• Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins are set to cash in: PFF projects both to earn $100 million-plus over four years on their new contracts.
• Edge defender Jonathan Greenard's fruitful 2023 season should yield a significant contract: He set career highs in total pressures and sacks while playing on his largest workload yet.
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Quarterbacks naturally sign the biggest contracts during free agency, as the most valuable players on a football field. However, looking past them, here’s a list of non-quarterbacks who could earn the biggest contracts in 2024 NFL free agency.
DI Chris Jones
Contract Projection: Four years, $120M total, $80M guaranteed
Jones is arguably the best player in the 2024 free-agent class. He leads PFF’s free agent rankings, and his 92.8 PFF grade over the past five years ranks second to only Aaron Donald at the position. He has not shown any signs of slowing down, either, as his 90.4 pass-rushing grade in 2023 placed him third at the position.
DI Christian Wilkins
Contract Projection: Four years, $100M total, $67.5M guaranteed
Wilkins is coming off his lowest-graded season since 2020, but he is still only 28 years old and has already shown that he can be among the NFL's best interior defenders in all facets of the game. His somewhat down season might have been due to an increased workload, as he has played the second-most snaps among interior defenders over the past two seasons.
EDGE Jonathan Greenard
Contract Projection: Four years, $76M total, $52.5M guaranteed
Greenard saw the most playing time in 2023 (697 snaps) over his four-year career with the Texans, and he put together his most complete campaign, too. This past season was the first time he earned PFF grades above 69.0 in pass rushing and run defense. He also recorded 15 of his 26 career sacks in 2023.
LB Patrick Queen
Contract Projection: Four years, $72.5M total, $50.25M guaranteed
Looking at Queen’s entire Baltimore career would not paint a clear picture of his current form. He was a completely different player over the past one-and-a-half seasons, morphing into an impact linebacker following the Ravens' trade for Roquan Smith. Since Week 9 of the 2022 season, Queen has played the fourth-most snaps among linebackers and is one of only eight to have earned PFF grades over 70.0 in run defense and coverage.
G Robert Hunt
Contract Projection: Four years, $70M total, $42M guaranteed
Hunt’s potential last season with Miami was overshadowed by injuries, causing him to miss eight games. However, his play on the field over the past four years speaks for itself. His 76.3 PFF overall grade ranks 11th among 68 qualifying guards who have played at least 1,500 snaps since the start of the 2020 season.
EDGE Danielle Hunter
Contract Projection: Three years, $65M total, $40M guaranteed
While Hunter will turn 30 during the 2024 regular season, he still offers a lot as a pass rusher. He earned a 75.0-plus pass-rushing grade in 2023 for the fourth consecutive season, and his 163 total pressures recorded over the past two years ranks seventh among edge defenders.
G Kevin Dotson
Contract Projection: Four years, $60M total, $36M guaranteed
Per Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, Dotson has agreed to a new deal with the Los Angeles Rams that will pay him $48 million over three years, an earned payday for a top run blocker.
Seeing Dotson on this list would have raised eyebrows six months ago; however, his play in Los Angeles warranted a big contract. After being traded from Pittsburgh, he earned an 88.3 run-blocking grade in 2023 that ranked second among guards and ninth among all offensive linemen.
WR Calvin Ridley
Contract Projection: Three years, $55.5M total, $32.75M guaranteed
While Ridley’s 2023 statistical output might not have lived up to some of the offseason hype, he did post a strong 76.3 PFF receiving grade from Week 11 to the end of the regular season, which ranked 22nd among wide receivers. He also gained 13.7 yards per reception, the second-highest mark of his career.
EDGE Bryce Huff
Contract Projection: Three years, $50M total, $35M guaranteed
Huff, the NFL's best situational pass rusher of the past two seasons, will be looking to play a full-time role on his new team and sign a contract that reflects that. He has recorded pressure on 20.9% of pass plays over the past two seasons, which leads all 73 edge defenders who rushed the passer at least 500 times over that span.
S Kamren Curl
Contract Projection: Four years, $50M total, $28M guaranteed
Curl is about to turn 25 years old, and he has already played more than 3,500 snaps in the NFL. Over the past four regular seasons, he ranks among the top 20 safeties in the NFL in snaps played (3,456), PFF overall grade (77.9) and PFF coverage grade (83.6).
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