2026 NFL free agency: Ideal landing spot for top 10 remaining free agents, including a Super Bowl MVP

June 1 has come and gone and has already brought blockbuster trades and a familiar face returning to a familiar place. Teams conducted the OTAs portion of their offseason programs and entered the final phase: mandatory minicamp. However, a number of NFL teams could certainly benefit from another free agent or two to address some outstanding needs before the big event. Doing so now could help teams add plenty of competition to their rosters, pushing young players' development to greater heights.

>A sizable number of veterans remain available to make an impact in 2026. Let's rank the top 10 free agents still on the board, plus an ideal landing spot where they could have the greatest impact in the coming season.

>Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen returned home to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 after a one-year stint with the Chicago Bears, and he remained a reliable target of Justin Herbert's even at the age of 33 last year. Allen led the Chargers in catches with 81, despite just 3 starts in 17 games played while ranking second on the team in receiving yards (777) and third on the team in receiving touchdowns (4).

>Allen has certainly lost a step, but his chemistry with Herbert and mentorship of Ladd McConkey have been valuable to Los Angeles. His ideal home would be remaining with the Chargers albeit in a slightly smaller role so that youngsters like McConkey (24-years-old), Quentin Johnston (24-years-old) and Tre Harris (24-years-old) can develop into primary targets in 2026.

>Von Miller chose to sign with the Washington Commanders in 2025 after seeing them finish as the 2024 NFC runners-up behind Jayden Daniels' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year performance. Then, the 2025 season went completely downhill with Daniels and others dealing with injury issues. Coach Dan Quinn moved on from both offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Washington finished with the 22nd-ranked scoring offense (20.9 points per game) and the 27th-ranked scoring defense (26.5) in a year that ended with a 5-12 record.

>However, Miller did his best at age 36: he led Washington with 9.0 sacks. His 138.5 career sacks are the most by an active player, so even at the age of 37 in 2026, he can be of value even though he's far from his Super Bowl 50 MVP-level prime.

>Miller makes plenty of sense on the Packers, given Micah Parsons' situation. Parsons is recovering from a torn ACL. Miller would be an ideal addition to hold down the fort at the edge rusher spot opposite former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness until Parsons gets back. Once he does, Miller could be a situational pass rusher for the Packers, a team whose +1500 odds to win the Super Bowl are the seventh-best in the NFL, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Even though Green Bay is known as a team that can be free agent-averse, general manager Brian Gutekunst signed veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to hold down the fort until Devonte Wyatt can return from his injury. Miller would be a similar signing.

>The New England Patriots released four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs before free agency began because the cap hits on his contract were set to increase from $10.5 million to $26.5 million in each of the next two seasons.

>Diggs was an integral piece for the 2025 AFC champions. At the age of 32 and fresh off a torn ACL, Diggs led the Patriots with 1,013 yards receiving and four touchdowns on 85 catches. His 83.3% catch rate was the second-highest catch rate by a wide receiver in the past 45 seasons, according to CBS Sports Research. Only New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas' 85% catch rate in 2018 was higher than what Diggs produced in 2025.

>Diggs' legal trouble is likely why he remained available through the first big wave of free agency in March. He pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation and other criminal charges following an alleged assault of his personal chef. On May 6, Diggs was cleared of all charges. Diggs could easily surpass both Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus to be WR2 for the Atlanta Falcons in 2026 behind only Drake London.

>New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings during Diggs' entire career there, including working as the team's offensive coordinator in both of their final seasons in Minnesota in 2019. Diggs could acclimate quickly to Atlanta's playbook, and he could also emerge as a key target in an NFC South division that's up for grabs every season.

>At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, A.J. Epenesa is one of the more stout and lively edge rushers available. With 24 career sacks, five forced fumbles and four interceptions.

>Epenesa would be a strong rotational addition to any contender's pass rush. The Detroit Lions could use more pass-rush pop opposite Hutchinson, and Epenesa could be a relatively low-cost way to bolster that effort. Yes, Detroit drafted Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 44th overall pick, but Epenesa would be a nice veteran depth addition with 14 games of NFL playoff experience.

>Wagner's age has to be the primary reason behind his lack of a contract. He stuffed the stat sheet with 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions.

