Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. In today's installment, he spotlights players who have positioned themselves to sign lucrative deals in the coming offseason ...
As the 2024 NFL regular season winds down, organizations across the league are already knee deep in their team-building plans for 2025. Executives and scouts are scribbling notes on potential free agents, attempting to identify schematic/cultural fits.
So, who's in position to break the bank on the open market? The opportunity to snag an ascending player drives up the price, and plenty of impending free agents are poised to cash in after thriving in a contract year. Given some time to dig into the 2025 free-agent class, I'd like to spotlight seven players who have raised their respective stocks.
Darnold ultimately could prove to be a one-year wonder, but the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft is enjoying the best season of his career -- by far. Through 15 games, the seventh-year pro has thrown for 3,776 yards and 32 touchdowns (against 11 interceptions), boasting a sparkling 105.4 passer rating. As an efficient and effective playmaker, Darnold has 12 games with at least a 100.0 passer rating, one behind MVP candidate Lamar Jackson (who posted his 13th on Christmas Day) for the NFL lead, and 11 games with multiple passing touchdowns. While some of the veteran’s success can be attributed to Coach of the Year candidate Kevin O’Connell and his offensive wizardry, Darnold's finally displaying the immense talent his many supporters touted when projecting him as a franchise quarterback during the 2018 offseason.
Given Darnold's spectacular 2024 campaign, the Vikings could slap the franchise tag -- projected at just over $41 million for QBs in 2025, per Over The Cap -- on the 27-year-old to keep him in the fold for another season. However, the presence of J.J. McCarthy as the franchise's quarterback of the future and a lackluster quarterback market could make the veteran a hot commodity on the open market.
The big-play specialist boasts a pair of 1,000-yard seasons and 31 total touchdowns on his résumé. Averaging 14.0 yards per catch over 68 career games in Cincinnati, Higgins is the versatile deep threat every offense covets on the perimeter. If the Bengals allow the 6-foot-4, 219-pound receiver, who's playing the 2024 season on the franchise tag, to hit the market this offseason, he could be the next pass catcher to ink a blockbuster deal that averages more than $30 million annually.
The two-time Super Bowl champion is a rugged interior blocker with the size, strength, power and skill to transform an offense at the point of attack. Smith’s toughness and physicality set the tone for the Chiefs, while his skill enables Patrick Mahomes to throw comfortably from the pocket. As teams look to rebuild or retool their offensive lines in order to protect the most important piece of the puzzle, this 6-6, 321-pounder will command significant attention on the free-agent market if Kansas City lets him walk.
After earning respect as half of one of the best cornerback tandems in football in recent years, Reed figures to be an intriguing option for teams looking for a competitive and feisty lockdown corner with diverse skills. Though scheme fit matters, based on his experience within a system popularized by the “Legion of Boom” in Seattle (Reed has exclusively played in that scheme during his time with the 49ers, Seahawks and Jets), the seventh-year pro’s instincts, awareness and sticky coverage could translate into many defenses. Given the lack of elite cornerbacks that are going to be on the market, Reed will have suitors lining up to secure his services as a CB1.
A midseason trade has helped Robinson enhance his value as a blind-side protector. The eighth-year pro stepped in as an injury replacement for a Pro Bowl-caliber player (Christian Darrisaw) -- and the offense has not skipped a beat with Robinson installed at left tackle.
The 6-6, 335-pounder possesses the size, length and athleticism to fill the role as a franchise-caliber LT, but he has not consistently played to his potential on the edges since entering the league as a high second-round pick. He's playing at a high level in Minnesota, though, with his performance potentially influenced by his environment. This makes him an intriguing option for winning teams looking to upgrade their front line.
The playmaking safety is a Swiss Army Knife in the defensive backfield with a wide-ranging skill set that could make him a fit for any scheme. Holland’s instincts, awareness and ball skills enable him to play in the deep middle as a center fielder. Meanwhile, as a box defender, the fourth-year pro’s outstanding tackling ability and crafty pass-rushing moves make him a potential threat to harass the quarterback from the second level. With the league evolving to feature more position-less playmakers on defense, Holland’s versatility will make him highly sought after.
Pass rushers are always highly coveted, especially those with prototypical dimensions and dynamic traits. Though Young hasn't played to expectations as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the 6-5, 264-pounder flashes enough disruptive potential to entice a needy team to gamble on his upside and potential. Given his 22 career sacks (including 5.5 in 2024) and seven forced fumbles -- not to mention the fact that he's still just 25 -- Young is an enticing boom-or-bust prospect in a league that's always hungry for QB hunters.