Ranking 10 NFL FREE agents like Falcons should strive for, plus a wild card
6 mins read

Ranking 10 NFL FREE agents like Falcons should strive for, plus a wild card

On paper, Atlanta does not look like a team that will be active in the free agent market this season. The Falconians are $ 7.5 million above the estimated salary for 2025. It is ranked 27th NFL, according to spotrac.com.

However, January CAP number can deceive. It will not be difficult for Falcons to get that number to positive numbers and potentially as high as $ 20 million or more by converting current contracts and releasing players. Coach Raheem Morris said in his latest news conference that Falcons plan to be active in free agency.

“You always have free agents you should go out there and watch,” Morris said.

So who can these players be this year? The team’s needs never seem to change because Kant Rusher and Cornerback remain thin positions. Several exciting safety and defensive line options may be on the market in March, but Atlanta has Demarcco Hellams that return in safety and a logjam on the defensive line (as long as Ruke Orhoro and Brandon Dorlus develops over the next eight months).

This means that this top-10 list of free agents that Falcons should look for adding is heavy in two positions. (There is also a wild card later.)

1. Edge Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

The biggest problem here is that Mack will be 34 years old, but Morris has a history of aging passports. When he was the defensive coordinator in Los Angeles, Rams for von Miller during the 2021 season and the move gave their Super Bowl driving. The other concern for Mack is that he still plays so well that the chargers do not let him hit the market. He is eighth in the league in sacks (23) and 26th pressure speed (15.8 percent) in the last two seasons, according to Trumedia.

2. CB DJ Reed, New York Jets

The 28-year-old is considered by many as the best Cornerbacken this year, and Falcons has one in because the new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was the defensive coordinator and Interim’s head coach in New York last season. Reed, which has six interceptions in the last five seasons, can play in man or zone program, which would benefit an Atlanta defense that Ulbrich says will be very schedule-tongue.

Goper

Go deeper

Jeff Ulbrich is back with Falcons and promises to build something else on defense

3. CB Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers

The 28-year-old may be on the way thanks to the development of Decommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green. It may be good news for Falcons, which will have some defensive similarities to System Ward worked with San Francisco last year. Ward did not have his best season statistically 2024 (he also suffered trauma outside the field), but he would be an upgrade opposite AJ Terrell, and the idea that he could be on the downturn can make him more affordable.

4. Edge Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders

This may seem high on the list for a player who did not move in the 2024 field, but it actually makes Koonce, 26, an attractive alternative. During the second half of 2023 he was the 11th league in quarterback hits (14), but a seasonal knee injury cost him this whole season. Despite the injury, Koonce can be a player on the way up, and he will come to a discount due to the damage.

5. CB Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals

The 30-year-old Slot Corner is a native in Georgia who played with Jessie Bates III 2021 and 2022. Milton was PFF’s highest graded driving defender among Cornerbacks last season, and he has 11 1/2 career bags and 13 career lists. He will not be as expensive as some of the other Corner slopes on the market and may fit perfectly in Atlanta.


Can Jets Linebacker Jamien Sherwood be reunited with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta? (Nick Camtt / Getty Images)

6. LB Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets

The 25-year-old had a season 2024 season under Ulbrich. A fifth round election 2021, he had 158 tackles, including 10 for loss. He has athletics and clean speed to cover players out of the back field and be a dynamic blitzer. Lined up next to the cadel Elliss, he would give Falcon perhaps the most unpredictable inner linebacker duo in the league.

7. Edge Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles

Sweat can sign again with Eagles before March. If he meets free agency, there will be a lot of competition. He is only 27. He can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense and he has 33 bags in the last four seasons. Sweat’s age and versatility can mean that he is the most expensive edge Rusher in this class.

8. CB Carlton Davis III, Detroit Lions

Atlanta fans know Davis well. He spent the first six years of his career with Tampa Bay. The 28-year-old played well for Lions before a broken jaw ended his season in 2024. Detroit can bring him back because of his aggressiveness and ability to play both man and zone. These qualities will make him popular if he also gets away from the Lions.

Goper

Go deeper

Ranking Falcon’s top unlimited free agents: Will Drew Dalman, Justin Simmons return?

9. CB Rasul Douglas, Buffalo Bills

Douglas, 29, is a willing tackle at the position, but he may not fit well in a man-heavy schedule, which Falcons could play. However, he is an 80 game start in the league, which gives his own value.

10. CB Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota Vikings

Ulbrich wants to rebuild Falcon’s defense to something very different, and Murphy can help in that process. He played under Brian Flores for the Vikings so that he is used to doing things differently (and managing). Murphy had six interceptions this season. The biggest question may be that he will look for big money.

11 (just for fun). QB Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Did you just a skewer? Sure, there are reasons not to bring Wilson in, and he will exhaust every alternative he has to compete for a starting job before he content himself with a role he would have in Atlanta. But if Falcons trades or releases Kirk Cousins, they will need a backup quarterback, and a veteran that may be a sound board for Michael Penix Jr. This role, he could add value to the Quarterbacks room and probably at the right price.

(Top Photo by Khalil Mack: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)