The rich got richer when it comes to the best positional groups in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals ignored salary cap consequences and found a way to pay both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, ensuring that their two star receivers remained with Joe Burrow for the next few years.
Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel, had a memorable quote when the team announced the multi-year extensions for Chase and Higgins, saying, “We have our receivers. The rest of the league can go find their own.”
Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman had a similar mindset when he decided to lock down Saquon Barkley even though the star running back still had two years remaining on his initial deal with the Eagles. Barkley quickly outplayed the contract after rushing for 2,005 yards and helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
Most teams made sure their positional strengths didn’t take a hit during free agency. Now, three weeks before the draft, here are the NFL’s best teams at every position after free agency.
Offense by Gilberto Manzano, defense by Matt Verderame.
Quarterback: Buffalo Bills
For perhaps the first time in a long time, we can say the best quarterback in the league doesn’t reside in Kansas City. Josh Allen won MVP for a season in which Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow also posted career years. And, yes, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again got the best of the Bills in the postseason, but it was a sluggish season for Mahomes’s lofty standards, playing behind a subpar offensive line that was pummeled in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s hard to believe the same would have occurred to the Bills’ offense had they won the AFC title game. Allen didn’t have as many weapons as Burrow or Jackson and still managed to put his team on his back with weekly elite performances. For his heroic efforts, the Bills rewarded Allen with a six-year, $330 million contract extension.
Running back: Philadelphia Eagles
Sure, there might be better running back committees on other teams, including the Detroit Lions with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. But Barkley’s elite skill set alone makes him better than every running back room across the league. Barkley captured Offensive Player of the Year honors for cracking 2,000 rushing yards and topped that with one of the best playoff runs ever for a running back, recording 499 yards and five touchdowns in four games. Some might argue that Barkley had too much help in Philadelphia, but that doesn’t apply to him because he was a dominant weapon on woeful New York Giants teams before joining the Eagles. No running back in the league offers as much versatility as Barkley, which the Giants found out the hard way. Barkley will be in Philadelphia for a long time after the team made him the first running back to have an annual average salary of at least $20 million.
Wide receiver: Cincinnati Bengals
In years past, it was difficult to name the best receiving corps in the league. It was a no-brainer this year because of how prolific the Bengals’ passing game was in 2024. Chase was clearly the best wide receiver last year, evident by his triple crown as the league leader in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17). But what truly made Chase’s 2024 season special was how helpless he made opposing defenses, including the Baltimore Ravens, who were torched for a combined 457 yards and five touchdowns during two games against Chase.
Higgins is considered the No. 2 wide receiver for the Bengals, but don’t tell Chase that because he views his teammate as a fellow No. 1 option. It said plenty that Burrow made the media rounds to put pressure on the organization to re-sign both of them. Many teams would have let Higgins walk instead of hammering out expensive extensions for two wideouts. But Cincinnati signed Chase to a four-year, $161 million deal and Higgins to a four-year, $115 million deal. Higgins’s clutch 131-yard performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 17 was a reminder of how dominant he can be for the Bengals.
Tight end: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have the luxury of having two starting-caliber tight ends, making them perhaps the only team in the league that can say that. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for 97 receptions, 1,150 yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns last season. What makes this duo unique is how much they contribute as downfield pass catchers for Jackson, with Andrews and Likely averaging 12.2 yards and 11.4 yards per reception, respectively. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride had better individual seasons last year, but they were one-man shows for their respective teams. Depth at tight end has paid off for the Ravens in various ways.
Offensive line: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles’ offensive line has been elite for a long time, but no unit came close to matching their production in 2024. They paved the way for Barkley’s 2,005 rushing yards and helped Jalen Hurts record 14 rushing touchdowns, mostly from the 1-yard line. This O-line is so good that the league is attempting to ban the tush push because no other team can execute it as well as Philadelphia. The sour grapes surrounding this play might be the ultimate compliment for an offensive line. The Eagles have Pro Bowlers and All-Pros across the offensive line with left tackle Jordan Mailata, left guard Landon Dickerson, center Cam Jurgens and right tackle Lane Johnson. Philadelphia lost right guard Mekhi Becton to the Los Angeles Chargers, but the team quickly rebounded with the trade for Kenyon Green, who should look better than he did in Houston once surrounded by elite teammates.
Defensive line: Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos led the league in sacks last season and didn’t do anything to get worse up front. Nik Bonitto turned into a star in 2024, registering 13.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hits on his way to the Pro Bowl. Jonathon Cooper was also dominant off the edge with 10.5 sacks, while Zach Allen had a fantastic year with 8.5 sacks and 40 quarterback hits. Finally, John Franklin-Myers amassed seven sacks as well, helping the Broncos total 63.
If Denver’s offense can play a bit better this season and force their opponents to play from behind to give this group more opportunities to rush the passer, there’s no telling what their ceiling is.
Linebackers: Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota essentially built its linebacking corps in one offseason and did an impossibly top-notch job. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah brought in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to serve as the outside linebackers while Blake Cashman roamed in the middle.
The result was one of the league’s best defenses under coordinator Brian Flores. Van Ginkel had a year worthy of Defensive Player of the Year consideration, totaling 11.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss and two pick-sixes. Greenard starred with 12 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as well, while Cashman made a team-high 112 tackles with 4.5 sacks.
Cornerbacks: Houston Texans
There were a lot of teams in the mix here, including the Eagles and Broncos, but Houston gets the nod. Derek Stingley Jr. got $89 million guaranteed this offseason as part of an extension that now sits at five years and $114 million, and for good reason. Stingley is one of the league’s dominant defensive talents, shown by earning All-Pro status in 2024.
On the other side is last year’s second-round pick, Kamari Lassiter. Lassiter came on strong after a solid start to his rookie campaign, notching three interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 14 regular-season games.
Safeties: Baltimore Ravens
There aren’t any unbelievable safety duos in the league right now, but there’s one safety who tilts the field more than anybody else. Kyle Hamilton has been dominant throughout his first three NFL seasons, becoming a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro. All told, Hamilton has registered five interceptions and seven sacks along with 250 tackles.
While Ar’Darius Washington isn’t the caliber of player Hamilton is, he acquitted himself well once thrust into the starting role in 2024. Washington started 10 games (while playing all 17) and became a meaningful piece of the secondary, snatching two interceptions and eight passes defensed while totaling 64 tackles.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The NFL’s Best Teams at Every Position After Free Agency.
