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2024 NFL free agency grades for all 16 AFC teams: Houston Texans earn an "A," bring in Danielle Hunter to pair with Will Anderson Jr.

2RM6EX1 Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (83) runs the ball during an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

By Brad Spielberger

PFF's free agency grades have been available since the beginning of 2024 free agency, but here is a chance to take a broader look at the first real team-building opportunity of the offseason and grade how each AFC team has done. Click here for NFC team grades.

For even more information about the best free agents on the market, monitor PFF's free agent rankings, which include contract projections, wins above replacement figures, PFF grades and analysis.

JUMP TO A TEAM:

BLT | BUF | CIN | CLE | DEN | HOU | IND | JAX
KC | LVR | LAC | MIA |  NE | NYJ | PIT | TEN

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Madubuike had one of the best contract years in recent memory, making splash plays seemingly every week and improving his efficiency as a pass rusher along with a boost to his traditional stats.

The Ravens finally get their man, with Henry a target at last year’s trade deadline as Baltimore geared up for a deep playoff run. The duo of Henry and Lamar Jackson in the backfield is going to be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses, and we can’t wait to see it in action.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B

BUFFALO BILLS

Epenesa has two straight seasons with strong production as a pass rusher, notching pressure rates above 10% and pass-rush grades above 70.0. He’s a big edge who has gotten faster off the ball as he’s developed, and he’ll still be just 25 in Week 1 of 2024, so there could be more improvement ahead.

Jones came out of the gates of the 2023 season on fire as an interior pass rusher, and the continued growth of Ed Oliver has enabled the two to work off each other and weaponize twists and stunts on the interior more effectively. Oliver still has a quick get-off and a bursty second step in his 30s, and Buffalo needed to add more defensive linemen, so why not retain a player you know is a fit as a three- to five-technique?

Buffalo looks ready to move on from the dynamic duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who had an incredible run as the starting safety tandem for years. Rapp is a good box defender, and the Bills structured this deal in a way that they can approach it year to year while also buying out two additional years from Rapp.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B-

CINCINNATI BENGALS

After a few strong deals for safeties came in to start the day, this is a strong signing for Cincinnati. Stone fits well alongside Jordan Battle and Dax Hill in potential three-safety looks. The Bengals gave up one of the highest explosive pass play rates in the NFL in 2023, and Stone has the range and ball skills to turn some of those chunk gains into takeaways.

Rankins is the newest former New Orleans Saint to join the Bengals in the past couple of years, and he fills a big hole along the interior defensive line. The Rankins signing likely indicates that DJ Reader won’t be returning to Cincy, as well. Reader adds the most value as a run-stopper, something that Rankins has struggled with in recent years, posting sub-40.0 PFF run-defense grades in 2021 and 2023. Rankins should help in the pass rush, though, and give Trey Hendrickson some help with getting after opposing quarterbacks.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B+

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Smith was still a handful for opposing offensive lines in 2023 and is a perfect fit as a movable chess piece for Jim Schwartz’s defense, making it very understandable he was a priority to re-sign. Don’t let the dip in sack production fool you: Smith is still a menace up front.

Hicks reunites with Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and is a perfect veteran pairing alongside Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Cleveland has now lost linebackers Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker to the Patriots and Dolphins, respectively, so they add a veteran who still moves well and was playing at a high level in 2023 before an injury knocked him out for a bit to close the year.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B

DENVER BRONCOS

Jones was a pleasant surprise on film when putting together our free agent rankings and projections, fitting in well with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and now joining the team where he used to be a head coach. Denver moved on from franchise legend Justin Simmons and quickly replaced him with a recent high draft pick who put his talents on display in 2023. Nonetheless, this is an extremely strong deal for a player who has effectively never been a full-time starter at a position where guys often log 1,000 snaps in a season.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B-

HOUSTON TEXANS

Houston makes its splash once and for all, with a monster two-year pact for a veteran edge rusher to pair with reigning defensive rookie of the year Will Anderson Jr. The two-year term is quite perfect, as it lines up with the two years before Houston may have to reset the quarterback market with an extension for C.J. Stroud. Hunter, Anderson and fellow free-agent addition Denico Autry will be a force up front for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

Al-Shaair reunites with Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who coached him as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers before his departure last offseason. Al-Shaair adds a tenacity in run defense that benefits any team, and he still played every down at full speed despite bumping his play time way up to over 1,100 snaps in 2023.

