With the 2026 NFL Draft complete, free agency takes center stage once again.
Teams across the league still have roster needs to address. Some were unable to fill their gaps through the draft, while others are looking to add depth. This is where the second and third waves of free agency become crucial.
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Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney are some of the big-name free agents who remain unsigned.
NFL FREE AGENTS: Jauan Jennings leads best players available
Organized Team Activities (OTAs) ramp up in May, and mandatory minicamps kick off in June. Will some of the best remaining free agents find new homes before OTAs or minicamp? USA TODAY Sports analyzes the best fits for some of the top free agents still available.
NFL free agent best fits
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
New Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. told USA TODAY Sports that he’s talked to Rodgers this offseason. It’s one of many signs that Rodgers intends to play for Pittsburgh this year. The Steelers placed the rare UFA tender on Rodgers this week. The tender preserves the Steelers’ right to receive a compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs with another club. It also gives Pittsburgh exclusive negotiating rights for the 42-year-old quarterback.
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Rodgers will be reunited with Mike McCarthy if he returns for a 22nd season. The four-time MVP isn’t the QB he once was, but he’s still a capable starter who helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs. The Steelers drafted Drew Allar in the third round. He can compete with Will Howard and Mason Rudolph for Pittsburgh’s backup QB gig.
WR Tyreek Hill (2025 team: Dolphins)
Best fit: Kansas City Chiefs
Get the band back together in Kansas City. Chris Jones is already publicly recruiting Hill. A reunion makes a ton of sense for the 32-year-old speedster and the Chiefs. Kansas City has not adequately filled Hill’s void since they traded him to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. The Chiefs would provide Hill with a comfortable, familiar place to rehab his knee injury and revitalize the back half of his career. The Chiefs lost Hollywood Brown in free agency and didn’t draft a WR until the fifth round.
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WR Stefon Diggs (2025: Patriots)
Best fit: Baltimore Ravens
Wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt were good mid-round draft picks, but the Ravens don’t have a wideout that opponents have to seriously gameplan for outside of Zay Flowers. Diggs led the AFC-champion Patriots in catches and receiving yards, a sign the mercurial receiver still has juice left in the tank. It’s best if Diggs plays with an established QB on a contending team.
Best fit: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles appear poised to trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots on or after June 1, when Brown’s $40 million salary cap charge splits into two years. DeVonta Smith is more than capable of being Philly’s primary wideout, but he’s best as a Z receiver. First-round pick Makai Lemon is an ideal fit in the slot. Jennings could be inserted as the Eagles’ X receiver.
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Jennings led all San Francisco wideouts in catches (55) and receiving yards (643) a season ago. He’s also a threat in the red zone. His nine touchdown receptions last year led San Francisco and were a career-high.
Edge Joey Bosa (2025 team: Bills)
Best fit: San Francisco 49ers
A tag team with his younger brother, Nick, in San Francisco is a perfect landing spot for Joey to finish out his career. Joey tallied five sacks and 47 pressures for the Bills last season. He was Buffalo’s best edge rusher during stretches of the 2025 season.
At this point in his career, Joey’s better suited to be the second or third-best edge rusher on a team. He’d be that in San Francisco alongside his brother and second-year pro Mykel Williams.
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DT D.J. Reader (2025 team: Lions)
Best fit: New York Giants
Reader isn’t as disruptive as he was in previous years, but he started 17 games for the Lions last season. His 20 pressures were second on the team among interior defensive linemen. The Giants traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals and are rumored to be interested in Reader’s services.
Best fit: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers made a couple of splashes in free agency on defense with the acquisitions of edge Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. However, Carolina needs more firepower on offense. The Panthers didn’t have a tight end produce more than 30 catches in 2025. Njoku has had at least 11 starts and 33 catches for five straight seasons. He’d immediately become the Panthers’ top tight end. He will be 30 years old at the start of the 2026 season and could provide a veteran presence in a room of young pass catchers.
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Best fit: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins surprisingly didn’t address wide receiver until the third round of the draft. Malik Washington, Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert are Miami’s top wide receivers. Neither of the three has produced a single season with 50 catches or over 610 receiving yards. Samuel is a little beyond his prime and isn’t the yards after catch specialist he once was, but he’d at least give Malik Willis another much-needed threat on offense.
Best fit: Chicago Bears
Reddick’s production has taken a precipitous decline since four straight double-digit sack seasons from 2020 to 2023. He’ll turn 32 in September but his 34 pressures last year would’ve ranked fourth on the Bears in 2025. Chicago needs another edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat and didn’t address their pass rush need in the draft. Chicago had the NFC’s worst pass rush win rate in 2025, per ESPN and can use a vet like Reddick to provide a boost.
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Best fit: Los Angeles Chargers
Allen made it clear about his desire to return to Los Angeles. The Chargers’ all-time receptions leader proved last season he’s still a savvy route runner and has an established rapport with Justin Herbert. He led the Chargers with 81 catches – 49 of which resulted in a first down. The Chargers have a young receiving corps that they should continue to prioritize but they can use Allen’s veteran presence.
Best fit: New Orleans Saints
Are the Saints really ready to play without Jordan for the first time in 15 years? New Orleans traded for Tyree Wilson during this year’s draft after the former first-round pick didn’t live up to expectations in Las Vegas. Jordan remains more productive and established than Wilson, despite being past his prime. Perhaps the two sides can spin the block so Jordan can finish his career in New Orleans. Jordan will turn 37 years old in July, so a short-term deal seems right for both sides.
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Best fit: San Francisco 49ers
Waller exceeded expectations in Mike McDaniel’s systems after the tight end came out of retirement. His six touchdown receptions were tied for a team-high in Miami last season. McDaniel comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, which would make the transition for Waller easier.
George Kittle ruptured his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs and there’s uncertainty about the tight end’s availability at the start of the regular season. When Kittle is active, the 49ers can utilize both pass-catching threats on the field in 12 personnel packages.
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Edge Jadeveon Clowney (2025 team: Cowboys)
Best fit: Cleveland Browns
The 33-year-old veteran can still set the edge and has some pass-rush juice left. He’s produced at least 5.5 sacks and 41 tackles the past three seasons. Clowney played for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and 2022. He’s proven he can hold his own and play opposite star edge rusher Myles Garrett. He compiled nine sacks for the Browns in 2021, which was his second-best mark over the last six seasons.
Best fit: Detroit Lions
The 36-year-old veteran is still a steady blocker. Zeitler has registered at least 15 starts in 11 straight seasons. He allowed five sacks and 18 pressures during 1,047 snaps at left guard with the Lions in 2024. He played with the Titans in 2025, where his PFF pass-blocking grade of 75.4 ranked 9th among 81 qualified guards. The Lions ranked 31st in pass-block win rate without Zeitler in 2025, per ESPN.
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Best fit: Indianapolis Colts
Van Noy, 35, might not provide a lot of firepower off the edge, especially at this point in his career, but he has a good football IQ and a solid locker room voice. The veteran could be a good complement to Indy’s young edge rush duo in Laiatu Latu and JT Tuimoloau. He’s not too far removed from a breakout career-best 12.5 sack season in 2024.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency: Best team fits for remaining top free agents available
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