2026 NFL free agency: Most overrated, underrated players - ESPN

NFL free agency comes with its share of decisions. It's not enough to say Defensive Tackle A is better than Defensive Tackle B. NFL teams must determine exactly how much they're willing to pay each player. Yes, they're looking for talent and players who can fulfill needs. But they're also looking for value.

Ahead of the kickoff of the new league year next week, we're picking out players who are underrated and overrated heading into free agency.

It's reasonable to ask how one can determine if a player is underrated or overrated. Since free agency hasn't started, we don't know what players will receive in terms of compensation. But we do have a sense. So I'm basing this largely on the media consensus as we head into free agency.

So, let's dive into the 2026 free agency class and find some free agents worth more than (we think) they'll get… and vice versa.

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Underrated | Overrated

I know what you're thinking. He's the top-ranked quarterback in the class, so how could Willis be underrated? Because I think he's the most important free agent in this class, period.

I came into this thinking I would be a Willis skeptic for several reasons:

The tiny sample (three starts in two seasons in Green Bay).

The fact that his success came with a high-end playcaller in Matt LaFleur.

That he struggled to get on the field in Tennessee in his first two seasons and wasn't very good when he did.

Even with his success in Green Bay, he didn't throw all that much.

But I rewatched his start against the Ravens in Week 17, and my opinion radically transformed. In that game Willis showed his ability to throw with anticipation (a touchdown throw to Christian Watson deep over