Analysis
5/7/22
2 min read
Smart Teams Find Veteran Value After the NFL Draft
Understandably, once the opening of free agency dies down, all focus shifts to the NFL Draft. It’s an oft-repeated tenet that “successful teams build through the draft,” so this makes sense. Once the draft ends, that focus turns to the players who didn’t hear their name called. Again, this makes sense – there’s a lot of talented players who were never drafted.
However, the one topic that fails to regain much public attention post-draft is veteran free agency. The thinking goes that teams have repeatedly picked over the available players and anybody left simply isn’t good enough. This could not be farther from the truth.
Year after year, some of the best-run teams in the league find productive veterans on the market. With compensatory picks no longer on the line, post-draft free agency should continue to skyrocket. Take a look at a few of the hits over the past three years.
2021:
Indianapolis – OT Eric Fisher
Las Vegas – CB Casey Hayward
Baltimore – OT Alejandro Villanueva
2020:
Dallas – QB Andy Dalton
2019:
Tampa Bay – DT Ndamukong Suh
New England – DT Danny Shelton
Baltimore – LB Pernell McPhee
New England – LB Jamie Collins
These are all productive players, some at high-value positions, who were still on the market after the draft. New England and Baltimore in particular have made a habit of studying and taking advantage of this market, finding results that speak for themselves.
Who are some players in 2022 who could join this list in the future?
WR Odell Beckham Jr
OT Duane Brown
DE Jadeveon Clowney
TE Rob Gronkowski
WR Jarvis Landry
DT Akiem Hicks
DE Trey Flowers
C J.C. Tretter
OT Eric Fisher
WR Will Fuller
WR Julio Jones
LB Anthony Barr
CB Kevin King
LB Dont’a Hightower
Find our list of the best remaining available players post NFL Draft here
