NFL free company is a year-round course of, as groups scout opposing gamers in an effort to defeat them through the yr and maybe signal them within the offseason.
Now that we’re on the finish of the 2024-25 NFL season, the free company image is coming into focus, and groups are starting to establish potential targets to enhance their roster weaknesses.
Listed here are the highest cornerbacks slated to hit free company in 2025. Click on right here for PFF’s full record of the highest 100 free brokers.
1. CB D.J. Reed, New York Jets
2025 Free Agent Rank: 6
Reed is ready to enter free company after incomes his sixth straight season-long 70.0-plus PFF total grade. His 70.1 protection grade in 2024 ranked thirty first amongst qualifying cornerbacks. He excelled in PFF’s superior metrics, boasting a 51.28% lockdown proportion.
Prime free agent comparability: Malcolm Butler, 2018
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| D.J. Reed | 73.4 | 87.0 | 16.2% | 60.5 | ? |
| Malcolm Butler | 76.5 | 90.0 | 14.0 | 66.6 | 6.9% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
2. CB Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
2025 Free Agent Rank: 13
Ward struggled in 2024 and posted profession lows in a lot of PFF metrics, however his total physique of labor will maintain him as one of many high choices in the marketplace in 2025. Final yr was his finest within the NFL to this point, along with his 86.5 PFF protection grade rating third amongst all gamers on the place. With cornerback teammate Deommodore Lenoir receiving an in-season extension, the writing seems to be on the wall that Ward will likely be on the best way out of San Francisco.
Prime free agent comparability: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 2014
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Charvarius Ward | 81.3 | 79.2 | 15.8% | 41.3 | ? |
| Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | 72.6 | 80.9 | 15.1% | N/A | 5.3% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
3. CB Rasul Douglas, Buffalo Payments
2025 Free Agent Rank: 15
Douglas confronted some challenges in 2024, however his knack for making performs on the ball ensures he’ll entice vital curiosity in 2025. Heading into the 2024 marketing campaign, he had recorded no less than seven cross breakups in six of his seven years within the NFL and notched 4 or extra interceptions in every of the previous three seasons.
Prime free agent comparability: James Bradberry, 2023
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Rasul Douglas | 72.9 | 79.9 | 9.8% | 30.7 | ? |
| James Bradberry | 70.1 | 76.4 | 18.9% | 38.4 | 5.6% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
4. CB Carlton Davis III, Detroit Lions
2025 Free Agent Rank: 21
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded Davis to the Lions within the offseason, and he supplied fast stability to a younger Detroit secondary that badly wanted it after the protection endured an unfathomable variety of accidents in 2024, most notably to Defensive Participant of the 12 months front-runner Aidan Hutchinson. Davis, too, suffered a season-ending damage — a fractured jaw that ended his season after Week 15.
Prime free agent comparability: Aaron Colvin, 2018
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Carlton Davis III | 73.4 | 84.4 | 13.7% | 53.3 | ? |
| Aaron Colvin | 75.3 | 75.3 | 1.0% | 61.9 | 4.8% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
5. CB Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
2025 Free Agent Rank: 26
After posting PFF protection grades of 75.6 or higher in every of the previous two years, Samuel struggled early in his first yr with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter on the helm however performed simply 4 video games earlier than being positioned on injured reserve with a shoulder damage. Likewise, Samuel’s tackling woes — an issue that has reared its head all through his profession — had been exacerbated, with the cornerback lacking a whopping 22.2% of makes an attempt. That mentioned, Samuel’s youth, pedigree and expertise will nonetheless be very interesting.
Prime free agent comparability: D.J. Reed, 2022
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Asante Samuel | 64.1 | 72.6 | 14.6% | 66.3 | ? |
| D.J. Reed | 76.1 | 72.0 | 9.6% | 57.5 | 5.3% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
6. CB Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota Vikings
2025 Free Agent Rank: 33
Murphy signed a two-year, $17.5 million free agent contract with the Vikings within the 2023 offseason and positively performed as much as that deal, wanting like an excellent slot in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ uber-aggressive protection. His six interceptions in 2024 had been tied for essentially the most amongst cornerbacks.
