There are still a number of big-name NFL free agents who are available with the regular season starting on Thursday.
Teams are also going to be figuring out their 53-man rosters ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens kicking off the season. This means that we’ll see some of the players mentioned below signed. Here, we look at the five biggest names with a prediction of a landing spot for each.
Related: Week 1 NFL power rankings
Xavien Howard, cornerback
The 31-year-old Howard is surprisingly still on the NFL free agent market. He’s earned four Pro Bowl trips throughout his career and has led the league in interceptions twice. That included picking off a whopping 10 passes with the Miami Dolphins back in 2020. Last season saw Howard yield a 81.3 QB rating when targeted. At issue here is a troubling allegation off the field. Even then, his on-field performance speaks for itself.
- Predicted landing spot: New York Jets
Read more: 4 NFL players next in line for huge contracts
Micah Hyde, safety
Hyde has been nothing if not consistent throughout his 11-year NFL career. He’s picked off a total of 24 passes. That included recording five back in 2021. The safety did miss all but two games during the 2022 campaign due to a neck injury. Hyde, 33, then returned to play 14 games for the Buffalo Bills in 2023, recording two interceptions in the process. He could be a solid depth addition for a contending team.
- Predicted landing spot: Los Angeles Chargers
Related: NFL defensive rankings
Hunter Renfrow, wide receiver
It was just three seasons ago that Renfrow recorded 103 receptions with nine touchdowns as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. The former Clemson star then fell out of favor over the past two seasons, registering a combined 61 receptions. Even then, his past success should lead to Renfrow latching on with a team. After all, we’re talking about a dude who has caught 74.1% of his targets throughout his five-year NFL career.
- Predicted landing spot: San Francisco 49ers
Related: NFL offense rankings
Caleb Farley, cornerback
A first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans back in 2021, Farley has seen injuries plague him throughout his NFL career. The former Virginia Tech standout has played in all of 12 games. He missed the entire 2023 campaign due to a back injury. He also suffered a torn ACL earlier in his career. This doesn’t mean that some team won’t take a chance on him. We’re still talking about a 25 year old with ample upside.
- Predicted landing spot: Dallas Cowboys
David Bakhtiari, offensive tackle
Perhaps the most-notable name on this list, Bakhtiari earned three Pro Bowls earlier in his career with the Green Bay Packers while manning the blindside. Unfortunately, he’s played in just 13 games due to numerous injuries over the past three seasons. Bakhtiari has indicated that he’d like to return and play for a contender. Despite this, he has not signed with Week 1 here. We fully expect a team to bite soon.
- Predicted landing spot: Kansas City Chiefs