>Wagner now has 14 consecutive seasons (2012-25) with 100-plus tackles, which is tied for the longest such streak since 2000 along with London Fletcher (20-13). The Dallas Cowboys still lack a green dot, middle linebacker entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Even if trade acquisition Dee Winters ends up being the starter in the middle in 2026, having a future Hall of Famer to mentor the next generation at the position would be ideal for Dallas.

>Cameron Jordan, the New Orleans Saints' all-time sacks leader with 132.0, is up for grabs after he turned back the block in 2025 with 10.5 sacks, marking his first double-digit sacks season since 2021. Von Miller, with 138.5 career sacks, is the only active player today with more sacks than Jordan.

>Still in search of a Super Bowl ring, Jordan could join the best pass rush duo in football, the Houston Texans' All-Pro edge rusher combination of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, and serve as a super sub. This would allow Jordan to stay fresh and serve as the cherry on top of what's shaping up to be the best defensive line in football after Houston selected Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, the best defensive tackle prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, 36th overall in April.

>Jadeveon Clowney concluded his 2025 season in style with a single-game career-high three sacks in Week 18 against New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. Despite not suiting up for the Cowboys until Week 4, he finished with 8.5 sacks, his most in a season since producing 9.5 in 2023 with the Ravens. That figure also led the Cowboys in 2025. There's a chance the former first-overall pick could play even better in 2026 after going through a full offseason with a team.

>The San Francisco 49ers ranked last in the NFL in team sacks in 2025, and their 1.18 sacks per game now stands as the lowest by a team that made the postseason. Yes, San Francisco gets both 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Nick Bosa (torn ACL) and 2025 11th overall pick edge rusher Mykel Williams (torn ACL and torn meniscus) back in 2026/ Adding a healthy, proven pass rush threat along the edge in Clowney would relieve some of the urgency on those two to rush back from their injuries. Plus, Clowney already has plenty of pass-rush chemistry with new 49ers defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa after suiting up together in Dallas last season.

>Deebo Samuel lost a step in 2025, and he also battled through quarterback instability. Samuel averaged a career-low 10.1 yards per reception in 2025, and the two lowest receiving yards per game totals of his seven-year career came in 2024 (44.7) and 2025 (45.4). Samuel isn't the same bulldozing Swiss Army knife that once served as the focal point of Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers offense. He can still knock would-be tacklers over in the open field after the catch, as evidenced by his playmaking against the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas, but his separation in his route running is slipping. Samuel still has value in 2026, but it's not what it once was in his prime.

>It would make all the sense in the world for Samuel to come back home to San Francisco. Kyle Shanahan will certainly look to lighten running back Christian McCaffrey's workload after 413 touches in the regular season. That's the most in a season since Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray's 449 back in 2014. McCaffrey also turns 30-years-old on June 7. Bringing back Samuel to fill in for McCaffrey on some of the checkdowns and screens in Shanahan's offense could maximize the former's skill set while preserving the latter for postseason football. Samuel would also be insurance for the inevitable midseason injury for any of the following trio: Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk or Mike Evans.

>Taylor Decker was a mainstay as the Detroit Lions' left tackle for a decade after being the team's first-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, Detroit kicked him to the curb this offseason to save money, and then they subsequently moved All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell to the left side while also drafting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller 17th overall out of Clemson in the 2026 NFL Draft.

>Decker can still be a serviceable left tackle in the NFL after he allowed just three sacks in 14 starts last season. Linking up with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs could make plenty of sense for the veteran offensive tackle. Josh Simmons, the team's 32nd overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, suffered a wrist injury that knocked him out for the second half of his rookie year. If Simmons struggles again with injuries, Decker could slide right into the lineup to protect Mahomes' blind side.

>Joey Bosa was an underrated piece of the Buffalo Bills' defense. He's not the same guy he was in the late 2010s because of injuries, but Pro Football Focus grades him as their seventh-highest graded pass-rushing edge defender with an 88.7 grade in 2025. He also led the league with five forced fumbles. Bosa can help stabilize any team's pass rush this offseason.

>As mentioned with Clowney, the 49ers were the NFL's worst pass rush by a country mile. Going to San Francisco and teaming up with his brother Nick just makes too much sense.