2020 NFL Free Agency: A way-too-early look at the top players in next year's class

It's never too early to look ahead in the NFL. Free agency isn't even quite over yet with players like Ndamukong Suh, Eric Berry, and Stephen Gostkowski still unsigned as of Wednesday night, but that doesn't mean we can't keep one eye on the remaining free agents and another on the future. The best teams always plan ahead. Worse teams plan ahead too, I guess, they just usually execute bad long-term plans (see: how the Broncos have tried to replace Peyton Manning).

Welcome to our way-too-early preview of the 2020 free agent class, which is headlined by a ton of great quarterbacks, most of whom will never actually hit free agency, and a couple great receivers and edge rushers, some of whom might hit free agency. Below, you'll find the best players available at each position group for a total of somewhere around 80-100 impending free agents (I lost count at a certain point and I'm bad at math).

First, a couple of notes:

Many of these players will not actually hit free agency -- especially the quarterbacks. Many of them will reach long-term extensions well before next year. The ones who don't could still be franchise tagged. Still, most -- but not all -- notable players who have expiring contracts next year were included on the list.
However, players with team options for next year were not included. This includes players like Von Miller, Ezekiel Elliott, Jared Goff, and Carson Wentz. Those players could, in theory, become free agents, but they were not included on this list because they have a contract option for next season. Until the team declines the option, they're not scheduled to become a free agent, at least in the eyes of this post.
Current free agents like Suh, Berry, and Gostkowski -- and any others still unsigned as of Wednesday night -- were not included on this list, but they could become free agents again a season from now if they only sign one-year contracts with their new teams.
A quick thank you to Spotrac for their invaluable contract data.
Not every player is listed. For the entire list, head on over to Spotrac.

Ok, let's get to the list.

Quarterbacks

There's a ton of great quarterbacks scheduled to hit free agency next offseason. But only a few of them, all of whom are on the back half of the list, should actually make it to free agency.

Wilson leads the way given his age (30) and resume. He's followed closely by Prescott, who will be only 26 a year from now. If they actually hit free agency, they'll be some of the most sought after quarterbacks ever. It's incredibly unlikely the Seahawks or Cowboys will let their franchise quarterbacks walk in free agency. Even if they can't reach a long-term agreement in the months to come, they can always use the franchise tag. Don't expect them to be playing elsewhere next year.

Behind them are older quarterbacks who would be slightly less attractive in free agency only because of their age. Again, it's incredible unlikely Brady, Brees, Big Ben, or Rivers will hit free agency. If anything, those four players are more likely to retire than to play for another team in 2020. It's more likely all four quarterbacks return for another season given they're all playing at high levels. And all four will almost certainly return to their current teams. But if they do somehow hit free agency, they'll be viewed as short-term rentals for teams that think they're a contender with a top quarterback.

They're followed by two starting-caliber quarterbacks in Mariota and Winston, both of whom are a bit of an unknown heading into the final year of their rookie deals. Both could conceivably hit free agency if they were to struggle in 2019. To this point, both have shown flashes of greatness while remaining inconsistent. If either were to hit free agency, they'd have plenty of suitors, though, given their potential and age.

Tannehill, who should serve as Mariota's backup this upcoming season after a long inconsistent run as the Dolphins' starter, will likely be desired by many teams as a quality backup, but if Mariota's injury problems persist and Tannehill plays well in relief, he could find some starting offers next March. Brissett has flashed potential when he's filled in for Brady and Andrew Luck, but it's not clear if he'll get a starting offer in free agency. If anything, he'll be wanted as a backup. The same goes for Bridgewater, who hasn't played much since suffering that horrific knee injury. Keenum and Bortles can be good backups, which has value in today's NFL. Bringing up the rear is Manning, who probably shouldn't be getting starting offers a year from now given his age and declining level of play. It seems more likely he'll either return to New York or retire as a career-long member of the Giants (except for that very brief stint in San Diego, of course).

Running backs

As of this very moment, Gordon shouldn't be allowed to make it to free agency. He's coming off an incredible season and has been productive for the majority of his career, making it likely that the Chargers will try to keep him around with an extension. Hunt, however, could be a free agent a year from now. There's no doubting his skillset, but his behavior away from the field and how he performs once he returns from his eight-game suspension will determine his future in football. It's also worth noting that he'll be a restricted free agent.

The Bears have been reportedly shopping Howard, a very good power runner but a below-average pass catcher, for some time now, making it likely he leaves Chicago a year from now if he doesn't get moved before then. Richard is an underrated back who, unlike Howard, is a capable pass catcher (68 receptions in 2018). McCoy is an aging star coming off a terrible season (in a dreadful situation in Buffalo), making the upcoming season very important. Miller remains criminally underrated and consistently productive while Drake and Henry have both shown flashes, but haven't produced at a consistent level yet. Bernard can be someone's backup or join a committee while Riddick can be valuable to a team as a receiver coming out of the backfield. Gore is apparently ageless, so he makes his way onto the list.

Wide receivers

Thomas, Hill, Cooper, and Green are four of the best receivers in football. The Saints probably won't let Thomas leave -- and they shouldn't. The Chiefs were reportedly working on a big extension for Hill, but his uncertain legal situation matters more than his ability to play football, which leaves his future with the Chiefs and in the NFL unclear. As for Green, he's been one of the league's best receivers since he entered the NFL, but he'll be on the wrong side of the 30, making it a bit more likely he could actually move on from the Bengals, who should be rebuilding. Cooper is likely to be retained by the Cowboys considering they gave up a first-round pick for him and then watched him lead them to the playoffs.