Prime free agent comparability: Brandon Flowers, 2015
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Byron Murphy Jr. | 70.3 | 71.7 | 7.3% | 52.1 | ? |
| Brandon Flowers | 70.4 | 70.7 | 4.0% | N/A | 6.3% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
7. CB Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals
2025 Free Agent Rank: 35
Among the best slot defenders within the NFL of the previous decade, Hilton, like many of the Bengals‘ protection, struggled in 2024, however he turned in 4 straight sturdy performances to shut the marketing campaign. He turns 31 proper as free company opens in 2025, however with PFF protection grades above 70.0 in six of the previous eight seasons, he ought to nonetheless obtain loads of curiosity.
Prime free agent comparability: Chris Harris Jr., 2020
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Mike Hilton | 78.9 | 85.5 | 6.6% | 59.1 | ? |
| Chris Harris Jr. | 72.7 | 81.3 | 9.9% | 64.4 | 4.3% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
8. CB Stephon Gilmore, Minnesota Vikings
2025 Free Agent Rank: 67
It’s uncommon for a cornerback to proceed taking part in at a excessive stage into his 30s, however go away it to the 2019 Defensive Participant of the 12 months. Gilmore in all probability advantages from taking part in in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-centric scheme, however there’s little motive to assume he can’t proceed to be a veteran presence in a comparatively younger cornerback room.
Prime free agent comparability: Xavier Rhodes, 2021
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Stephon Gilmore | 68.6 | 64.1 | 12.6% | 52.8 | ? |
| Xavier Rhodes | 58.2 | 69.0 | 10.7% | 45.1 | 2.6% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
9. CB Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots
2025 Free Agent Rank: 74
Jones has continued to play effectively when within the lineup and is established as an outdoor cornerback regardless of kicking inside to the slot occasionally, the place he doesn’t cowl fairly as effectively in tight area. Jones is all the time aggressive and difficult on the catch level, with good restoration potential and a knack for getting his fingers on the soccer, although he hasn’t hauled in an interception prior to now two seasons. The Patriots decreased Jones’ snap depend, doubtlessly injury-related or additionally resulting from a dip in play, so a full-time position at outdoors cornerback could also be tougher to return by this offseason.
Prime free agent comparability: Rashaan Melvin, 2017
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Jonathan Jones | 72.8 | 72.6 | 13.1% | 54.8 | ? |
| Rashaan Melvin | 67.3 | 67.0 | 12.2% | 64.3 | 1.1% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
10. CB Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders
2025 Free Agent Rank: 86
After a robust rookie marketing campaign for the pesky slot defender, Hobbs has been compelled out of the lineup for a handful of video games in every of the previous three seasons. Hobbs has the dimensions to play on the surface at 6-foot-1 and 195 kilos, although it hasn’t been requested of him a lot so far in his profession, and he performs the slot position effectively with a willingness to do the soiled work within the alley. He also can make performs on nickel blitzes.
Prime free agent comparability: Sean Murphy-Bunting, 2023
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Nate Hobbs | 69.1 | 68.3 | 8.6% | 49.4 | ? |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | 68.7 | 68.6 | 6.4% | 43.9 | 1.5% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
11. CB Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints
2025 Free Agent Rank: 87
Adebo was remarkably productive to begin the 2024 marketing campaign earlier than a damaged femur knocked him out for the rest of the yr. Following the commerce deadline departure of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, Adebo would’ve had half of a season’s runway to actually get examined as a No. 1 outdoors cornerback week in and week out, which might have mentioned so much about his market. Now, Adebo will face questions on his restoration timeline through the peak negotiating window.
Prime free agent comparability: Alterraun Verner, 2014
| Participant | Protection grade w/ no stress | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Pressured incompletion fee | Single protection grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Paulson Adebo | 86.9 | 83.0 | 19.3% | 63.0 | ? |
| Alterraun Verner | 83.9 | 82.3 | 12.9% | N/A | 4.8% |
*All knowledge in tables displays two years previous to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Obtainable in PFF’s free company rankings
