March 10, 2023   2 MIN READ

D-Line Sweepstakes

Caplan's Free-Agent Rankings: Defense

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The NFL’s new league year begins Wednesday, March 15. The league’s legal tampering period begins noon Monday.

Here’s my list of the top pending free agents, by position and ranked, on defense:

Javon Hargrave

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles DT Javon Hargrave is expected to cash in big in free agency.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

1. Javon Hargrave
2. Poona Ford
3. Dalvin Tomlinson
4. David Onyemata
5. Teair Tart

Next-best: Jarran Reed, Derrick Nnadi, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Rankins, Jordan Phillips, Fletcher Cox, Matt Ioannidis, Jerry Tillery, Morgan Fox, Brandon Williams.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

1. Dre’Mont Jones
2. Marcus DavenporT
3. Zach Allen
4. Jadeveon Clowney
5. Yannick Ngakoue

Next-best: Arden Key, Frank Clark, William Gholston, Charles Omenihu, Samson Ebukam, Carlos Dunlap, Dawuane Smoot, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Clelin Ferrell.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

1. Leonard Floyd
2. Bobby Okereke
3. Azeez Al-Shaair
4. Germaine Pratt
5. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Next-best: Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, Anthony Barr, Kaden Ellis, Anthony Nelson, Quincy Williams, Kwon Alexander, Malik Reed, Trey Flowers, Robert Quinn, Jason Pierre-Paul, Kyle Van Noy.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

1. Tremaine Edmunds
2. Bobby Wagner
3. Drue Tranquill
4. T.J. Edwards
5. Leighton Vander Esch
6. Eric Kendricks
7. Alex Anzalone
8. Lavonte David
9 Zach Cunningham
10. David Long

Next-best: Damien Wilson, Cory Littleton, Denzel Perryman, Alex Singleton, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Cody Barton, Anthony Walker, Elandon Roberts, Kyzir White, Jayon Brown.

CORNERBACKS

1. James Bradberry
2. Jamel Dean
3. Jonathan Jones
4. Byron Murphy
5. Cam Sutton
6. P.J. Williams
7. Marcus Peters
8. Patrick Peterson
9. Sean Murphy-Bunting
10. William Jackson

Next-best: Rock Ya-Sin, Emmauel Moseley, Bryce Callahan, Anthony Brown, Eli Apple, Troy Hill, Chandon Sullivan, Tre Flowers, Isaiah Oliver, Amani Oruwairye, Antonio Hamilton, Greedy Williams, Will Harris, Mike Hughes.

SAFETIES

1. Jessie Bates
2. C.J. Gardner-Johnson
3. Jordan Poyer
4. Adrian Amos
5. Juan Thornhill

Next-best: Marcus Epps, Donovan Wilson, Jimmie Ward, Julian Love, Mike Edwards, Tashaun Gipson, Devin McCourty, Lamarcus Joyne, Eric Rowe, Terrell Edmunds, Nasir Adderley.

– Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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About The Author

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Adam Caplan is 20+ year NFL reporter covering the league on various media platforms from an insider perspective. Caplan, a former ESPN NFL insider, is known in reporting circles for his reports and analysis on transactions, player personnel, injuries, and coaching moves. Prior to joining ESPN in 2013, he worked for various media outlets such as FoxSports.com, Scout.com and was long-time contributor to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia's coverage of the Eagles. Caplan, who lives in the Philadelphia market, has broken numerous stories on the Eagles since he starting covering the team during the 2000 season from a transactional, coaching, and injury standpoint. And over that time, he has hosted radio shows locally including the highly-rated "Friday Night Football" on 975 The Fanatic with Joe DeCamara from 2013-2015. Currently, Caplan is a host on SiriusXMNFL Radio and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio in addition to being a regular paid contributor to radio stations in several NFL markets. As one of the co-hosts of the Inside the Birds podcast, Caplan brings decades of knowledge of the innerworkings of the Eagles from a front office and coaching perspective.

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