The 2025 NFL regular season has entered its final stretch -- and a handful of players are putting the finishing touches on exquisitely timed contract-year breakouts. Yes, executives, coaches and scouts might be wary of investing in "one-year wonders," but players who register jaw-dropping production just before hitting the open market often land blockbuster deals from teams that deem them to be cultural and schematic fits.
After taking some time to assess the 2026 free-agent class, I've identified eight players who are in line to command significant interest when teams begin to build their rosters for next season.
Dealt to the Cowboys ahead of the final year of his rookie contract after an erratic beginning to his NFL career with the Steelers, Pickens has silenced his critics with a sensational debut season in Dallas, serving as co-WR1 in an offense that previously starred CeeDee Lamb as the top pass-catching option. Even while Lamb has continued to flourish as a primary weapon for the Cowboys (logging 63 catches for 976 receiving yards with three scores on 99 targets), Pickens has produced at an explosive rate (recording 81 catches for 1,212 receiving yards and eight scores on 120 targets), suggesting he can carry an offense as the No. 1 receiver on the perimeter. As the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has embraced the three-step slant as his signature route, he's continued to operate as one of the league's most dynamic big-play weapons, with 18 catches of 20-plus yards on a collection of catch-and-run plays and vertical strikes. With more teams seemingly willing to pay multiple targets WR1-level money in order to surround the franchise quarterback with several playmakers (thus accelerating the QB's growth), Pickens should break the bank as the league's next $30 million pass catcher.
Lloyd picked the perfect time to emerge as a Pro Bowl-caliber player, generating 65 total tackles, nine quarterback hits, five interceptions -- including a 99-yard pick-six against Patrick Mahomes -- and 1.5 sacks. Because the Jaguars previously declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract for 2026, the former first-rounder is set to hit the market. And his versatility as a playmaking linebacker with coverage skills and pass-rush ability -- plus instincts, awareness and ball skills -- will make him a hot commodity in a turnover-obsessed league. Lloyd's nine career interceptions count as the second-most among all linebackers since his NFL arrival in 2022. As a potential centerpiece in a vision-and-break scheme, Lloyd's skills should command top dollar. He's set up to be a marquee free agent, with the ability, instincts and résumé to flourish within a zone-heavy scheme.
The former first-round pick of the Dolphins has dealt with a number of injuries in his football career, but the arrow is pointing up these days. His acquisition by the Eagles at the trade deadline reunited him with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, under whom he tallied 6.5 sacks in eight games with Miami in 2023. Phillips has since been able to showcase his disruptive potential as an edge defender. He quickly ignited Philly's defense with his athleticism and aggressiveness as a pass rusher, lifting the team from 19th in points allowed per game and 16th in yards allowed per play in Weeks 1-9 to first and seventh, respectively, in Weeks 10-15. Plus, his presence has created more opportunities for Jalen Carter and Co. to wreak havoc on the inside against one-on-one blocks. With the 6-5, 266-pounder also effectively setting the edge against the run, he has a good chance to draw big bucks from a team seeking a high-quality complementary rusher.
The former second-round pick by the Broncos landed a one-year pact with Dallas last offseason -- and his subsequent breakout campaign will surely provide him with plenty of options when he gets back on the market. Williams has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time in his career, exhibiting outstanding vision, balance and body control as a rugged runner between the tackles. The veteran's grit and determination should further appeal to coaches who demand physicality and toughness from their running backs. Williams' injury history (he suffered a torn ACL, LCL and PCL tear in 2022 that cost him most of that season, and his production was significantly reduced in 2023 and '24) might discourage teams from investing heavily in him, but astute evaluators could see value in a hard-nosed runner with the potential to fill a lead-back role.
The Falcons drafted Pitts fourth overall in 2021, and the tight end kicked off his career with a 1,026-yard debut campaign -- then spent most of the next three seasons teasing the football world with his freakish athletic talents, averaging just 36.9 yards per game in that span. This season, though, his production has finally again begun to match his potential on the perimeter. The 6-6, 250-pound pass catcher could post the second 1,000-yard season of his career, especially following a spectacular Week 15 performance (11 catches, 166 receiving yards and three touchdowns) that showcased his ability to create and exploit mismatches against linebackers and safeties. As creative play-designers look for athletic tight ends to build around, Pitts could emerge as an enticing option on the free-agent market.
The 2021 first-rounder is quietly approaching his third 1,000-yard season, flashing a diverse game that has elevated the Jaguars' offense during their run toward the top of the AFC standings. A scatback with big-play potential as a runner and receiver, Etienne routinely surpasses 100 scrimmage yards in his appearances, despite sharing the backfield with rookie Bhayshul Tuten. As a featured player in an offense that provides the RB1 with 20-plus touches a game, the shifty veteran could make his mark as an electric weapon out of the backfield.
The former Ravens first-rounder racked up 10 sacks in 2024, but he began the final year of his rookie contract on a slow note, tallying zero sacks in his first five appearances of 2025 -- and then was shipped to the Chargers in a surprising early-season trade. Now, though, Oweh looks ready to command top dollar on the marketplace as an ultra-athletic pass rusher who's piled up seven sacks with his new team, giving him 17 over his last 31 games. Questions will likely persist about his lack of 2025 production for -- and eventual trade from -- the Ravens, but Oweh's L.A. bounce-back should prompt a team to bet on his upside as a twitchy pass rusher who is coming into his own as a playmaker. Given the impact and importance of employing an effective sack artist in a pass-happy league, Oweh's resurgence and résumé could create a bidding war for his services.
It is hard to find a 6-4, 199-pound cover corner with outstanding ball skills, instincts and diagnostic capabilities. Wright's superior size and length as a bump-and-run defender create problems for wideouts at the line of scrimmage and catch point; he prevents opponents from escaping his clutches early in routes and then aggressively competes on 50-50 balls down the field. Drafted in the third round by the Cowboys in 2021, Wright was traded to the Vikings -- who consigned him to their practice squad -- before landing in Chicago, where he has finally blossomed into the shutdown specialist some envisioned when he entered the league. As coaches scour the market for cover corners with the length, ball skills and awareness to produce takeaways on the island, Wright's breakout campaign could result in a hefty payday from a team looking to upgrade its CB2 position.
