The Most Overlooked Additions of the 2024 NFL Offseason

The 2024 NFL offseason has been a wild one. Between stunning trades, blockbuster signings, unexpected draft selections and historic extensions, the past few months have featured no shortage of headline material.

However, some under-the-radar moves could have sneaky big impacts, too. Championship-caliber teams aren’t constructed of stars alone, and many bargain additions or late-round draft selections will go on to be significant contributors.

Last offseason, for example, the Kansas City Chief signed linebacker Drue Tranquill to a modest one-year, $3 million contract. He went on to record 78 tackles and 4.5 sacks in the regular season, notch another 21 tackles in the playoffs and help Kansas City win the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, little-known BYU receiver Puka Nacua went from being an overlooked fifth-round draft pick to setting the NFL’s rookie receiving record with the Los Angeles Rams.

Here, you’ll find a look at some 2024 free-agent and draft additions who are being overlooked but who could play major roles in the coming campaign. Factors like past production, team fit, projected role and player upside were all considered.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

The Chicago Bears were one of the most prolific teams on the opening night of the draft. Their two first-round selections, quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Rome Odunze, were blue-chip prospects and are expected to make an immediate impact.

While the Bears only made three picks after Round 1, it would be unwise to overlook the rest of their draft class. They spent a fifth-rounder on former Kansas pass-rusher Austin Booker, who could easily join Williams and Odunze as a future team centerpiece.

Chicago landed Booker with the 144th overall pick. He was the 85th-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s final draft board and has the tools to become a massive steal.

“Booker is an intriguing Day 2 prospect, as his combination of length and movement skills give him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher in the NFL,” Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. “His change of direction and quickness really stand out on film.”

The 6’6″, 245-pound prospect needs to add size and refine his technique, but the Bears are more than willing to work with Booker.

“I’m not sure I met a rookie that wasn’t raw,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said, per Sean Hammond of Shaw Local. “So what we want to do is take what he can do and really hone and shape that.”

Booker is coming off an eight-sack season. While fans should be excited about his bright future, they shouldn’t discount what he can add as a situational pass-rusher and a complement to 2023 trade acquisition Montez Sweat.

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the league’s most active teams in free agency. They reloaded their defense with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Devin White, Bryce Huff and Zack Baun. They also added running back Saquon Barkley to help add balance to their offense.

During the flurry of signings, the addition of wideout Parris Campbell on a one-year, $1.3 million deal was easy to miss. However, he could end up providing a significant boost to Philadelphia’s offense.

The Eagles have long lacked a reliable third receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Olamide Zaccheaus ranked third among Philly wideouts last season with a mere 164 receiving yards.

Campbell had only 20 catches and 104 yards with the New York Giants last season, but his paltry production is a more accurate reflection of his opportunities than his ability.

“The cliché thing to say is, ‘You know what you’re getting when you sign up,’ which is true,” Campbell said in December, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “But there’s always things you never thought you’d be doing—and being inactive and not playing is definitely something I never thought would be happening.”

Campbell was also limited in his first three NFL seasons by injuries. However, he showed his upside in 2022, appearing in 17 games with the Indianapolis Colts and finishing with 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns.

In an offense that features Brown, Smith, Barkley and Dallas Goedert, Campbell may not replicate those 2022 numbers. However, he can be a productive No. 3 receiver and provide a veteran presence while Philadelphia develops rookies Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson.

Like the Bears, the Denver Broncos drafted their quarterback of the future in Round 1. Denver used the 12th overall pick on Oregon’s Bo Nix, and the looming competition between Nix, Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham will be a major training camp storyline.

Fifth-round running back Audric Estimé is unlikely to get nearly as much attention this summer. However, he could play a very important role as a rookie in 2024.

Regardless of which quarterback earns the Week 1 job, Denver needs to support him with a strong running game. The Broncos’ receiving corps lacks a top-end receiver and few dependable targets after Courtland Sutton.

Unfortunately, Denver also struggled to field a consistent ground game in 2023. Javonte Williams, coming off a torn ACL, only showed glimpses of his pre-injury form. While Jaleel McLaughlin emerged as an explosive role player (5.4 yards per carry), the Broncos ranked 21st in yards per carry as a team.

Estimé has entered the equation, though, and he could quickly ascend to the starting back role. The top-ranked running back on the final B/R big board is a powerfully built (5’11”, 227 pounds), physical runner with enough speed to break off long runs.

“it’s easy to see the appeal with Estimé,” Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. “He’s a very young, well-built runner with threatening long speed and a good baseline for how to be a smart NFL runner.”

After racking up 210 carries with Notre Dame in 2023, Estimé has shown that he can be a high-volume runner. Denver desperately needs one. Expect Estimé to significantly outperform his draft positioning as a rookie.

The Cleveland Browns overcame several key injuries to make the playoffs last season. Arguably the most impactful one was the multiple torn knee ligaments that running back Nick Chubb suffered in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Browns spent the rest of the 2023 season trying to patch together a ground game. They brought back Kareem Hunt and leaned heavily on 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford.

