One underrated 2026 NFL free agent at every offensive position
- Malik Willis should compete for a starting role in 2026: With the Packers over the past two seasons, Willis didn’t get much playing time but made just one turnover-worthy pass to five big-time throws.
- Najee Harris still offers some juice despite coming off a season-ending injury: Harris never quite got going in 2025 before his season was cut short. The 27-year-old looked solid on just 43 snaps, though.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
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While some NFL teams will swing for the fences in free agency, others will look to play things more carefully amid tighter salary-cap situations. Value can certainly be found outside the top names, and with that in mind, we are highlighting one underrated projected free agent at every offensive position.
Quarterback: Malik Willis
Quarterback is an exception on this list. Once you look beyond the three highest-ranked quarterbacks in the PFF free-agent rankings (Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers and Daniel Jones), there are no players with true starting potential.
Willis, although the No. 1 free-agent passer, could be underrated because of his limited playing time in Green Bay. Even though the former third-round pick saw just 314 snaps over the past two seasons with the Packers, he flashed enough potential to earn a starting position elsewhere. He tossed six touchdown passes with no interceptions and made just one turnover-worthy pass to five big-time throws.
Among the 60 quarterbacks who logged at least 120 dropbacks over the past two seasons, Willis ranks first in passer rating (132.5) by a significant margin and 13th in PFF passing grade (79.9).
Running Back: Najee Harris
The former Pittsburgh Steelers running back might be somewhat forgotten among projected free agents this year, mainly because he logged just 43 snaps with the Chargers in 2025 before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. However, Harris was off to a good start, averaging a career-high 4.3 yards per carry and earning a career-high 83.9 PFF rushing grade.
Among the 44 running backs who have handled at least 500 rushes over the past five seasons, Harris ranks 24th in PFF rushing grade (87.3). He has averaged 0.2 broken tackles per carry — or broken a tackle once every five carries — which is tied for 12th best at the position over that period.
Even though he has his limitations as a receiver out of the backfield and is coming off a serious injury, Harris can be a valuable part of a one-two punch at running back for any team.
Wide Receiver: Romeo Doubs
Doubs saved his best for last, posting a career-high 75.3 PFF receiving grade and 724 receiving yards in his fourth season with the Packers. Over the past four years, Doubs often emerged as the team’s top receiving option. His 335 targets over that span are more than 100 more than second place.
Similarly, Doubs led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns since 2022. Among 78 wide receivers who were on the field for at least 1,200 snaps over the past four seasons, his 76.5 PFF receiving grade ranks 37th.
He already proved himself as a potential top target, but he could really flourish in a passing game with a clear No. 1 while he shines as the No. 2.
Tight End: Chigoziem Okonkwo
Almost all the projected free agent tight ends have concerns, be it inconsistency, age or not being used in a prominent role, and Okonkwo is no exception.
Even though he had a standout rookie season in which he earned a 75.4 PFF overall grade (eighth best), he failed to replicate that effectiveness. The Maryland product averaged 13.6 receiving yards and 7.7 yards after the catch as a rookie, but he never topped even 10 receiving yards and six yards after the catch in the years since.
Okonkwo averaged 2.56 receiving yards per route run in 2022, which led all tight ends that season, but he has not reached even half of that in any of the three seasons since.
While Okonkwo’s last three seasons may turn some teams off, if that can be attributed to a lack of surrounding talent, then a front office might believe he can produce at his rookie level in a new environment.
Offensive Tackle: Braxton Jones
Jones’ Bears career did not end well, as he had a poor 2025 season before getting benched and also injured. Still, that should not take away from his first three seasons. In that span, he earned an 80.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 15th among 37 qualifying offensive tackles. His 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade tied for 19th among left tackles.
That was a far cry from his 12.5% pressure rate allowed in 2025, the second-worst clip among 51 qualifying left tackles. Based on Jones’ first three seasons, a team could very well get a serviceable left tackle at a discount.
Guard: Dalton Risner
Although Risner will turn 31 before the season kicks off, he can still solidify a team’s interior pass-blocking unit, as he did with the Bengals down the stretch in 2025.
The Kansas State product might not make that big of an impact in the run game, highlighted by his 56.1 PFF run-blocking grade over the past four seasons (49th among 61 qualifying guards). However, his 73.7 PFF pass-blocking grade is tied for 16th best at the position over that span.
It wouldn’t be a flashy acquisition, but Risner likely carries a far cheaper price tag than some of the bigger names that will be available at the position in March, and he still represents an upgrade in pass protection for many teams.
Center: Connor McGovern
There are essentially two starting-caliber free-agent centers: the Ravens‘ Tyler Linderbaum and the Bills‘ McGovern. The former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman has demonstrated both versatility — lining up at guard and center — and durability over the past four seasons, as only five offensive linemen in the NFL have logged more snaps than him.
He has become one of the best pass-blocking centers in the league since playing full time at center over the past two seasons. McGovern’s 70.5 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks eighth among 34 qualifying centers in that span, while his 0.3% knockdown rate (sack or quarterback hit allowed) leads all players at the position.
