Fantasy Football 2022: Top 5 NFL Free Agent Defensive Linemen
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 a week, on March 14, and the gold rush officially begins on March 16 – so we don’t have much time left before free agency hits.
In the final installment of this series, we tackle the defensive lineman position (pun intended). While some of the top five are no longer spring chickens, they offer valuable experience and have shown they can still play at a top level when they are on the field. A younger team in need of a veteran presence could be very interested in the following five players.
While Akiem Hicks was injured for most of the 2021 season, he still totaled five sacks, five quarterback hits, and five hurries in nine games – showing he still has gas in the tank at almost 33 years old. He’s coming off of a four-year, $48 million dollar contract, but last year’s injury is likely to be brought up frequently by teams trying to offer a low-ball deal. The Bears have plenty of cap space if they want to re-sign Hicks to a shorter deal, but they might instead turn their attention to bringing in some offensive weapons to support Justin Fields. If Hicks doesn’t re-up with Chicago, the Chargers could be a prime landing spot after struggled against the run last season. LAC has cap space and Hicks has history with head coach Brandon Staley.
At 35 years old, Calais Campbell continues to impress teams with his defensive abilities – grading ninth among interior defensive linemen in overall defense during the 2021 season. He only had one sack, but he hurried the quarterback 19 times and had 34 solo tackles – making him a great run defense asset to the Ravens. He’s not likely to command any kind of long-term contract at his age, but he should continue to be able to play on one-year deals until he retires. The Ravens have been open about bringing him back if he wants to return but, if he doesn’t, the Patriots could make room for the veteran on their line.
After being traded from the Giants to the Bengals prior to the 2021 season, B.J. Hill put up career numbers. He ended the season with 12 combined sacks and 40 tackles, and he also intercepted Patrick Mahomes during an overtime thriller in the AFC Championship Game. At just under 26 years old, Hill has plenty of playing time left in him to command a multi-year contract. The Bengals have the cap space to sign him to a deal, and they should if they’re trying to repeat as AFC Champions. However, if they elect to spend on the offensive line instead, Hill could end up in Dallas with question marks surrounding the return of several of its defensive linemen.
The 49ers kept D.J. Jones on a one-year deal after his rookie contract expired in 2020, but they could be regretting that decision after the season he just had. He ranked 21st among all interior linemen in overall defensive grade for the 2021 season as he tallied three sacks, 20 hurries, and 48 solo tackles. The 49ers have some cap-space issues and may not work out a new deal with Jones. The Chargers, Browns, and Raiders could all offer up favorable multi-year contracts to lock down one of the top defensive linemen in the league.
Folorunso Fatukasi had a down season in 2021 compared to his previous two with the Jets, but he still managed to rack up 47 combined tackles and a career-high 16 quarterback pressures. The Jets have cap space to offer him a deal, but recent reports have indicated that they aren’t looking to to do so for 2022. In the event Fatukasi walks, the Cowboys or Chargers may be interested in his skill-set.
Information for the free agent series was collected from Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Reference, Over the Cap, and Spotrac.
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
- Free Agent Edge Rushers
Player News
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan expects Jaxson Dart to sit his entire rookie year if “all goes well.”
The problem with that otherwise sensible opinion, of course, is that it is extremely unlikely “all goes well” with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on a roster that found itself picking at No. 3 overall last month. If the Giants are genuinely serious about redshirting Dart for a year, it will be easier than most places because of the presence of two veteran quarterbacks instead of just one, but coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen both have their jobs on the line. That almost equals “break rookie glass.” Teams have become more amenable to sitting blue-chip rookie QBs in recent years, but we would be stunned if Dart fails to make 2025 starts.
Colts claimed DT Eric Johnson II off waivers from the Patriots.
A 2022 fifth-round pick of the Colts, Johnson spent two years in Indy before last year’s sojourn in Boston. Waived at final cuts last summer, Johnson was claimed by the Pats. He’s been a steady special teamer and rotational depth piece up front. Johnson’s Colts experience greatly enhances his 53-man roster odds, but his spot will be far from a given. He turns 27 in July.
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reports that the 49ers and OT D.J. Humphries do not have a deal in place.
Humphries reported on his social media account a few weeks ago that he had agreed to a contract with the 49ers, but that does not appear to be the case. At least for now. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season and was released by the Cardinals. He spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing before signing with the Chiefs. He started at left tackle in Week 14 before hurting his hamstring and missing the rest of the season. He will continue to search for another opportunity.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore (blood clots) will be ready to play in Week 1.
Barmore was limited to just four games last season while battling blood clots. He told reporters on Thursday that he’s been cleared for all football activity and has been a full participant in the Patriots’ offseason workout program. He expects to be fully ready by Week 1.
Raiders hired Brandon Hunt as Vice President of Player Personnel
Hunt was most recently the senior director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the previous two seasons as their director of scouting. Before joining the Eagles, Hunt spent 12 seasons (2010-21) as the pro scouting coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports Caleb Williams considered forcing a pre-draft trade from the Bears before ultimately deciding he could win in Chicago.
In other words, he mulled pulling an Elway. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” were the words of Caleb’s father Carl to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. Williams reportedly desired a trade to the Vikings, but he changed his mind after touring the Bears’ facility. “I can do it for this team,” Caleb reportedly told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.” Williams acknowledged any attempt to force a trade would require going scorched earth on the Bears and city of Chicago, a process he did not have the stomach for. There have been zero reports of Bears/Williams drama since he made his peace with the idea, even after former coach Matt Eberflus’ clown show 2024 mistakes. It’s an interesting story, but one firmly planted in the past.