Beckham among top remaining free agents
Tyler Dragon
The 2024 NFL draft has come and gone. OTAs begin in late May.
This is the time period when NFL teams fill out their rosters at positions that weren’t addressed during the draft.
There are plenty of impactful free agents still available who can be Week 1 starters, including safety Justin Simmons, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Will your favorite team land one of the best free agents still available?
USA TODAY Sports ranks the top free agents available following last week’s NFL draft:
1. Safety Justin Simmons: Is the safety position becoming less important due to the increased amount of short passes? Plenty of safeties are available, but Simmons is at the top. Since entering the NFL in 2016, no player has more interceptions than Simmons (30).
2 Cornerback Stephon Gilmore: The 2019 defensive player of the year stepped up last season, especially when Trevon Diggs (knee) went down for the year. Gilmore will turn 34 during the regular season, but showed last year he can still play at a high level.
3. Safety Quandre Diggs: Diggs was a salary cap casualty. He started every game for Seattle the past four seasons and is a three-time Pro Bowler as well as a team captain. The 31year-old safety produced over 90 tackles in two of the last three seasons.
4. Cornerback Xavien Howard: Howard’s coverage ability declined a little bit last year. He allowed nearly a 63% completion percentage when targeted, the second-highest rate of his career. But entering his ninth year, Howard is still a starting-caliber corner.
5. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell: The 37-year-old defensive lineman wants to play a 17th season in the NFL. He’s still wildly durable and effective. He started all 17 games for the Falcons and compiled 6.5 sacks last season. Campbell is a veteran leader who can still make an impact despite his age. He has 105.5 career sacks.
6. Cornerback Adoree' Jackson: Jackson started 36 games for the Giants the past three seasons. He only has two interceptions the last three years, but he did log 23 passes defended. He can also be used as a re
turn man.
7. Safety Jamal Adams: Adams was cut after four underwhelming seasons in Seattle. He never started more than 12 games in a single season with the Seahawks. A change of scenery could do well for the three-time Pro Bowler.
8. Cornerback Steven Nelson: The well-traveled cornerback could be playing for his fifth team. But Nelson, 31, is an experienced corner with 13 interceptions and 78 passes defended in 130 career games.
9. Wide receiver Odell Beckham: Beckham doesn’t have the explosion and quickness he once did. He had 35 catches and three touchdowns in one quiet year in Baltimore. The wideout is probably best as a third pass-catching option.
10. Safety Micah Hyde: The 33-yearold safety started 14 games for Buffalo in 2023 and still has a nose for the football.
11. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd: One of the NFL’s most underrated slot receivers,