The NFL free agency period is starting to ramp up.
Anthony Treash of ESPN recently took a look at the most overrated and underrated free agents at every position with the help of Pro Football Focus’ grading system, and two former Longhorns were mentioned. Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Connor Williams and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Quandre Diggs were listed on opposite ends of the curve.
In somewhat of a surprise, Diggs was listed as overrated.
Diggs is a good safety, but he’s not worthy of the top-tier money he probably will cost. His career-best PFF grade came in 2019 when he earned a 73.4 overall mark. And that still wasn’t enough to crack the top 20 at the position. Diggs is a reliable, but not elite, starting safety. – Treash
On the other hand, Williams was seen as an underrated free agent this offseason.
Yes, I know the penalties are an issue, as Williams committed an NFL-leading 17 penalties in 2021 and was benched for a short stretch during the season. Even with all of those plays baked into the PFF grading system, Williams still finished as a top-10-graded guard for the 2021 season (75.2) and has been one of the NFL’s 15 most valuable guards in back-to-back seasons. The penalties should regress in 2022, as they weren’t an issue before. He’s not going to be one of the five highest-paid guards in free agency and probably will receive something akin to a three-year, $20 million deal. However, the scheme doesn’t matter — if a team needs a guard, it should pursue Williams over the much pricier options. – Treash
NFL free agency will officially begin on March 16 at 3 p.m. CT. Teams can begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents two days prior.