Nelson was a great fit for the Houston Texans in back-to-back seasons, despite a defensive shift from Lovie Smith to DeMeco Ryans. He has logged a healthy dose of snaps in so many different coverage schemes dating back to his days with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.
The ever-consistent Nelson played 950-plus snaps for the sixth consecutive season in 2023, best suited in off coverage with great lateral agility and the instincts to click and close still popping up on tape in coverage and run support.
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Steven Nelson | 72.3 | 87.3 | 11.2% | 63.9 | ? |
| Jason McCourty | 80.9 | 81.4 | 12.6% | 67.2 | 2.6% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Moore pushed for an early re-up on the four-year extension he signed in 2019, but his efforts were to no avail as the Colts worked to overhaul the roster and get younger in the secondary, in particular. Fortunately for Moore, he earned a career-high 79.3 coverage grade along with a 71.5 run-defense grade — his sixth straight season going above 65.0.
At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Moore never backs down from a tackle opportunity, doing a good job as the force defender to keep ball carriers inside or running the alley to make the tackle himself when called upon — a key role in Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 defense.
Moore became just the 28th player in NFL history to record two pick-sixes in the same game with his outstanding Week 9 performance and can now look to capitalize on a strong season. However, it will be an uphill battle in a completely dormant slot cornerback market.
Top free agent comparison: Buster Skrine, 2019
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Kenny Moore II | 59.9 | 62.4 | 6.0% | 48.8 | ? |
| Buster Skrine | 63.8 | 58.9 | 13.7% | 58.5 | 2.9% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Jackson cross-trained this offseason for a move to a full-time slot role but ended up moving back out wide after just two games. The first half of the Giants’ season featured an aggressive defense that ranked second in blitz rate but still couldn’t get home on the quarterback with any consistency, leaving their cornerbacks on islands with extremely difficult assignments on a regular basis.
Wink Martindale’s unit turned a corner over the second half of the year, and Jackson looked improved once returning from injury. Injuries have limited Jackson in four of the past five seasons, but he has true inside-outside versatility with good lateral agility and a knack for making plays on the football, often laying out for acrobatic pass breakups after goading quarterbacks into the occasional throw into his coverage area.
Top free agent comparison: Leodis McKelvin, 2013
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Adoree’Jackson | 62.8 | 65.2 | 10.4% | 56.3 | ? |
| Leodis McKelvin | 67.6 | 69.6 | 9.1% | N/A | 3.4% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
9. CB Keisean Nixon, Green Bay Packers
2024 Free agency rank: 146
Top free agent comparison: Desmond King II, 2022
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Keisean Nixon | 56.0 | 56.8 | 3.4% | 62.1 | ? |
| Desmond King II | 55.3 | 59.6 | 4.2% | 40.2 | 1.7% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
10. CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, Tennessee Titans
2024 Free agency rank: 149
Top free agent comparison: Eli Apple, 2022
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Single coverage grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | 68.2 | 63.2 | 8.8% | 33.7 | ? |
| Eli Apple | 63.1 | 73.2 | 10.5% | 38.4 | 1.7% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
