Nfl rushing Leaders 2023

2023 NFL Free Agency Early Big Board

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The 2022 NFL trade deadline has come and gone. For some decision-makers, it's time to start looking ahead to the offseason. Ten weeks remain in the regular season, but free agency and the 2023 draft will be here soon enough.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently took an early look at the top 100 prospects for the upcoming draft. We're examining the top players set to become unrestricted free agents next March.

If you followed along with our free-agent big board last year, you'll be familiar with the process. We've looked at the top 20 impending unrestricted free agents and ranked them based on factors like past production, recent production, age, upside and positional value. Individual factors like health and injury history were also considered.

This list will shift, perhaps dramatically, between now and the offseason. Injuries, extensions and perhaps retirements will cause shuffling. Late-season performances may also impact our rankings.

Expect a more comprehensive list as we draw closer to the start of free agency (March 15), but for teams and fans who wonder what the offseason could have in store, let's take a look.

Nos. 20-16

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20. RB Kareem Hunt

While running backs are often viewed as interchangeable, Kareem Hunt has a rare skill set that makes him valuable as both a runner and a receiver. He led the league with 1,327 rushing yards as a rookie in 2017, has averaged just under three catches per game since and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 6.2 yards per reception this season.

Hunt is stuck behind NFL rushing leader Nick Chubb for the Cleveland Browns. For another team, he could be a high-end RB1.

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19. DT Dalvin Tomlinson

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson has been a solid contributor dating back to his days with the New York Giants. The 2017 second-round pick has started seven games this season and logged 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks and six quarterback pressures.

At just 28 years old, he could be considered by contenders and rebuilding teams alike. He has the potential to be the centerpiece of a defensive interior.

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18. Edge Robert Quinn

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired pass-rusher Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears last week. His post-trade contract restructure will allow him to hit the market in March.

Quinn may be 32 years old and have only one sack this season, but he was a defensive force in 2021. Last season, he racked up 18.5 sacks and 34 quarterback pressures. That production will weigh on the minds of potential suitors.

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17. TE Mike Gesicki

Young, talented pass-catching tight ends will always be sought after. While the Miami Dolphins haven't used Mike Gesicki heavily this season (21 catches, 235 yards, 4 TDs), they thought enough of him in the offseason to slap him with the franchise tag.

This wasn't surprising, as the 27-year-old was coming off back-to-back 700-yard campaigns. While Gesicki isn't an elite tight end in the mold of Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews, he can be a long-term answer for a team lacking at the position.

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16. DT Daron Payne

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne is next on a list of enticing interior defenders slated to hit the market. The 25-year-old has been one of Washington's most consistent defenders this season, tallying 29 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures.

While Payne has often been overshadowed by teammates like Montez Sweat and Chase Young, he can be the face of a defensive front with a new franchise.

Nos. 15-11

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15. Edge Yannick Ngakoue

Fans may not be clamoring for their favorite teams to sign Yannick Ngakoue because he's never been a superstar. What the Indianapolis Colts edge-rusher has been, though, is extremely consistent.

The 27-year-old has four sacks and 13 quarterback pressures this year. In six previous seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders, Ngakoue never logged fewer than eight sacks in a campaign.

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14. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has revitalized his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. A 2018 Pro Bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith-Schuster hasn't had a 1,000-yard campaign since that season.

However, Smith-Schuster could top 1,000 yards in 2022. He has 34 catches for 494 yards and two touchdowns through seven games and has come on strong over the last two weeks with 12 receptions, 237 yards and two touchdowns. The 25-year-old speedster will be in demand come March.

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13. DT Poona Ford

If you haven't watched a lot of Seattle Seahawks games in recent years, you may not be familiar with Poona Ford. The 26-year-old is one of the most underrated interior defenders in the game.

Last season, Ford logged 53 tackles, two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures. He has two sacks and 18 tackles this year. If the 5-3 Seahawks continue to surprise, Ford should see some well-deserved time in the national spotlight. Expect several teams to have him under their spotlight in free agency.

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12. TE Dalton Schultz

Dalton Schultz of the Dallas Cowboys was another talented young tight end who got the franchise tag in 2022. Like Gesicki, he hasn't produced eye-popping numbers this season (20 catches, 203 yards).