Autry is still a disruptive force across the defensive line that DeMeco Ryans can align in various spots to wreak havoc alongside Will Anderson Jr. and Maliek Collins. More reinforcements would make sense, but Autry is still playing at the peak of his powers in his mid-30s.

Schultz’s decision to sign in Houston proved to be one of the smartest choices of last year’s free agency period. He developed an immediate connection with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and made himself indispensable to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as a solid run blocker.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: A

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Pittman proved himself to be an invaluable member of the Colts' pass-catching corps, and Indianapolis couldn’t let the big-bodied, sure-handed receiver leave as the team tries to develop quarterback Anthony Richardson. The Colts win here by keeping this number in line with the second-round wide receivers who were extended last offseason (Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf), and Pittman and company won by ensuring they also matched the three-year term of Samuel and Metcalf.

Stewart is a key element of the Colts' defense, serving as the anchor on the interior around which every other defensive lineman can move more freely. On/off splits contain a ton of noise, so they’re not always the best data point to observe, but the Colts' run defense was night and day with and without Stewart in 2023.

Lewis signs another deal with the team that drafted him in the second round in 2018 — and this time coming off the best year of his career as a pass rusher, with his 44 quarterback pressures double his prior career high. He’s a solid member of this edge rusher platoon in Indianapolis that has no stars but a bunch of solid players with diverse skill sets. The speed to power is there for Lewis, and more moves could help him elevate his game further.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B-

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Jacksonville may still be able to retain wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but if not, this is a bit of a puzzling pivot. Davis had games where he took over, most memorably the playoff game where he went for 200 receiving yards with four touchdowns, but the week-to-week consistency in a pass-happy, high-octane Josh Allen offense was never there.

After Jacksonville acquired Cleveland at the trade deadline for just a sixth-round pick, they smartly got an extension done before the market at interior offensive line continues to grow. Trevor Lawrence needs much better protection going forward, and the Jaguars are making several moves to ensure they improve.

Jacksonville used the first pick in the third round of 2022 on center Luke Fortner, but they deserve commendation for admitting that was a miss and taking advantage of Mitch Morse getting released in Buffalo. Morse played for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson when he was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he offers an extremely high floor as a pass protector.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B-

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Jones truly tethers his contract to the Aaron Donald deal, which had been seemingly treated as an outlier in recent extensions for top young interior defenders. This is a massive payday for one of the game’s best players, and Kansas City also had to do whatever it took to get this done.

Tranquill is another beneficiary of a strong season after agreeing to a one-year flier with Kansas City, representing a perfect fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense as a quality coverage linebacker who is also a great pass-rushing asset.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B+

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Realistically, this should have been about the expected price once the Chris Jones deal got done and truly tethered an interior defender contract to the Aaron Donald outlier (an outlier no more). Wilkins bet on himself in 2023 despite seemingly his entire draft class around him cashing in, and boy, did that pay off. The duo of Maxx Crosby and Wilkins is going to take this ascending Raiders defense to even greater heights in 2024.

One of the shrewd moves of the Gruden/Mayock regime was trading veteran stalwart Rodney Hudson for a third-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals and signing James to a short-term extension to take over as the starter. James has improved each season and is a quality pass protector under center who should be a big help to the next franchise quarterback in Las Vegas.