The rest of the list is enticing. Sanders is aging and coming off a serious injury, but he remains perennially underrated and productive. Edelman has never been without Brady, so it'd be fascinating to watch him away from New England. It seems unlikely that Fitzgerald would leave Arizona at this point in his career. Agholor has proven to be a solid, but not great player. Anderson is inconsistent, but is one of the league's better deep threats. Perriman and Funchess' desirability will be largely determined by the upcoming year. Per usual, Gordon's future is in flux due to his inability to remain eligible. If eligible, he has the talent to be a game changer. But that's one big if.

Tight ends

Henry's the best of the bunch and he's still young. In his first two seasons, he caught 81 passes for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns while serving as a capable blocker. 2018 was supposed to be his breakout year, but he tore his ACL before the season. Expect him to experience a career year in 2019. Rudolph has always been talented, but he's finally managed to stay healthy over the past four seasons. Ebron probably wishes he'd hit free agency this year after he exploded for 13 touchdowns out of nowhere, a total that is likely to decline in 2019 due to normal touchdown regression. Hooper posted career-highs in yards (660) and touchdowns (four) this past season. Doyle flashed potential with 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns from 2016-17, but hasn't produced like a star yet. All five could conceivably hit free agency depending on what happens during the upcoming season.

Offensive linemen

It's a good, but slightly old group. Whitehair, who can play either guard or center, leads the way due to his age (26), but the Bears will almost assuredly try to extend him. Scherff would also be an attractive free agent given his age (27), but the Redskins will also likely try to keep him around. The rest of the group is a mix of good to great lineman, but most of them are getting up there in age -- like Peters, Yanda, Whitworth, etc. Some of them could retire.

Edge rushers

Another strong group. The first three players were all franchise tagged this offseason, so we don't know yet if they'll reach long-term deals with their respective teams. If any of them hit the open market, they'll be among the most desired players in free agency given how much teams value pass rushers.

The rest of the group is strong. While Ngakoue didn't quite live up to expectations this past season, he still finished with 9.5 sacks, bringing his total after three seasons to 29.5. Fowler struggled in Jacksonville, but came on late with the Rams before re-signing with them on a one-year deal. Dupree has never reached double digits, but he's 26 years old with 20 career sacks. Addison flies under the radar, but he's recorded 29.5 sacks over the past three seasons. Quinn and Mercilus have both been productive while Long and Suggs can definitely still help a team, but it wouldn't be surprising if they retired after the upcoming season.

It's a pretty deep group loaded with stars, potential stars, and productive veterans.

Defensive linemen

Yet another good group. Jones broke out with 15.5 sacks this past season, so I can't really see the Chiefs letting him walk if he continues to play at that high of a level, especially after they already parted ways with Dee Ford and Justin Houston. They have to spend their money at some point. They should be using it on both Jones and Patrick Mahomes.

Jarrett is playing under the franchise tag in 2019, so his future will be determined by how negotiations go this offseason. Williams, Daniels, and Wolfe are all good players, but Williams is ranked ahead the other two because he's still only 24 years old. Hargrave broke out with 6.5 sacks this past season after notching only four sacks in his first two seasons while Reed exploded for 10.5 sacks in Seattle after generating only three sacks during his first two seasons.

Linebackers

Wagner might be the best inside linebacker in football. Injuries ruined Jones' 2018 season, but he's 24 years old and has been one of the better linebackers in the league during his three-year career. Jack followed up his 90-tackle 2017 season with a 107-tackle 2018 season while Trevathan is one of the better players on the league's best defense in Chicago. Schobert might be the most underrated linebacker in football with 142 solo tackles, six sacks, and 10 passes defended over the past two seasons. He flies under the radar on a very good Browns team.

Cornerbacks

Talib is getting up there in age, but there's no denying his talents. He won't secure a long-term deal if the Rams let him walk, but he'll get a short-term contract, ideally for a contender. The same goes for Harris, Talib's former teammate in Denver. Howard, meanwhile, has 11 interceptions over the past two seasons.

Fuller was one of the better slot corners in Washington before not faring as well on the Chiefs this past season, but he's proven the ability to be a very good cornerback before. Haden might be looking at his last chance to cash in considering he'll turn 30 next month. Jones is coming off the first Pro Bowl appearance of his career. Breeland remains underrated and he's still only 27. Peters is a conundrum. He struggled mightily at times with the Rams this past season, but racked up 19 interceptions in three seasons with the Chiefs. The back half of the list features a couple aging, but solid corners (Smith and Ryan) and a few more inconsistent, but still promising options (Waynes, Darby, and Roby).

Safeties

Byard leads the way by a significant margin. He made First Team All-Pro in 2017 and has 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. Clinton-Dix, a former first-round pick of the Packers who got traded to the Redskins in the middle of last season, has seen his stock drop a bit, but he landed one-year deal with the Bears. On that defense, surrounded by talented players, he should be able to thrive and earn a bigger deal a year from now. In Cleveland, Randall successfully made the switch from cornerback to safety with four interceptions, giving him 14 in his four-year career. McCourty is still talented, but he's a threat to retire.

Special teams

The best kicker in the game, Tucker, and one of the greatest kickers of all-time, Vinatieri, will both hit free agency next year. Don't be surprised if the Ravens franchise tag Tucker in order to keep him. He's too good to let him walk. And we just saw the 49ers franchise tag Robbie Gould. At 46 years old, retirement is right around the corner for Vinatieri. But he certainly doesn't need to retire after making 85.2 percent of his field goals this past season. Butker is a restricted free agent that the Chiefs will likely try to retain him after seeing him make 89.9 percent of his field goals over the past two seasons. Finally, Way had 41 punts downed inside the 20 in 2018.