However, this is largely because quarterback Dak Prescott missed five starts and Dallas rolled with a run-heavy attack in his stead. Schultz has also dealt with a PCL sprain and missed two games. A year ago, he was knocking on the door of the elite TE club, catching 78 passes for 808 yards and eight touchdowns.


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11. DT Javon Hargrave

Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has played a huge role in Philadelphia's undefeated run through eight weeks. He's started all seven games, played 62 percent of the defensive snaps and logged 19 tackles, three sacks and eight quarterback pressures.

Hargrave was arguably even better in 2021. He notched 63 tackles, 7.5 sacks and an impressive 24 quarterback pressures while making the Pro Bowl. The 29-year-old will be high on the wish lists of several teams.

10. CB James Bradberry

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Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry landed at the bottom of our top 10 because he'll turn 30 next summer and he had a down season with the New York Giants in 2021. That year, he allowed an opposing passer rating of 93.0 in coverage.

That down season—along with his contract—led to the Giants cutting Bradberry two years into a three-year, $43.5 million deal.

"He's a starting corner in the league," Giants general manager Joe Schoen said in May, per NFL.com's Coral Smith. "It's just where we are financially."

Bradberry has rebounded tremendously this season in Philadelphia and has proveed that he is indeed a starting-caliber corner. He's started all seven games, logged two interceptions and allowed an opposing passer rating of just 40.2.

In Philly, Bradberry has been a major piece of a defense that ranks fourth in passing yards allowed. He has No. 1 cornerback potential, and he should be paid accordingly on the open market.

9. Edge Marcus Davenport

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Teams put a premium on young pass-rushing talent, and so do we. New Orleans Saints standout Marcus Davenport may not be racking up the sacks this season—he has just a half-sack—but he has impacted games nonetheless.

Through eight weeks, the 26-year-old has logged 18 tackles and 11 quarterback pressures. A year ago, he notched nine sacks, 21 quarterback pressures, 39 tackles, three forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss in 11 games.

The 2018 first-round pick is a difference-maker, though he hasn't always stayed healthy. He went on injured reserve last season with a shoulder injury and hasn't played more than 13 games in a season.

Davenport lands at the bottom of our top 10 because of the injury risk, but he's young and knows how to get after opposing quarterbacks. If he can stay on the field in 2022, he'll be one of the hottest commodities on the free-agent market.

8. RB Saquon Barkley

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Injuries also keep Giants running back Saquon Barkley low in our top 10. The 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in 2020 and was not fully healthy in 2021. He was also hampered by an ankle injury in 2019.

In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Barkley averaged 4.6, 1.8 and 3.7 yards per carry, respectively. Teams may not be willing to invest heavily in a running back with such a notable injury history.

However, Barkley was a rookie Pro Bowler in 2018, and his numbers in 2022 earn him a spot in the top 10. The Penn State product has averaged 4.8 yards per carry while amassing 779 rushing yards, 189 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Barkley has a legitimate chance to win both Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL rushing title in 2022.


If he can stay healthy, he'll earn himself a nice payday, either in New York or elsewhere.

7. OL Elgton Jenkins

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Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins suffered a torn ACL last season and hasn't been in pre-injury form this year. According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins has been responsible for three penalties and two sacks allowed.

However, he will be coveted on the open market because of his versatility. He's logged starts at both tackle and guard and was a Pro Bowler when he was last healthy in 2020. As a guard that season, he allowed just one sack, according to PFF.

In eight games as the starting left tackle in 2021, Jenkins was responsible for two sacks allowed, per PFF.

The 26-year-old can play just about any position on the line and has a ton of upside. If he can get and stay healthy over the final half of the season—he's dealing with a foot injury—he'll have a chance to creep higher on our list.

6. S Jessie Bates III

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Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III received the franchise tag in March and didn't report until late in training camp. However, he has started all eight games for Cincinnati and is having another solid season.

Bates isn't the most consistent back-end defender. After allowing an opposing passer rating of 70.7 in 2020, he has allowed an OPR of over 100.0 both last season and this year. What Bates is, however, is a reliable and ball-hawking playmaker.

In four-and-a-half seasons, he has logged 11 interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. He's appeared in all but two games since being taken in the second round of the 2018 draft. He's played 99 percent of the defensive snaps in the games in which he has appeared during that span.

