The NFL regular season is officially here. The Seattle Seahawks play the New England Patriots on Wednesday night. If we start with this game and continue through the rest of Week 1, we’ll get early returns in the big season moves.
New veteran players on new teams can often make a big impact. The Seahawks and Patriots in 2025 were clear examples of this. The Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold, running back DeMarcus Lawrence and receiver Cooper Kupp. The Patriots signed defensive lineman Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis, receiver Stefon Diggs and offensive tackle Morgan Moses. All seven of those players have filled key roles in Super Bowl runs.
In the year It was some veteran additions that moved the needle in 2025. Who will be those needle movers in 2026?
From free agent breakouts to trade acquisitions, here are 10 candidates.
Who are the top NFL free agents?
Daniel Popper and Lauren Morales-Jones
Myles Garrett, edge, Los Angeles Rams
Garrett is one of the best players in football and joins a Rams defense that already boasts a superior pass rush in 2025. The Rams produced over 41 percent of opposing dropbacks last season, a rate that ranked fourth in the league, according to TruMedia. They return several young players up front, including edge rusher Byron Young and inside linebackers Coby Turner and Braden Fiske. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald is back on the roster after retirement, though He will not play in the season opener. In Australia. Game planning for this pass rush will be nightmare fuel for opposing offenses. The Rams were one win away from a Super Bowl in 2025. Their season, led by the trade of Garrett, obviously them Odds-on favorites To lift the Lombardi trophy this season.
Dexter Lawrence, DL, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were weak on defense last season under first-year coordinator Al Golden. According to Trumedia, they finished 29th in expected points per game. The Bengals invested heavily on defense during the offseason. The headline move involved trading Lawrence, one of the premier interior defensive linemen in the league, for the 10th pick in the draft. In the year In 2025, Lawrence did not make an impact as a run defender. But as he enters the age of 29, Lawrence has become a powerhouse and has game-changing talent. He’s a matchup advantage as a pass rusher in any one-on-one situation. Because of the attention it gathers, it creates opportunities for other rushes. The Bengals made other big changes on defense, including signing safety Brian Cook and cornerback Boye Maffei in free agency. Lawrence is poised to be the centerpiece of Cincinnati’s defensive improvement.
AJ Brown, WR, New England Patriots
After the Patriots traded a first-round pick and a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in June, Brown met with coach Mike Vrabel. Brown actually played for Vrabel in his first three NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Brown and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye are a formidable pair.
In the year By the time he was fired in 2025, May had shown himself to be one of the football’s most powerful hurlers in midfield. He led all NFL quarterbacks in EPA on throws between the numbers, according to TruMedia. In this field, Brown’s production fell apart during his time in Philadelphia. That had to do at least in part with the play of the quarterback. Last season, Jalen Hurts averaged 10.1 pass attempts per game between the numbers, a rate that ranked 32nd out of 33 quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. A quarterback who thrives on throwing over the middle of the field against Maye could revitalize that aspect of his game. And, by extension, elevate the Patriots’ passing game, already one of the best in the league in 2025.
Can AJ Brown help the New England Patriots get back to the Super Bowl?
Robert Mays and Derek Klassen
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Las Vegas Raiders
The robbers He broke the edge of the central market When they signed Linderbaum to a $27 million-a-year deal in March. Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey previously topped the market at $18 million in AAV. A market reset is rare and risky. But Linderbaum could still have an impressive impact on the Flyers’ offense, even if he doesn’t honor his proposed transfer contract. Linderbaum’s athleticism should fit well in coach Clint Kubiak’s scheme. Having an experienced center fielder will be a huge boon for rookie Fernando Mendoza as the 1st baseman gets a chance to start this season.
A recent example: The Los Angeles Chargers signed center Corey Linsley in free agency in 2021. Justin Herbert had his best season yet. He has put pressure on the lowest level of work. Linsley had an added impact on the attack. Linderbaum could accomplish the same in Las Vegas.
Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
With quarterback Patrick Mahomes coming back from a season-ending knee injury, a more explosive and dangerous running game will be necessary for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have lost that element in recent seasons. In the year In 2024 and 2025, the Chiefs had just 27 runs of 12 or more yards on designed rushes, according to TruMedia. That was the lowest total in the league during that span. Last season for the Seahawks, including the playoffs, Walker had 28 touchdowns of his own. The Chiefs made no changes to their passing corps. Walker in 2010 It’s a piece that could improve a Chiefs offense that felt anemic at times in 2025, even before Mahomes got hurt.
Trent McDuffie, CB, Los Angeles Rams
McDuffie was the first star piece the Rams added to their defense in the trade market this offseason. In March, the Rams sent four picks to McDuffie’s Chiefs, including the No. 29 pick in the 2026 draft. Then they signed him to a long-term extension. This was a step toward revamping the Rams cornerback unit this offseason. They also signed Jaylen Watson, another former tight end, to a big contract in free agency. McDuffie offers superior play at nickel and outside cornerback. It will be interesting to see exactly how the Rams decide to deploy him.
Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings signed Murray to a veteran minimum contract in March after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Murray then won the starting quarterback job over 2024 top-10 pick JJ McCarthy. The Vikings are coming off a 9-8 record in 2025. Quarterback play was an obvious issue. Murray has excellent hand skills. He is a gifted cheater and an off-script player. His biggest problem in Arizona came when he tried to play in the timing and rhythm of the offense. Sometimes, Murray lacks the necessary enthusiasm. Sometimes he sprinkled throws. Can Kevin O’Connell’s offensive framework and structure alleviate some of these weaknesses? I am very excited about the Murray-O’Connell partnership.
Why the Vikings made Kyler Murray their starting QB.
Alec Lewis
Alontae Taylor, CB, Tennessee Titans
The Titans in 2011 In 2025, disaster struck. They started 1-5 before firing coach Brian Callahan. They finished 3-14. The Titans then hired Robert Saleh as their new coach. The Titans spent big on both sides of the ball in free agency. The defense is very talented, and Saleh is a proven commodity as far as building quality units as a head coach and coordinator.
The Titans signed Taylor to an average annual contract of $19.3 million. I think he can be a driving force in the turnaround of the Titans defense, which finished 27th in EPA defense in 2025. Taylor has the ability to play tight press-man coverage on the outside. He’s also a disruptive run defender that allowed him to play nickel last season for the New Orleans Saints. Taylor is the type of cornerback you can build a defense around.
Reid Blankenship, S, Houston Texans
Emptiness entered free agency with the Eagles a down year. The Texans signed him to a contract worth an average annual value of $8.25 million. In the year At least Blankenship’s performance in 2025 is tied in part to a rotating cast at the second safety position. He shouldn’t have the same issue in Houston when he joins a defense that includes safety Kalen Bullock. The Texans also have outside cornerback Derrick Stingley Jr. And they have one of the best cornerback teams in the league with Kamari Lassiter and Jalen Pitre. The Texans had one of the best defenses in the league last season. Void will fill the unfortified space completely by 2025. He could be the part of the ball that pushes Texans from the top to the next generation.
Trey Hendrickson, edge, Baltimore Ravens
After the Maxx Crosby trade fell through, the Ravens headed to Hendrickson in free agency. Hendrickson is out for the 2025 season with a hamstring injury. He turned 31 in December. When healthy, Hendrickson is one of the best playoff players in the league. Jesse Minter was appointed coach this season. His time as defensive coordinator with the Chargers proved he needed three quality edge rushers to fully develop his scheme. The Ravens are building toward that now with Hendrickson, Mike Green and rookie Zion Young. The Ravens haven’t been a rusher to Hendrickson’s level in many years. I think it grows in minter system. The Ravens were a middle-of-the-pack defense in 2025, finishing 15th in EPA per game.
