, drive-changing plays.

That matters. A lot.

Because late-season production is usually a sign that something clicked — whether it’s scheme, comfort, or just confidence. And for a young pass rusher, that’s often the moment before a real jump.

He’s Not Finished — And That’s the Appeal

You’re not buying a polished, “Trey Hendrickson-type” rusher.

You’re buying a young edge with tools who can wreck a game when the timing is right.

And that’s exactly why teams will talk themselves into him.

Oweh is different than a lot of edge rushers. He wins by turning the corner with force. He’s a power-speed player who can collapse a pocket instead of just running around it. When he’s locked in, tackles don’t just get beat — they get walked back into the quarterback.

And the other part here is that he still feels like he hasn’t hit his ceiling. The flashes are there. The body type is there. The strength is there. The long arms are there. You’re betting that the next coaching staff — or the right environment — turns those flashes into a weekly baseline.

The Jesse Minter Reunion Angle Makes Sense

Minter coached him in Baltimore. The language, the expectations, and the structure aren't going to be new to him. That matters for young edge rushers who are still figuring out how to win consistently. Continuity can speed up development. It can clean up details. It can help a player play faster because he isn’t thinking.

And if you’re Oweh, going somewhere that believes in your traits and knows how to use them is a huge part of this next step. Because the talent is obvious.

4) Jaelan Phillips, EDGE

Phillips is one of my favorite kinds of free agents: the guy who doesn’t always have the monster sack total, but the efficiency tells you he’s a real problem.

Because when you watch him snap to snap, the impact shows up way more than the box score. He’s constantly around the quarterback. Even when he doesn’t get home, he’s forcing movement, resetting the pocket, or speeding up the clock. That stuff wins games. It just doesn’t always make highlight reels.

A lot of edge rushers are “do one thing” players. They want to rush, and everything else feels like a chore.

Phillips isn’t built like that. He can set the edge and actually hold up against the run, drop into zones when asked without looking uncomfortable, and handle space against backs and tight ends without panicking.

That versatility is a big deal in today’s league. Offenses are constantly hunting the weak link. If your edge becomes the guy they isolate in space, they’ll attack him all game. Phillips takes that away.

He’s not going to lead the league in flashy categories. But he’s always affecting the play. Whether it’s forcing a runner to bounce, compressing the pocket, or making the quarterback release the ball a half-second early, the disruption is constant.

That’s why he’s higher for me than some of the bigger-total guys. The down-to-down impact travels.

The Eagles Fit Was Perfect… But the Market Might Still Pull Him Away

Philly’s scheme under Vic Fangio is a great environment for him.

But the Eagles also always have a younger plan. So if he hits the market, he might be better off taking a deal where he can still be a complementary piece next to legit weapons for another year or two.

Let him play fast. Let him hunt. Let someone else soak up the doubles.

5) Bryan Cook, S

Smart defenses chase these guys and lazy defenses miss 'em. Because if you only watch splash plays — picks, highlight hits — you might not notice him.

But if you watch the full game, you see why he matters. And once you see it, it’s hard to unsee.

Cook had a legit excellent 2025.

• 85 tackles

• graded as a top-five safety by PFF

• started all 17 games two years in a row

That last part matters more than most fans know when it comes to getting a contract. Availability at safety is huge, because when that position rotates constantly, communication breaks down fast.

He’s also really good against the quick stuff that eats safeties alive. The slants. The glance routes. The checkdowns that turn into explosives when somebody whiffs.

Cook doesn’t miss often. And that changes games.

He Helps the Entire Secondary

A disciplined split-safety who can also tackle lets:

• corners play more aggressively

• linebackers trigger faster

• your coordinator live in two-high shells without feeling soft

When you trust your safeties, the whole defense speeds up. Guys stop hesitating. They stop playing safe. They attack.

If KC loses him, the secondary doesn’t collapse overnight. But the margin for error shrinks. Suddenly, the 6-yard play becomes 12. The post over the middle becomes a missed tackle and a touchdown. The disguise is a step late.

And that’s the real value.

When it comes to his next team, if someone signs him and tries to make him a totally different player, that’s how you waste value. Keep him in a split-safety role. Let him clean things up. Let him erase mistakes.

6) Joey Bosa, EDGE

This is the definition of “buyer beware”… and also the definition of why contenders take swings.

Bosa played 15 games in 2025, finished with five sacks, and led the league with five forced fumbles.

That’s the good.

The hard part is availability and declining ability. You simply can’t build your plan around him at this age. If you sign him like he’s 2019 Joey Bosa, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t help you.

At this stage, the conversation should be about role. And if you get the role right, the value is still there.

The Right Expectations Are What Will Make This Signing Work

You’re not asking him to carry your front. You’re not asking him to play 900 snaps.

You’re asking him to:

• attack on passing downs

• give you a burst of violence in key moments

• help your younger rushers with the details

• and hopefully show up with one of those “strip-sack, game over” plays with the season on the line

That’s why contenders will always be interested. Because they don’t need him to be the guy. They just need him to be a weapon.

And if he’s healthy at the right time, that weapon can still be dangerous.

All stats courtesy of NFL Pro.