- Jevon Holland will probably be one of the coveted safeties: The Vikings and Chargers are potential suitors as groups in want of secondary assist.
- Asante Samuel Jr. enters the free-agent market after a down 2024 season: The 25-year-old ought to nonetheless command a good payday, and the Raiders are a possible touchdown spot.
Estimated Studying Time: 8 minutes
Constructing on the work of our “greatest touchdown spots” record, we’re taking a look at much more potential touchdown spots for each place group within the 2025 NFL free-agent class.
These are the potential touchdown spots for PFF’s high free-agent cornerbacks and safeties this offseason.
S Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins
Total Free-Agent Rank: 3
Potential Touchdown Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers
Holland is a pure match for each the Vikings and Chargers, two defenses that completed 2024 ranked within the high three of their fee of utilizing two-high security protection appears. The just about 25-year-old security runs these coverages at a excessive fee, and though he struggled this previous season, he clocked a 73.0-plus PFF protection grade in open coverages in 2022 and 2023.
The Vikings will watch many key contributors from their 2024 secondary enter the free-agent market, with Josh Metellus standing because the lone cornerback or security left underneath contract who recorded 80 or extra defensive snaps this season. Minnesota, at the moment projected to carry the seventh-most cap area this offseason, might herald Holland to construct its secondary round.
The Chargers additionally face the troublesome activity of changing key secondary gamers, set to lose 5 of their high 10 snap contributors. With Derwin James’ success performing as the first slot defender in 2024, Los Angeles could look to shore up a again finish that will probably be left reasonably barren, with Alohi Gilman being the one different security underneath contract.
CB D.J. Reed, New York Jets
Total Free-Agent Rank: 6
Potential Touchdown Spots: Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers
After Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for the Jets‘ head-coaching job, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to fill the void. The expectation is that the workforce’s Cowl 1-heavy scheme will stay, making Reed a clear match to exchange Carlton Davis III on the surface.
With Robert Saleh returning to San Francisco as defensive coordinator, Reed and the 49ers ought to have a mutual curiosity in reaching a deal to reunite the cornerback along with his former defensive play caller in New York. Reed endured a noticeable drop in PFF protection grade pre- and post-Saleh teaching with the Jets, along with his 90.8 mark plummeting to 54.0 from Week 5 onward this season.
CB Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
Total Free-Agent Rank: 13
Potential Touchdown Spots: New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings
Whereas new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will assess the roster and resolve on a defensive scheme, Vrabel ran Quarters protection at one of many highest charges within the NFL throughout his time in Tennessee. Ward ran loads of Quarters appears in San Francisco, too — on the sixth-highest fee within the NFL.
Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin are all set to hit the market, so the Vikings might want to prioritize sensible gamers who can play in a wide range of protection appears in Brian Flores’ protection.
CB Rasul Douglas, Buffalo Payments
Total Free-Agent Rank: 15
Potential Touchdown Spots: Inexperienced Bay Packers
The Packers traded Douglas to the Payments in 2023, however after he endured a justifiable share of struggles in 2024, a return to Inexperienced Bay can be a pure final result this offseason. Douglas produced a 71.0-plus PFF protection grade in every season with the Packers. With Eric Stokes set to develop into a free agent and Jaire Alexander having missed the higher a part of the previous two seasons, a reunion with Douglas is smart.
CB Carlton Davis III, Detroit Lions
Total Free-Agent Rank: 21
Potential Touchdown Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
Davis’ fame as one of the bodily cornerbacks within the NFL ought to make for a pure slot in Pittsburgh. The Steelers ran Cowl 1 on the fourth-highest fee within the NFL in 2024, a scheme Davis is effectively acquainted with from his time in Detroit.
Robert Saleh is again on the helm of the 49ers’ protection, and the expectation is that he’ll look to emulate the vaunted unit he coached in New York, characterised by its wholesome use of Cowl 1. Davis might even show to be an improve over the departing Charvarius Ward in Saleh’s scheme.
S Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
Total Free-Agent Rank: 23
Potential Touchdown Spots: Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts
After seeing restricted run the previous two seasons as a consequence of damage, Hufanga enters the open market largely enjoying off the promise he confirmed in his full season of motion again in 2022. That 12 months, he clocked a 78.5 PFF protection grade in closed coverages.
The Broncos possessed one of many strongest protection items within the NFL this previous season however had a transparent weak hyperlink in P.J. Locke, whom the Payments uncovered within the wild-card spherical. Hufanga initiatives as an improve over Locke in Denver’s single-high coverages, if the previous can keep wholesome.
The Colts will probably be taking a look at a substitute for Julian Blackmon within the secondary to play in tandem with Nick Cross in new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s protection. In Cincinnati, Anarumo ran a wide range of coverages — a virtually equivalent fee of open and closed coverages — to various levels of success. Hufanga is accustomed to a wide range of protection appears, having performed heavy charges of single-high and two-high appears.
CB Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Total Free-Agent Rank: 26
Potential Touchdown Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders
At 25 years previous, Samuel enters the free-agent market coming off an underwhelming begin to a 2024 marketing campaign that was finally minimize quick by a season-ending damage. He brings two prior seasons of strong manufacturing, producing a 75.0-plus PFF protection grade in 2022 and 2023, so groups should resolve what his contract worth ought to be. The Vikings might swoop in to exchange their departing secondary gamers with a youthful expertise in Samuel.
With the Raiders bringing in former Buccaneers assistant common supervisor John Spytek and projected to have the second-most cap area this offseason, Samuel might develop into a key goal of their rebuild. Addressing their protection struggles will probably be a precedence, and Samuel’s potential matches completely into that plan.
S Camryn Bynum, Minnesota Vikings
Total Free-Agent Rank: 31
Potential Touchdown Spots: Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars are nonetheless trying to find a common supervisor — and, to a lesser extent, a defensive coordinator — to information their roster underneath new head coach Liam Coen. A lot will change in Jacksonville between now and March. However the workforce ought to prioritize discovering a security to play reverse Andrew Wingard, who’s getting into a contract 12 months.
Tennessee faces the departure of Quandre Diggs in free company after he completed as their secondary’s highest-graded participant. Bynum can be a pure slot in Dennard Wilson’s protection, a unit that ran Quarters protection on the highest fee (22%) within the NFL in 2024 — one thing he performed at a big fee in Minnesota.
CB Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota Vikings
Total Free-Agent Rank: 33
Potential Touchdown Spots: Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders
Rebounding from their Thirtieth-ranked workforce PFF protection grade (39.8) must be a precedence for the Commanders, who’ve important cap area. Murphy might step in as an on the spot improve over free agent Noah Igbinoghene within the slot, as he can play on the surface towards two-receiver units. The idea is that common supervisor Adam Peters isn’t giving up on Marshon Lattimore amid his struggles, and may the veteran bounce again in 2025, a pairing with Murphy might revamp this secondary.
Raiders common supervisor John Spytek has to assault a secondary rebuild in free company, and providing the 27-year-old cornerback can be a prudent transfer to enhance the NFL’s lowest-graded protection unit (30.4).
CB Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals
Total Free-Agent Rank: 35
Potential Touchdown Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers
Hilton could also be reaching his age-31 season, however he hasn’t slowed down but, nonetheless producing as one of many NFL’s greatest slot defenders. The Steelers will want slot assist after Cam Sutton‘s departure, and provided that Pittsburgh drafted Hilton again in 2017, a reunion could also be within the playing cards.
S Justin Reid, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
Total Free-Agent Rank: 50
Potential Touchdown Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers
Whereas Minnesota might choose to construct its secondary round one in every of this 12 months’s high free-agent safeties, it could be extra possible to fill their many vacant spots with extra reasonable veteran contracts. The Chiefs ran open coverages on the second-highest fee within the NFL in 2024, second to solely Minnesota.
Jim Harbaugh could be very accustomed to the Reid household, having recruited Justin’s older brother, Eric, as the top coach at Stanford and drafted him within the first spherical in 2013 because the 49ers‘ head coach. That connection might also draw Harbaugh to pursue Justin in free company, a participant he noticed loads of within the AFC West this season.
