Most overrated player at each position in NFL free agency

Sam Darnold was brilliant in 2024 for the Minnesota Vikings. He played like an MVP candidate from September through December – 106.4 QB rating, 35-12 TD-INT and 68.1% completion rate – and then it all came undone. Pressure rattled Darnold against the Detroit Lions (Week 18) and the Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card Round), resulting in him looking like the same quarterback we saw from 2018-2023 (78.3 QB rating and 63-56 TD-INT ratio).

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Now, likely departing Minnesota in NFL free agency, Darnold is going to sign with a team that has a worse play-caller and a significantly worse supporting cast – offensive line and pass-catchers – than he had with the Vikings. Darnold’s final two games in Minnesota cost him tens of millions of dollars already. Still, paying him upwards of $40 million annually and throwing him behind a bottom-10 offensive line is a recipe for disaster.

Najee Harris was overdrafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, taken with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft when he should’ve been a Day 2 selection. One testament to that is that the team never considered exercising his fifth-year option to keep him from hitting NFL free agency. In four seasons with the Steelers, Harris averaged just 3.9 yards per carry and he hasn’t scored double-digit touchdowns since 2022, with his lone Pro Bowl selection coming in 2021.

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Harris just isn’t an effective starting running back and he’s far from being a focal point of an offense. He ranked 53rd among all players in yards before contact per attempt (1.9), 47th in true yards per carry (3.8) and he’s not an explosive runner. With the 2025 NFL Draft class very deep at running back, teams are much better off taking a ball-carrier on Day 2 than investing $8-plus million AAV in Harris.

The Amari Cooper trade last season did help the Buffalo Bills in that it pushed Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir into roles they were more well-suited for. However, with games on the line when the Bills offense needed a true No. 1 receiver, Cooper didn’t show up. In total, Cooper finished with just 297 receiving yards (37.1 ypg) in a Bills’ uniform.

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There are other reasons Cooper is considered one of the most overrated NFL free agents in 2025. He finished 80th in yards per route run (1.41), in the same company as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Diontae Johnson and Olamide Zaccheaus. Cooper also ranked 33rd in route win rate (46.8%). Turning 31 years old in June, expectations should be tempered for Cooper’s production with his next team.

An eight-time Pro Bowl selection who earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, Tyron Smith was one of many disappointments on the New York Jets roster last season. In his age-33 campaign, Smith missed seven games due to injury, which reaffirmed he’s a massive durability risk. When he was on the field, Smith ranked outside the top-20 offensive tackles in ESPN pass-block win rate and he ranked 50th at his position in PFF’s Pass Blocking Efficiency. Now 34 years old, any team that signs Smith needs to have a viable backup behind him because injuries and regression are coming.

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The Philadelphia Eagles certainly helped turn Mekhi Becton’s career around and he did play a key role in the team winning the Super Bowl. However, much like Sam Darnold, he’s one of the most overrated NFL free agents because of what could happen if he signs with another team. After all, per PFF, Becton allowed the 16th-most pressures (34) among guards last season, giving up the 13th-most hurries (26). He did wonders for the Eagles’ ground game, but we do question how he’ll fare away from Stoutland.

Made a cap casualty by the Los Angeles Chargers, Joey Bosa was an easy choice to be listed among the most overrated NFL free agents. He’s a five-time Pro Bowl selection, including in 2024, but few things he’s done on the field as of late warrant his reputation as a difference-maker. In 2024, Bosa ranked 71st in total pressures (39) and 27th in PFF pass-rush win rate (13.9%). He’s also just a league-average run defender in the last two seasons. If all of that lack of production isn’t enough, Bosa also can’t stay on the field – 28 games played in last three seasons – with just 14 sacks and 14 TFLs total in that span.

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Nick Bolton makes our list of the most overrated players in NFL free agency because of what happened with the market at off-ball linebacker. Zack Baun, Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner all re-signed with their respective teams, significantly thinning out the options at the position. Because of it, there will be a bidding war for Bolton that exceeds his true value. Bolton will be a three-down starter, as evidenced by his 93 percent snap rate last season.

However, he also had the eighth-highest missed tackle rate (25% in pass coverage with the 13th-highest missed tackle rate (14.1%) defending the run On top of that, he also drew the fourth-most penalties (three) as a run defender and he’s not a very effective blitzer.

Rasul Douglas thrived in 2023 after being traded to the Buffalo Bills – 38.6 QB rating and 51.3% completion rate allowed with 4 interceptions – but what’s concerning is what happened before and after that. In his final season with the Green Bay Packers, Douglas allowed a 109.0 QB rating and a 65.9% completion rate in coverage, surrendering 7.1 yards per target. It got even worse last season with Buffalo – 122.0 QB rating and 72.9% completion rate allowed in 15 games – and now he’s entering his 30s. Douglas has been a playmaker in his career, but he’s lost some athleticism and his penchant for risk-taking is now proving costly. There are a lot better cornerbacks available in NFL free agency.

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