Top 10 Players Available On Defense For Week 2 Of NFL Free Agency

Most of the top players quickly found homes in NFL free agency, but savvy teams can still help themselves with quality players on bargain contracts. Here’s the best of the rest on defense.

Need a versatile edge defender?

Jadeveon Clowney, Seattle (27): Clowney is the best player remaining in free agency. The first pick of the 2014 draft by Houston, Seattle acquired him before last season. While he had only three sacks and 13 quarterback hits – numbers well behind his nine sacks and 21 quarterback hits for the Texans in 2018 – he is a versatile three-down defender because he’s a stud against the run and can rush up and down the line.

Need a pass rusher?

Cameron Wake, Tennessee (38): Wake had only 2.5 sacks in nine games last season but sometimes the sacks don’t tell the whole story. Of 103 edge defenders with at least 170 pass rushes, Wake ranked third in ProFootballFocus.com’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. In 11 NFL seasons, he’s reached 10-plus sacks five times.

Need a defensive lineman?

Go to Denver: For teams needing defensive line help, plenty is available with Ndamukong Suh, Timmy Jernigan and Damon Harrison. But the starting point is the Mile High City. Shelby Harris (28) set career highs with six sacks, 49 tackles and nine passes defensed. According to Pro Football Focus, of the 83 defensive linemen with 200-plus pass rushes, Harris ranked 23rd in its pass-rushing productivity metric. Teammate Derek Wolfe (30) set a career high with seven sacks despite missing the final four games with an elbow injury. He finished 21st in PFF’s pass-rushing metric. They are three-down defenders who shouldn’t break the bank.

Need a linebacker?

Darron Lee, Kansas City (25): Teams aggressively targeted the free-agent market, leaving Lee as more of a Hail Mary than a sure thing.  Lee was the Jets’ first-round pick in 2016. He had 94 tackles in 2017 and 74 tackles and three interceptions in 2018. Lee was shipped to Kansas City, where he mostly played off the bench in 2019. At the 2016 Scouting Combine, he ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds. That stuff still matters.

Need a cornerback?

Jimmy Smith, Baltimore (31): When healthy, Smith is a top cornerback. The problem is Smith hasn’t played more than 12 games since 2015. In 2019, he was limited to nine games with a knee injury and had one interception and six passes defensed. According to PFF, he allowed just a 51.1 percent catch rate and 65.4 rating.

Need a slot corner?

Nickell Robey-Coleman, L.A. Rams (28): At 5-foot-8, Robey-Coleman isn’t for everyone. While he didn’t have any interceptions last year, he covered extremely well. Of the 31 corners to play at least 200 coverage snaps in the slot, he ranked fourth with 0.63 yards allowed per coverage snap, according to PFF. In seven seasons, he’s missed only one game. He has six career interceptions.

Need a do-it-all corner?

CB Logan Ryan, Tennessee (29): A third-round pick in 2013 by New England, Ryan has 17 career interceptions. In 2019 for the Titans, he had four interceptions, a career-high 18 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. He’s an excellent tackler, as well. Most of his action has come in the slot but, at 5-foot-11, he’s not overmatched on the perimeter.

Need a safety?

Damarious Randall, Cleveland (27): It’s a big-play league, and Randall can deliver more big plays than the other available safeties. A first-round pick by Green Bay in 2015, he has 14 career interceptions. He still hasn’t played in all 16 games but he covers ground from his role in center field and has cleaned up his tackling.

Need a punter?

Lachlan Edwards, N.Y. Jets (27): The native of Australia has three consecutive seasons with averages of at least 45.9 yards – numbers that were not beefed up with a bunch of dome games. Last year, he ranked 12th with a net average of 41.6 yards, meaning he did his part to limit returns.