The best available free agents after the 2020 NFL draft

With the comensatory pick factor coming to a close in the new league year, expect an uptick in second-level free-agent signings.

EDGE Everson Griffen

(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Imagine if you could acquire a veteran pass rusher who is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. That’s what the team that acquires Griffen will accomplish. Last year he notched 70 total pressures, his highest total since 2015, and his 30 run stops point to his complete skill set. He’d be an ideal addition to any team in need of a strong-side end to complement a apeed-rusher.

EDGE Markus Golden

(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Golden has always been under the radar as a quick pass-rusher from the edge, even though he put up 12.5 sacks for the Cardinals in 2016. Last season, his first and last with the Giants, saw him put up 10 sacks, 64 total pressures, and 39 run stops. Injuries have limited his potential at points in his career, but his bounce-back season with Big Blue proved what he can accomplish as an edge defender who can run the arc against offensive tackles, and move inside through gaps with estimable quickness.

CB Logan Ryan

(George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

The former Patriots cornerback is now best-known for the pick-six that ended Tom Brady’s tenure in Foxboro, as New England lost to the Titans in the wild-card round. Encouraged to move on in free agency after signing a three-year, $30 million contract with Tennessee in 2017, Ryan gives up big plays at times, but he’s an above-average slot defender who can likely be signed at a bargain price.

CB Darqueze Dennard

(Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC).

The Bengals re-did their cornerback room with Vikings cast-offs Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander this offseason, which left Denard on the outs. The Jaguars tried to sign the veteran to a three-year, $13.5 million contract in March, but the deal fell apart due to financial issues. Limited to just nine games and five starts last season, Dennard played well for the most part when he did see the field, with the versatility to play outside or in the slot.