Following the Top 10 Defensive Free Agents in 2025 NFL Offseason (1-5) article, I’m circling back with an extended list, 6-10. This year’s free agent group is especially deep with cornerbacks which teams should take notice of, since an influx of extremely talented wide receivers happens nearly every draft. Included in the write-ups are a list of possible destinations and how each player has been utilized. Be sure to check out my profile HERE for more NFL offseason content.
Top 10 Defensive Free Agents in 2025 NFL Offseason (6-10)
Free agent 6. Charvarius Ward – Cornerback, San Fransisco 49ers
Potential Destinations: Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City
2024 has been a bumpy ride for the San Francisco 49ers and Charvarius Ward has certainly been a part of it. 2023 saw Ward enjoy his best season yet, as PFF ranked him as the third-best cornerback in the league, only behind Sauce Gardner and Trent McDuffie. In a 2023 season mired by secondary injuries in San Francisco, Ward stood out as the team’s biggest stopgap for opposing receivers. 2024 saw him face a personal tragedy in the loss of his child.
After a six-game hiatus, Ward didn’t look like the same guy, totally understandable with what he had on his mind. His coverage skills were lacking, which is concerning for a guy who’s 29. However, with just one year removed from an elite season, he’s someone who shouldn’t be slept on. Any team with a cornerback need should go after him, though it won’t be cheap.
Free agent 7. Byron Murphy Jr. – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings
Potential Destinations: New York Giants, Cincinnati, Minnesota
Minnesota’s top cornerback has had his best season to date in 2024 and it couldn’t have come at a better time, with Byron Murphy Jr. set to hit free agency for the second time in his young career. Through 17 weeks, he’s tied with Marlon Humphrey with six interceptions, the most at the cornerback position so far this year.
His 74.2 coverage grade is the best he’s had in his career, though he’s given up 61 catches on the season. He certainly has his faults, as he won’t ever be the fastest guy on the field. However, teams can live with that, assuming he continues to take away the ball at a high rate. Still, at 26 years old, Muphy should be considered a lower-tier CB1 going forward.
Free agent 8. Dre Greenlaw – Linebacker, San Fransisco 49ers
Potential Destinations: New England, Tennessee, Las Vegas
Dre Greenlaw, San Fransisco’s second star linebacker is set to secure the payday he’s been eyeing for the last couple of years. He burst onto the scene in 2022 with 127 tackles, showcasing his incredible sideline-to-sideline range. He followed that up with a nearly identical season in 2023, which was unfortunately cut short in the playoffs after suffering a torn ACL.
That injury kept him out for the vast majority of 2024 and by the time he came back, the 49ers’ playoff hopes were an afterthought. In the one meaningful showing he’s had, he displayed the same knowledge and athleticism that made many consider him elite. For any team trying to rebuild their defense, Greenlaw would be a fantastic starting point.
Free agent 9. Malcolm Koonce – Edge, Las Vegas Raiders
Potential Destinations: Carolina, Arizona, Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Raiders greatly missed edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, who tore his ACL three days before they were supposed to make their season debut. He’s very much an under-the-radar name, with not much to speak of before the 2023 season. Before 2023, the third-round pick had just two sacks and it wasn’t looking promising going into 2024 after the Raiders drafted edge rusher Tyree Wilson 7th overall. While Koonce was facing fierce competition within the team, he let his play on the field do the talking.
He’d finish 2023 with eight sacks and the game seemed to click for him at the end of the season, with six of those sacks coming in the last four weeks of the season. Quality edge rushers are hard to come by, with young edge rushers with potential left coming around even less often. Koonce likely won’t be very expensive and is a great, cheap option for a young team struggling to get after the quarterback.
Free agent 10. Rasul Douglas – Cornerback, Buffalo Bills
Potential Destinations: New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo
With a full offseason and regular season in Buffalo, Rasul Douglas has been a quality addition in his second season there. He’d been acquired by Buffalo through a deal with Green Bay at the midseason trade deadline. While he hasn’t been the turnover machine we remember towards the end of 2023’s regular season, he’s still been a quality cornerback option for the Bills.
He’s only allowed 40 catches on the season thus far and has prevented separation pretty well for the most part. While no longer an obvious CB1, he can still be a good CB2 in a zone scheme for at least a couple more years. He’ll likely come pretty cheap and could look like a steal if he rebounds in 2025.
Just missed: Carlton Davis III, Asante Samuel Jr., and Milton Williams.
Main Image: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
