2026 NFL free agency: Ranking the top 100 players available - ESPN

NFL free agency unofficially opens at noon ET on March 9 with the negotiation window (when players can agree to terms), and it officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11 (when players can actually be signed). At the end of January, we ranked the NFL's top 50 free agents available this offseason. Now that the franchise tag deadline is behind us, we're expanding our list to the top 100 free agents.

My ranking factors in age, positional value, expected future production, scheme versatility and buzz around the league. This list only includes unrestricted free agents and a few players who are expected to released at the start of the new NFL league year on March 11 (i.e. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray).

Who is the top player in the class? How do the quarterbacks stack up? And which positions run deepest? Let's dive in and look at the best available players from 1 to 100. (And I will update this list periodically over the next few days before we hit the negotiating window.)

Jump to the top-ranked:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
Edge | DT | LB | CB | S

2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Hendrickson is a relentless defender off the edge, with a deep toolbox of counters and a knack for making plays late in the down. In seven games last season, he had four sacks. His 17.5 sacks and 65 pressures in 2024 were league highs. Hendrickson would immediately upgrade just about any team's defensive line.

2025 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: Linderbaum has a tone-setting mentality on the interior of the front, using elite foot speed and body control to match pass rushers or climb to the second level in the run game. His pass block win rate of 97.2% tied for