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Building on the work of our “best landing spots” list, we’re looking at even more potential landing spots for every position group in the 2025 NFL free-agent class.
These are the potential landing spots for PFF’s top free-agent cornerbacks and safeties this offseason.
Potential Landing Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers
Holland is a natural fit for both the Vikings and Chargers, two defenses that finished 2024 ranked in the top three in their rate of using two-high safety coverage looks. The almost 25-year-old safety runs those coverages at a high rate, and although he struggled this past season, he clocked a 73.0-plus PFF coverage grade in open coverages in 2022 and 2023.
The Vikings will watch many key contributors from their 2024 secondary enter the free-agent market, with Josh Metellus standing as the lone cornerback or safety left under contract who recorded 80 or more defensive snaps this season. Minnesota, currently projected to hold the seventh-most cap space this offseason, could bring in Holland to build its secondary around.
The Chargers also face the difficult task of replacing key secondary players, set to lose five of their top 10 snap contributors. With Derwin James’ success acting as the primary slot defender in 2024, Los Angeles may look to shore up a back end that will be left rather barren, with Alohi Gilman being the only other safety under contract.
Potential Landing Spots: Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers
After Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for the Jets‘ head-coaching job, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to fill the void. The expectation is that the team’s Cover 1-heavy scheme will remain, making Reed a clean fit to replace Carlton Davis III on the outside.
With Robert Saleh returning to San Francisco as defensive coordinator, Reed and the 49ers should have a mutual interest in reaching a deal to reunite the cornerback with his former defensive play caller in New York. Reed endured a noticeable drop in PFF coverage grade pre- and post-Saleh coaching with the Jets, with his 90.8 mark plummeting to 54.0 from Week 5 onward this season.
Potential Landing Spots: New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings
While new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will assess the roster and decide on a defensive scheme, Vrabel ran Quarters coverage at one of the highest rates in the NFL during his time in Tennessee. Ward ran plenty of Quarters looks in San Francisco, too — at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL.
Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin are all set to hit the market, so the Vikings will need to prioritize smart players who can play in a variety of coverage looks in Brian Flores’ defense.
Potential Landing Spots: Green Bay Packers
The Packers traded Douglas to the Bills in 2023, but after he endured a fair share of struggles in 2024, a return to Green Bay would be a natural outcome this offseason. Douglas produced a 71.0-plus PFF coverage grade in each season with the Packers. With Eric Stokes set to become a free agent and Jaire Alexander having missed the better part of the past two seasons, a reunion with Douglas makes sense.
Potential Landing Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
Davis’ reputation as one of the most physical cornerbacks in the NFL should make for a natural fit in Pittsburgh. The Steelers ran Cover 1 at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL in 2024, a scheme Davis is well acquainted with from his time in Detroit.
Robert Saleh is back at the helm of the 49ers’ defense, and the expectation is that he will look to emulate the vaunted unit he coached in New York, characterized by its healthy use of Cover 1. Davis could even prove to be an upgrade over the departing Charvarius Ward in Saleh’s scheme.
Potential Landing Spots: Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts
After seeing limited run the past two seasons due to injury, Hufanga enters the open market mostly playing off the promise he showed in his full season of action back in 2022. That year, he clocked a 78.5 PFF coverage grade in closed coverages.
The Broncos possessed one of the strongest coverage units in the NFL this past season but had a clear weak link in P.J. Locke, whom the Bills exposed in the wild-card round. Hufanga projects as an upgrade over Locke in Denver’s single-high coverages, if the former can stay healthy.
The Colts will be looking at a replacement for Julian Blackmon in the secondary to play in tandem with Nick Cross in new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense. In Cincinnati, Anarumo ran a variety of coverages — a nearly identical rate of open and closed coverages — to varying degrees of success. Hufanga is familiar with a variety of coverage looks, having played heavy rates of single-high and two-high looks.
Potential Landing Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders
At 25 years old, Samuel enters the free-agent market coming off an underwhelming start to a 2024 campaign that was ultimately cut short by a season-ending injury. He brings two prior seasons of solid production, generating a 75.0-plus PFF coverage grade in 2022 and 2023, so teams will have to decide what his contract value should be. The Vikings could swoop in to replace their departing secondary players with a younger talent in Samuel.
With the Raiders bringing in former Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek and projected to have the second-most cap space this offseason, Samuel could become a key target in their rebuild. Addressing their coverage struggles will be a priority, and Samuel’s potential fits perfectly into that plan.
Potential Landing Spots: Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars are still searching for a general manager — and, to a lesser extent, a defensive coordinator — to guide their roster under new head coach Liam Coen. So much will change in Jacksonville between now and March. But the team should prioritize finding a safety to play opposite Andrew Wingard, who is entering a contract year.
Tennessee faces the departure of Quandre Diggs in free agency after he finished as their secondary’s highest-graded player. Bynum would be a natural fit in Dennard Wilson’s defense, a unit that ran Quarters coverage at the highest rate (22%) in the NFL in 2024 — something he played at a significant rate in Minnesota.
Potential Landing Spots: Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders
Rebounding from their 30th-ranked team PFF coverage grade (39.8) has to be a priority for the Commanders, who have significant cap space. Murphy could step in as an instant upgrade over free agent Noah Igbinoghene in the slot, as he can play on the outside against two-receiver sets. The belief is that general manager Adam Peters isn’t giving up on Marshon Lattimore amid his struggles, and should the veteran bounce back in 2025, a pairing with Murphy could revamp this secondary.
Raiders general manager John Spytek has to attack a secondary rebuild in free agency, and offering the 27-year-old cornerback would be a prudent move to improve the NFL’s lowest-graded coverage unit (30.4).
Potential Landing Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers
Hilton may be reaching his age-31 season, but he hasn’t slowed down yet, still producing as one of the NFL’s best slot defenders. The Steelers will need slot help after Cam Sutton‘s departure, and given that Pittsburgh drafted Hilton back in 2017, a reunion may be in the cards.
Potential Landing Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers
While Minnesota could opt to build its secondary around one of this year’s top free-agent safeties, it may be more feasible to fill their many vacant spots with more moderate veteran contracts. The Chiefs ran open coverages at the second-highest rate in the NFL in 2024, second to only Minnesota.
Jim Harbaugh is very familiar with the Reid family, having recruited Justin’s older brother, Eric, as the head coach at Stanford and drafted him in the first round in 2013 as the 49ers‘ head coach. That connection may also draw Harbaugh to pursue Justin in free agency, a player he saw plenty of in the AFC West this season.