The Raiders get a respectable bridge starter in the fold but need to actually add the other end of the bridge, with the No. 13 pick currently burning a hole in their pocket. They’ll be battling the No. 11 overall pick Minnesota Vikings and No. 12 overall pick Denver Broncos to move up for a quarterback, it appears. Nonetheless, Minshew salvaged the Colts' season and earned this contract despite his capped ceiling.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Gilman had a career showing in a contract year 2023 campaign, with a ton of ball production as a good fit alongside Derwin James, and his deal still stayed fairly reasonable despite a lot of mid-tier safeties doing well thus far in free agency.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B-

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Miami moved on from Jerome Baker last week, one of the more surprising cuts of the offseason, even with the context of where Miami’s finances stood, but quickly replace him with another capable linebacker over the middle. Brooks recovered extremely quickly from a torn ACL to make it back in time for Week 1 of 2023, and he could be even more confident cutting and changing direction in 2024 and beyond.

Brewer is a perfect fit in Miami’s run scheme and carries added value since he could replace free-agent center Connor Williams, who may still re-sign in Miami, or guard Robert Hunt, who signed a colossal deal with the Carolina Panthers. Mike McDaniel can protect him as a pass protector, and he’s great at getting out to the second level in a hurry.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B+

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Patriots have constantly moved Onwenu around the offensive line, appeared to have drafted a few potential replacements in recent years and waited until the guard market exploded over the past week before seemingly giving in on all of Onwenu’s wishes. Onwenu gets nearly $20 million annually but also gives up only three years of his services. The Michigan graduate negotiated his own deal after firing his agents a week before free agency, and he did remarkably well for himself in the end.

The Patriots have a ton of cash to burn and need a better situation around their next franchise quarterback, and Henry has been characterized as a leader on this offense. That said, this is a strong deal for a tight end who will turn 30 years old in 2024.

Bourne is recovering from a torn ACL and is reportedly on track to suit up in Week 1. He was in the midst of his best season when he went down. New England at least has a few reliable pass catchers in the fold, but they still need to go big-game hunting.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B+

NEW YORK JETS

Simpson will be the puller in the run game quite often, a big mauler in tight spaces who will clear some gaping holes for Breece Hall on occasion. He comes in as a cheaper replacement for the recently released Laken Tomlinson, who was not playing up to the level of his contract signed in 2022.

Kinlaw does have some flashes on tape, but this contract is a good example of the benefit of being an early draft pick when looking for another contract. Nonetheless, it’s not a crazy number on a one-year flier that addresses an area of clear need, with Kinlaw reuniting with Jets head coach Robert Saleh and perhaps providing a spark on 400-500 snaps.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

We called our shot here on Queen becoming the next Tremaine Edmunds type signing, a fourth-year breakout of sorts — carrying over a strong second half of 2022 — who earned Pro Bowl honors as a former first-rounder. However, Pittsburgh was able to anchor this deal to the other upper mid-tier linebacker deals signed this offseason instead of closer to the true top of the market. Queen is a great fit alongside Elandon Roberts, though coverage will be a bit of a concern over the middle, with two disruptive forces coming downhill. And it's a great value.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B+

TENNESSEE TITANS

Ridley was the big fish on the market once all of the top wideouts either re-signed or got franchise-tagged. For most of free agency, it seemed that Ridley’s options were the Jaguars or Patriots, but the Titans came in toward the end with a strong offer to close the deal. The Titans did have a need at wide receiver, but there is some risk to paying Ridley more than $90 million when he’s going to turn 30 in December. Tennessee is also paying Ridley as a top-10 wide receiver even though he ranked 45th in PFF receiving grade, 50th in yards per route run and in the top 25 in drop rate this past season.

Tennessee desperately needed help across the offensive line, and center was a smart place to start with Aaron Brewer on the way out in free agency. Will Levis gets a veteran who can pass block as well as any center across the league, one with the potential for continued growth as he works under offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Tennessee is set to lose Derrick Henry, and no running back can fill that void, so the team is pairing Pollard with 2023 rookie Tyjae Spears. Both players can do it all, in particular catching the ball cleanly without having to slow down to gather, and their presence on the field will never be a tell. Perhaps a short-yardage/bell-cow type could be a welcome addition, as well. Nonetheless, until the Titans massively upgrade their offensive line, it won’t matter who is in the backfield.

PFF FREE AGENCY GRADE: B

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