NFL Free Agency: Under-the-Radar Moves Shaping the 2026 Season

We are now a few days into NFL free agency, and with the legal tampering period over, teams are officially signing players for 2026 and beyond. While there have been plenty of big deals, it’s the under-the-radar moves that often have bigger impacts than the premium free agents.

Jaylinn Hawkins Signs with the Baltimore Ravens

Contract: Two years, $10 million

Safety Jaylinn Hawkins broke out in 2025 for the AFC Champion Recent England Patriots, finishing the year with a career-high 74.9 PFF overall grade, 15th out of 91 qualifying safeties. He was effective both in coverage (74.7) and defending the run (79.7) while finishing third on the defense with 1,102 snaps (including the postseason).

The Ravens are getting tremendous value with this deal ($10 million over two years) in comparison to the PFF projected contract ($33 million over three years). Hawkins will help form arguably the league’s best safety room alongside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and standout 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks.

Dre Greenlaw Signs with the San Francisco 49ers

Contract: One year, $7.5 million

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw returns to San Francisco after one season with the Denver Broncos. He set a career-high in PFF run-defense grade at 86.9, 10th among 93 qualifying linebackers. NFL.com reports the former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers and will reunite with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner in 2026 as the 49ers look to improve their defensive unit that ranked 31st in PFF grade as a team at 49.4.

While he’s still a top-notch run defender, Greenlaw’s coverage capabilities appear to be on the decline as he’s dealt with injuries over the last few years. He peaked with an 82.6 PFF coverage grade in 2022, but that number has steadily declined to 64.4 in 2025.

This is a low-risk, high-reward contract for a player the 49ers understand well. Greenlaw will turn 29 years old in May and still has some productive years left, assuming he can stay healthy.

Nahshon Wright Signs with the New York Jets

Contract: One year, up to $5.5 million

Cornerback Nahshon Wright was a third-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 but never found a role with the team, playing just 272 snaps over his first three years. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings just prior to the 2024 season but spent the entire year on the practice squad.

Wright broke out in 2025 as a member of the Chicago Bears, appearing in all 19 games (including the playoffs) while intercepting five passes during the regular season, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod.

A 6-foot-4 cornerback who plays predominantly on the outside, Wright will have another opportunity to showcase his skills in Aaron Glenn’s system in New York. The Jets were the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without at least one interception, so this is a decent, low-risk move for a defense looking to create more turnovers in 2026.

Keaton Mitchell Signs with the Los Angeles Chargers

Contract: Two years, $9.25 million

Running back Keaton Mitchell has carried the ball just 121 times since he joined the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2023, due to injuries and playing behind future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry. With that said, there are plenty of reasons for optimism moving forward.

Mitchell has proven to be a big-play threat in his limited opportunities, as 22 of his 121 career carries went for 10-plus yards (explosive plays), which resulted in a stellar 6.3 yards per carry average. Mitchell has shown the ability to produce defenders miss, finishing with 27 forced missed tackles over that span.

It’s hard to imagine a better landing spot for Mitchell with offensive guru Mike McDaniel now with the Chargers. McDaniel helped build an offense around another speedster in De’Von Achane, who has established himself as one of the game’s elite running backs. Mitchell will work alongside 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton to form what could be one of the better running back duos in the NFL in 2026.

Luke Fortner Signs with the Carolina Panthers

Contract: One year, up to $4.75 million

Center Luke Fortner started 10 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2025 and is coming off his best season in the NFL, earning a 72.5 PFF pass-blocking grade (fifth out of 37 qualifying centers) after allowing just 11 pressures across 442 pass-blocking snaps. He was likewise solid in the run game, where his 62.5 PFF run-blocking grade was the highest of his four-year career.

Cade Mays – the Carolina Panthers starting center in 2025 – signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Detroit Lions. Fortner can step in at center for 2026 at a discounted contract that frees up their cap to spend elsewhere in free agency.

The Panthers have one of the league’s most underrated offensive lines on paper heading into 2026, as three starters finished the year with PFF overall grades higher than 70.0 (Ikem Ekwonu – 70.1, Damien Lewis – 77.7 and Taylor Moton – 81.0) in addition to the return of Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt, who missed all but three games due to a torn biceps injury.