NFL Free Agency: ESPN ranks Top-10 unsigned 2023 players

With OTAs wrapping up across the NFL, franchises from all over the league have a pretty good sense of what’s at their disposal heading into the fall. Depending on how they see it will determine whether or not they feel the need to make any more signings from the free-agent market. With that in mind, ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently ranked the top-10 remaining unsigned players heading into the 2023 season.

Former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook and former Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins lead his rankings as players who have become available in the last two weeks.

1. RB Dalvin Cook
2. WR DeAndre Hopkins
3. DE Yannick Ngakoue
4. CB Marcus Peters
5. G Dalton Risner
6. DE Jadeveon Clowney
7. QB Teddy Bridgewater
8. OLB Justin Houston
9. OLB Melvin Ingram
10. S John Johnson III

Minnesota released Cook back at the end of last week after they were unable to trade him to another team. He likely won’t have to wait long for another team to employ him again, though, as one of the league’s best backs with over 7,700 yards of offense and 52 touchdowns over his six seasons. Several teams have already been connected to him, including three from the AFC East.

Hopkins is much the same as Cook after Arizona released him back on May 26th. Now, after several teams have entered the sweepstakes, he has set up visits to Tennessee and New England.

After that, defense takes priority on ESPN’s free agent list from Bowen. Six of the final eight overall spots are held by defenders. The players range from the edge to the secondary and from ages anywhere between 27 and 34 years old. That stretch of the list includes former No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney as he enters his 10th pro season.

Bridgewater is a name worth noting because of his successes as a starter and the constant need for quarterback help. From there, two other well-known pieces finished just outside ESPN’s top 10 with Kareem Hunt and Ezekiel Elliott finishing 11th and 12th respectively.

Again, teams have a decent idea of what they do and do not need at this point of the offseason. That could mean good things, especially for players of high-interest like Cook and Hopkins, or not so much for others depending on what teams are still looking for heading into the fall.