Best NFL free agents

The legal tampering period starts on Monday, which means one of the most exciting parts of the offseason is upon us. Players will be finding new homes and potentially starting a new career such as Zack Baun did with the Eagles last season.

Here are some of the top and most overlooked free agents.

Milton Williams, DT

Milton Williams was quietly one of the best players on the No. 1 defense in the league with the Eagles. He became a little more known toward the end of the season, but the former third-round pick had a terrific year next to Jalen Carter.

Williams made his money being a perfect sidekick to Carter. He was definitely no Jalen Carter, but he also was not a liability. He works well in the run game and knows how to rush the passer.

Williams earned a lot more money with his Super Bowl performance adding a forced fumble and recovery, two sacks and four tackles to his five sacks, 11 solo tackles and forced fumble in the regular season.

Williams has made himself the top tier of the defensive tackle class in free agency and is going to make a pretty penny.

Azeez Ojulari, OLB

Azeez Ojulari is one of the biggest dark horses in this free agency class. He is a former first-round pick who got booted down the depth chart with the addition of Kayvon Thibodeaux and the trade that brought Brent Burns over from the Panthers.

He is only 24 and got minimal reps this year, but injuries brought him to the top of the lineup in the middle of the season where he had five sacks in three games.

Ojulari has been forgotten but let everyone know he still had it when he got the chance and he will be a very underrated signing for the team that gets him.

Asante Samuel Jr., CB

In a class of corners with age playing a large factor with many of them, Asante Samuel Jr. stands out as one of the highlights of the class at the age of 25.

Samuel will be a risk though for many teams who look to add him. He’s not a lockdown number one corner, but he would be a nice piece for a team maybe not looking to him to be the main guy.

Coming off a season where he only played four games, he’s a little bit of a question mark only having six career interceptions and has not lived up to his second-round pick from four years ago.

He could strive in a system where he is the two or three and as a guy who is versatile, and able to play inside or outside, he adds value to a secondary that needs just a little help.

Chris Godwin, WR

With Tee Higgins getting franchise-tagged by the Bengals, Chris Godwin is arguably the top receiver in this class of receivers. He is 29, and coming off injury but has proved he can be one of the best receivers in the league.

Before going down with a season-ending injury, he racked up 576 yards and five touchdowns on 50 receptions. He was still ranked the third receiver in yards on the Buccaneers while only playing seven games.

He has been a number two receiver his entire career playing behind Mike Evans, but still has four 1,000-yard seasons and has stepped up as the top guy when needed.

Godwin could end up being one of the biggest offensive pickups this offseason if he continues to produce.

Dre Greenlaw, LB

Dre Greenlaw is the hottest commodity at the linebacker position in this upcoming free agency cycle, and for good reason. He is only 27 and has complimented Fred Warner perfectly.

The combination of Warner and Greenlaw made arguably the top linebacker duo in the league. When healthy, he is a hard-hitting, downhill linebacker who brings a lot of physicality to the field.

Greenlaw is coming off a season where he only played two games though after suffering the Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII. There are questions about his ability to run and plant.

If a team is willing to look past the Achilles tear and trust his rehab, he is going to make a nice addition as a main linebacker for a team, if the 49ers let him walk.

The legal tampering period starts on Monday, March 10, but free agency will officially open on Wednesday, March 12.

Tristan Kunec is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email tqk5432@psu.edu.