While Bates may not be an All-Pro-caliber safety, teams will covet a 25-year-old defender who doesn't come off the field. Bates might not get his lucrative extension from Cincinnati—which drafted safety Dax Hill in the first round this year—but he'll get a handsome payday somewhere.

5. DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson

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The Eagles acquired C.J. Gardner-Johnson before the season in a trade with the Saints. Philadelphia then turned the former slot corner into a versatile safety, and the 24-year-old embraced the change.

"Being out there and adjusting to a new position is amazing to go out there and compete with 10 other guys and 52 other guys who love to win. It is amazing to me right now," Gardner-Johnson said, per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The results have been amazing too. He has logged 39 tackles, a sack, five passes defended and four interceptions. He has allowed an opposing passer rating of 83.5 in coverage.

Along with Bates, Gardner-Johnson is arguably the top safety on the market, and he possesses the positional value in the secondary that defensive coordinators covet. What's truly impressive is that he is just entering his playing prime.

Like the next player on our list, Gardner-Johnson could be a defensive centerpiece for years to come.

4. LB Roquan Smith

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The Baltimore Ravens acquired linebacker Roquan Smith from the Bears on Monday. Presumably, Baltimore will work out an extension with the 25-year-old. If they don't, he will be the top defender on the free-agent market.

Off-ball linebackers don't have the same value they once did, but Smith is a rare talent. He's less of a typical inside linebacker and more of a do-it-all defender who can impact multiple facets of a defense.

This season, Smith has a league-leading 83 tackles, 52 solo stops, three passes defended, two interceptions, 2.5 sacks and five quarterback pressures. He has allowed an opposing passer rating of only 73.2 in coverage.

Smith topped 100 tackles in each of his first four seasons.


There isn't much he cannot do, and he'll be the face of a defense for many years. If that doesn't happen in Baltimore, expect another team to pay up to bring the Georgia product into its locker room.

3. OT Orlando Brown

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Aside from quarterback, left tackle is arguably the most important position in an offensive lineup. Tasked with protecting a quarterback's blind side, franchise left tackles are coveted and well compensated.

Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown didn't get a long-term extension in 2022 and received the franchise tag instead. He's one of the top impending free agents because of his positional value, his versatility and his reliability.

In Baltimore, Brown earned Pro Bowl nods at both left and right tackle. He was a Pro Bowler for the Chiefs last season and is having another strong season in 2022.

According to Pro Football Focus, he has been responsible for only three penalties and one sack allowed this year.

At 26 years old, Brown can be a team's offensive anchor for the next decade. He has a good chance to enter 2023 as the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

2. QB Tom Brady

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Is the legendary Tom Brady too high on this list? Perhaps. He's 45 years old and having his worst season since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. If Brady does hit free agency next year, he'll be viewed as a one- or two-year option at best.

He could last beyond another season or two, though.

"There's no immediate retirement in my future," Brady said last week on Let's Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray (h/t Carly Ledbetter of Yahoo Sports). "There was a retirement in the past, but I moved on from that."

Here's the thing to consider. Brady's "down" year hasn't been all that bad. He has thrown for 2,267 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating of 92.4 ranks 14th in the NFL, and he was an MVP finalist a season ago.

The reality is that quarterback is the game's most important position, and Brady is the best to ever play it. If a team is a quarterback away—as the Buccaneers were in 2020—you can bet he will be at the top of its wish list.

If Brady chooses to keep playing in 2023, expect his foray into free agency to dominate the headlines once again.

1. QB Lamar Jackson

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Let's be honest. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson probably isn't hitting the market in 2023. If Baltimore doesn't extend its franchise quarterback before March, it can use the franchise tag.

Jackson is only under contract through this season, though. If for some reason he does reach the market, he could be the most heavily pursued free agent in recent memory.

Jackson was the unanimous MVP in 2019, and he's having another elite season in 2022. The game's preeminent dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 1,635 yards, rushed for 553 yards and notched 17 combined touchdowns. He also has the Ravens sitting at 5-3 and in first place in the AFC North.

Perhaps just as importantly, Jackson is only 25 years old. A team could conceivably sign him and solidify its quarterback position for the next decade or more.

Young quarterbacks of Jackson's caliber don't reach free agency. It will be a shock if he does, but for now, he's the clear choice to top our early free-agent big board.


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Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted. Contract information/statuses via Spotrac.

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