Fantasy Football 2022: Top 5 NFL Free Agent Edge Rushers
The NFL season just ended, but that doesn’t mean we’re finished talking about football. Truthfully, the NFL offseason can be one of the more exciting times in the sport, with free agency, the draft, and trades, not to mention the rumors and speculation swirling around these events. The legal tampering period for the NFL begins in under two weeks, on March 14, and the gold rush officially begins on March 16, so we don’t have much time left before free agency hits.
If it seems like the names get bigger with each category on the defensive side, it’s because they do. The edge rusher class is loaded, with big talent set to hit the free-agent market, and it’s going to be a cash grab for many of them. Let’s look at the top five edge rushers set to hit the free-agent market in 2022.
If the Rams truly want to “run it back” as they iterated at the Super Bowl parade, they will find a way to re-sign veteran Von Miller. When they traded for him in the middle of the 2021 season, they gave up a second and third round 2022 draft pick, and that’s not the kind of capital you give up for a half-season loan. Miller graded at 90.9 in coverage on the season, and he accumulated eight sacks from Week 10 on. The Rams do have some salary cap issues, but if Andrew Whitworth retires, that frees up a huge chunk of space, as his cap number is just under $18 million for the year. Miller should stay in Los Angeles and continue his dominant streak.
Chandler Jones had an excellent comeback season in 2021, recording 11 sacks and 15 quarterback hits on the season. He is getting older, at 32 years old, but he could still command a decent-sized short-term contract. The Cardinals have plenty of drama surrounding re-signing Kyler Murray, and that could eat up what little salary cap space they have left. Jones would be an excellent addition to a team like the Steelers, who need a strong defensive presence to support Mason Rudolph and the other offensive cast. T.J. Watt can’t do it all himself, and that tandem would be terrifying for opposing offenses. The Ravens or Seahawks also make sense, as neither team has had much in the way of a pass rush over the past few seasons.
Melvin Ingram III
It’s no coincidence that after Melvin Ingram got traded from Pittsburgh to the Chiefs, Kansas City’s record got markedly better, winning eight of their last nine games after losing four of their first eight. Although he only had four sacks with the Chiefs in 2021, he had five quarterback hits and 24 quarterback hurries, forcing opposing quarterbacks into bad situations and giving other defensive players like Chris Jones a chance to get to them. Ingram is another free agent who is getting older, as he’ll be 33 when the season starts, but he should still be able to sign another decent one or two-year deal. The Chiefs have several pieces they’re looking to get deals done with, but if Ingram isn’t one of them, the Eagles and Colts could be looking for help on their perimeter.
The Miami Dolphins defense was a key waiver wire pick up in many fantasy leagues last year, and Emmanuel Ogbah was a big reason why. Over the course of the season, he accounted for 11 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and a whopping 37 quarterback hurries. Miami has the most cap space in the league for 2021, so it would be hard to imagine them letting him go when they just got a new coach and are on the verge of turning things around. He’s only 28 years old and has developed into one of the premier pass rushers in the league. Still, nothing is set in stone, so if the Dolphins do let him go, look for the Jets to have their eyes on him.
Randy Gregory has had his share of off-the-field issues and suspensions, but it looks like all of that is finally under control. In 2021, despite only playing 12 games, he had the best season of his career, tallying six sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles. Gregory is a great player, but with the Cowboys’ cap space issues, it’s uncertain whether they’ll pay to retain him along with Demarcus Lawrence while also trying to sign key offensive players to their team. If Dallas isn’t able to lock him up, Lawrence could draw interest from the Seahawks, Jaguars, and Broncos.
NFL Top Free Agents By Position
Check out the rest of our Top 5 Free Agent series with breakdowns of each position on both offense and defense!
RELATED LINKS
Looking for the rest of the top unsigned free agents? Check out the links below for what's been published already:
- Free Agent Quarterbacks
- Free Agent Running Backs
- Free Agent Wide Receivers
- Free Agent Tight Ends
- Free Agent Linebackers
Player News
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said it’s “going to be a breakout year” for Jameson Williams.
Morton said he’d never “been around someone that fast,” then quickly corrected himself to note that Jhamyr Gibbs is also that fast. Williams came on strong last year with a 58/1001/7 receiving line, but offensive coordinator praise could mean even more targets are coming. It would likely come at the expense of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s production if Williams were to truly break out, though there’s plenty for St. Brown to give and still be a top-flight fantasy wideout. It’s risky to read too much into statements like this in the offseason, but the new offensive coordinator telling you he thinks it’ll be a breakout year for Williams is certainly noteworthy.
Free agent CB Rasul Douglas is visiting the Seahawks on Tuesday.
It’s been a slow offseason for the veteran corner after a rough year with the Bills where he finished with just a 51.6 PFF coverage grade. The Dolphins have reportedly been in contact with Douglas, but this is the first known visit for him. He’d likely fit as a depth piece in Seattle, perhaps one that pushes Josh Jobe for a starting job outside in a best-case scenario.
Jets signed fourth-round WR Arian Smith to a four-year contract.
The good news for Smith is that he has a lot of depth chart runway. Garrett Wilson is the obvious No. 1, but neither Josh Reynolds nor Allen Lazard qualifies as a locked-in WR2 at this stage of their careers. Smith’s blazing speed has intrigued Aaron Glenn, who noted how fast he was in rookie minicamp over the weekend by simply noting “Arian has some juice.” The tough news is that as long as Justin Fields is the starter, it’s hard to believe he’ll be seeing many deep shots that aren’t schemed wide open. Still, Smith has some appeal in deeper leagues and could make an interesting dynasty stash.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen said seventh-round RB LeQuint Allen can “play a little bit of slot.”
“Obviously, he had 1,000 yards over the last two years, and then he can catch the ball out of the back field. Good in the screen game. Competitor, man,” Coen continued. As last year taught us, anyone involved in a Liam Coen screen game can be a fantasy factor. It’s probably a little too early to get excited about Allen — and Allen is behind Bhayshul Tuten in the Jacksonville running back pecking order — but Coen’s vision of how he wants to use Allen is noteworthy for fantasy leagues.
Panthers signed fourth-round RB Trevor Etienne to a four-year contract.
Etienne doesn’t figure to factor in much as a runner early behind Chuba Hubbard. But since neither Hubbard nor Rico Dowdle have a rich history of catching the football, it’s possible that Etienne winds up playing a third-down role for the Panthers early. That’ll depend mostly on if the coaches trust him in pass protection. It will likely take injuries ahead of him for the undersized Etienne to be a fantasy factor in his rookie season.
Seahawks signed fifth-round WR Tory Horton to a four-year contract.
They also officially agreed to terms with seventh-round RB Damien Martinez and seventh-round WR Ricky White III. Horton and White will probably battle for a spot at the end of the roster behind Cooper Kupp, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar has predicted that Horton will wind up as the main return specialist for Seattle this year in a recent mailbag. White and Jake Bobo will probably be in a true dogfight for the final spot in the wideout room.