2026 NFL free agency is still ongoing, but with many of the top players already gone, it’s never too early to start looking towards the future.

After a relatively weak free agency class this year, 2027 is looking like it could be really strong. That is, if a bunch of these players isn’t extended. There are a lot of really good players available, but a lot of them could get a fifth-year option or sign an extension before next March.

Still, it’s always fun to speculate, so let’s take a look at what the 2027 free agent class could look like.

Quarterback

Top Players: Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield

Potential 5th-Year Option: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young

The 2027 free agent quarterback class could be very, very interesting. Matthew Stafford will either retire or stay with the Los Angeles Rams, unless something unforeseen happens, so that leaves four really interesting options.

Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray are the veteran options. Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay, but things are certainly beginning to go downhill in Tampa, so I think there’s a good reason he tests the market to see if he can’t find a better home. Murray just signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, and if he starts and plays well in 2026, he could have a pretty big market.

The No. 1 and No. 2 picks from the 2023 draft are really interesting. Bryce Young is coming off a career year, but I’m not sure he’s actually done enough to earn a long-term extension from the Carolina Panthers. As for C.J. Stroud, he looked like a future superstar after his rookie season, but he’s regressed heavily since. I’m not sure either guy gets a big extension from their current teams, so it would be really interesting to see them hit the market.

This class also includes guys like Marcus Mariota and Kenny Pickett, but they’ll be backups.

Running Back

Top Players: Jonathan Taylor, Breece Hall, Chase Brown, De’Von Achane,

Potential 5th-Year Option: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs

This running back class could be so much fun, but there’s a good chance most of them receive extensions before they hit the open market.

Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are absolutely going to either get an extension or their club will exercise the fifth-year option on them. I would be incredibly shocked if either guy hits the free agent market next March.

The other four are another story. I can guarantee you the Indianapolis Colts want to keep Jonathan Taylor around, but he will be 28 years old and will probably want a long-term deal. Do they give it to him? Does someone else offer more years and more guarantees? It feels like a contract dispute could be brewing.

I doubt Breece Hall and De’Von Achane want to stay in New York and Miami, respectively. Neither of those teams is very good, and there will be contenders willing to give them $17+ million per year. And then there’s Chase Brown. Cincinnati is already paying two receivers and a quarterback. Can they afford to pay Chase Brown something like $13-15 million a year? Probably not…

This could be a really interesting free-agent running back class. I just hope at least three of them actually make it to FA.

Wide Receiver

Top Players: Puka Nacua, Chris Olave, Drake London, George Pickens

Potential 5th-Year Option: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers

The 2027 free agent wide receiver class could be an all-timer as well, but I highly doubt we see many, if any, of these guys hit the market. Chris Olave and Puka Nacua are almost certainly getting a long-term extension this offseason. If Seattle’s feeling nice, Jaxon Smith-Njigba could get one as well, and if he doesn’t, Seattle will certainly exercise his fifth-year option and extend him next offseason. I also don’t expect the Atlanta Falcons to just let Drake London walk.

Zay Flowers and George Pickens are the two questionable ones. We know Pickens loves it in Dallas, and they’re working on a long-term extension, but any time a player gets franchised tag, it rarely ends well. Flowers has been great for Baltimore, but will they want to pay him around $27 million in 2027 on a fifth-year option? And do they want to give him the money he wants to extend him long-term?

After those six guys, there are still some solid wideouts. Kayshon Boutte, Josh Downs, Christian Watson, and Parker Washington are all set to be free agents. I’m sure at least one of them will get an extension, but that’s not a horrible crop (though it is worse than this year’s).

The WR market is one to monitor. It could be great, but if everyone gets extensions, it could quickly be one of the worst groups in next year’s FA class.

Tight End

Top Players: Sam LaPorta, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts, Brenton Strange

Potential 5th-Year Option: Dalton Kincaid

The 2027 free agent tight end group could be pretty solid as well. Tucker Kraft is the only one I think is a lock to get a long-term extension, so the rest of these guys could be for sale next offseason. I could see Dalton Kincaid getting his fifth-year option exercised, but that’s not a guarantee.

Atlanta has shown interest in keeping Kyle Pitts around by franchise tagging him this year, but if he has another good year, his price tag could be too high for the Falcons. Sam LaPorta’s production has slipped every year since his stellar rookie season, so I’m not sure Detroit will meet his demands. Then there’s Brenton Strange, who played really well last year but suffered an injury. Does Jacksonville keep him around, knowing they have to pay some other guys soon?

After those guys, the only other real potential starter is Michael Mayer, and luckily, with Brock Bowers’ success, he should actually hit the market.

If Kraft is the only one to get a long-term deal, this tight end class could be pretty good.

Offensive Line

Top Players: Trent Williams, Quinton Nelson, Ikem Okwonu, Ben Powers

Potential 5th-Year Option: Paris Johnson, Peter Skoronski, Darnell Wright

Next year’s offensive line class has some heavy hitters with guys like Trent Williams, Quinton Nelson, Peter Skoronski, and Paris Johnson set to hit the market, but I doubt we’ll see them all actually make it to free agency. Williams probably will, and maybe Nelson (depending on his asking price), but I think the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans will want to keep Johnson and Skoronski around.

After those four, there are still some very intriguing prospects. Ikem Okwonu, Darnell Wright, Matthew Bergeron, Anton Harrison, Steve Avila, and plenty of others are under 28 years old and could get big deals if they hit the market. But there are also plenty of veterans, such as Ben Powers, Brian O’Neil, and Kevin Dotson, who could make it to free agency.

Offensive linemen are hard to come by, so a lot of these guys will likely get extended or have their fifth-year options picked up, but there could be a lot of really good linemen available next offseason.

Defensive Line

Top Players: Byron Young, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Kobie Turner, Vita Vea

Potential 5th-Year Option: Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith

The defensive line free agent class could be very interesting. Will Anderson is definitely going to get his fifth-year option exercised, but Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith could be on the chopping block after Jordan Davis’ extension. I’m sure they’ll find a way to keep at least one around, but don’t be surprised if one of them hits FA.

Then there’s the other four. Kayvon Thibodeaux might be traded, so who knows what his situation will look like. Byron Young has been excellent for the Rams, but if Stafford retires and they have to pay Jared Verse soon, do they keep him? The same goes for Kobie Turner. And then there’s Vita Vea. He’ll be 32 years old, but will want a lot of money. Does Tampa give it to him, especially if they miss the playoffs again and fire their coach?

There could be a lot of big names hitting the market, and the NFL always has a use for defensive linemen. There could be a lot of money handed out at DE and DT.

Linebacker

Top Players: Azeez Al-Shaair, Dre Greenlaw

Potential 5th-Year Option: Jack Campbell

This was a great year to need an off-ball linebacker, but the same cannot be said about 2027. Jack Campbell will almost certainly have his fifth-year option exercised, leaving Azeez Al-Shaair and Dre Greenlaw as the top options available. They’re good players, don’t get me wrong, but nowhere near the depth we saw this year.

Behind those three, it’s slim pickings. Micah McFadden, Denzel Perryman, and Channing Tindall seem to be the three best options after that. So, yeah. Be happy if your team found their linebacker this year.

Cornerback

Top Players: Tyrique Stevenson, Marlon Humphrey, Nahshon Wright, D.J. Turner, Tariq Woolen, Emmanuel Forbes

Potential 5th-Year Option: Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon

The cornerback class is another one that could be extremely interesting in 2027. Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are almost certainly not going to be available, but the rest of this class is still very intriguing.

Tyrique Stevenson, Nahshon Wright, D.J. Turner, Tariq Woolen, and Emmanuel Forbes are all still very young and would have a huge market if they hit free agency. Outside of Turner, I don’t know if any of them are true lockdown corners you’d leave on an island against your opponent’s best receiver, but they’re very capable corners that could get big contracts.

Some veterans could receive a lot of attention. Marlon Humphrey is the headliner of that group, but Mike Jackson and Chidobe Awuzie are two more who could help a contender out.

This group doesn’t quite have the top-end talent some of the others have, especially if D.J. Turner gets an extension before free agency, but there are a lot of really good players here.

Safety

Top Players: Brian Branch, Derwin James, Jessie Bates III, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard

Potential 5th-Year Option: N/A

This year’s safety class was really good, and 2027’s might be even better. It’s not quite as deep, but these top five guys are all impact players.

Starting with the young bucks, you have Brian Branch and Jaquan Brisker. Branch has always been known for his ability to play close to the line of scrimmage and defend the run, but he’s also a really good coverage safety. Detroit would love to keep him around, but he could test the market to see his value. Brisker isn’t quite as good, but there’s no doubt he has upside. If he plays well in Pittsburgh, he could draw a high price tag.

Then there’s the veterans. Derwin James, Jessie Bates III, and Kevin Byard, all of whom have been named a Second-Team All-Pro or better in their careers, are set to hit the open market in 2027. Bates and James will be 30, and Byard will be 33, but they all still have at least a few more years of high-level football left in them.