Cleveland did enough to rank 12th in rushing yards last season. However, efficiency was a problem, as the Browns finished the year ranked 26th in yards per carry.

To be title contenders, the Browns need a boost on the ground. There’s no telling when or if Chubb will be on the field and back to his pre-injury form.

“One of the moments that we’re all most looking forward to is the first time he runs out of that home tunnel for his debut of the 2024 season,” general manager Andrew Berry told NFL Network’s The Insiders.

The Browns’ offseason addition of D’Onta Foreman was largely overlooked, but it could wind up being an extremely valuable move. The 28-year-old averaged only 3.9 yards per carry with the Chicago Bears last season but was one of their most productive backfield options, logging 502 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns in only nine games.

Foreman was even more productive for the Carolina Panthers in 2022, rushing for 914 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

Pairing Foreman with Ford should give Cleveland a capable backfield tandem on which to lean until Chubb’s return. After signing a one-year, $1.3 million contract this offseason, Foreman might not have a long-term future in Cleveland, but he’s likely to be a key contributor in 2024 with Chubb on the mend.

The New Orleans Saints have largely flown under the radar this offseason.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are defending NFC South champions, and the Atlanta Falcons are expected to make a jump after the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, the Saints were a nine-win team last season, so they can’t be counted out of their divisional race.

Signing linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to a one-year, $3 million deal could help New Orleans turn the proverbial corner. The Saints defense, which ranked eighth in points allowed in 2023, was good but not truly elite.

Adding Gay to a defense that includes Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Tyrann Mathieu and Marshon Lattimore could change that narrative.

Though he wasn’t a headline player in Kansas City, Gay was a valuable member of the Chiefs defense. He has been a do-it-all defender in the NFL, one who has amassed 233 tackles, five sacks, 19 pass breakups and four interceptions across four seasons. Last year, he allowed an opposing passer rating of only 76.4 in coverage.

Gay gives the Saints a legitimate difference-maker at the second level and a leader with extensive playoff experience. His presence in the locker room and on the practice field is already being felt.

“There are two things that stand out, really: his enthusiasm and his energy, that stands out to me; and his speed. So I think that those are two characteristics we’re going to lean on,” head coach Dennis Allen said, per Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict.

Expect Gay to make an impact early and often throughout the 2024 season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are widely expected to return to title contention with a healthy Joe Burrow under center in 2024. However, one of Cincinnati’s longest-tenured playmakers won’t be along for the ride.

The Bengals traded running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans at the onset of free agency. It was a headline-making decision, though Cincinnati’s addition of Zack Moss got far less attention.

That likely had a lot to do with Moss’ inconsistent play and lack of a featured role with the Buffalo Bills early in his career. The 2020 third-round pick never became a full-time starter in Buffalo and was largely overshadowed by backs like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard in 2024 free agency. Moss’ two-year, $8 million contract pales in comparison to other running back deals handed out this offseason.

However, Moss is coming off a career year with the Indianapolis Colts as a spot starter and complement to Jonathan Taylor. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 2023 while tallying a career-high 986 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns.

While Moss might not outright replace Mixon as Cincinnati’s every-down back, he should be a strong complement to speedy second-year man Chase Brown.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a guy like Chase be able to do a lot of good things and continue to, you know, build himself throughout this league,” Moss said, per Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News. “And when it’s my turn, I’ll go out there and do the same things.”

Moss’ presence in Cincinnati won’t garner as much early national attention as Henry on the Baltimore Ravens or Barkley on the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Moss could have a major impact on the Bengals’ 2024 campaign, and perhaps the AFC playoff picture as a whole.

Six quarterbacks were drafted in Round 1. South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler was the next signal-caller off the board, and he lasted until the Saints took him in Round 5.

Rattler isn’t going to garner as much attention as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or even Bo Nix heading into the regular season. That’s both because of his draft status and because New Orleans has its starter in Derek Carr.

However, Rattler could prove to be one of the best-value additions in the draft. He immediately gives the Saints a new backup plan following Jameis Winston’s departure in free agency. Rattler also has the upside to potentially develop into New Orleans’ quarterback of the future.

“There are only a handful of players who throw with his flexibility and arm strength and accuracy,” Klassen wrote. “Rattler has the aggressive mindset to be a difference maker, too. He’ll just need time to find the balance with his aggression and continue adjusting to pro-style passing concepts.”

While Rattler was largely overlooked during this year’s predraft process, there was a time when he was considered a candidate to be a top draft choice.

“As Rattler continues to mature and becomes more consistent with his decision-making, he has all the makings of a future No. 1 overall selection,” Brent Sobleski of the B/R Scouting Department wrote in 2021 while mocking Rattler as the top pick in the 2022 draft.

Since 2021, Rattler transferred from Oklahoma to South Carolina and saw his draft stock slide as new quarterback prospects like Williams, Daniels and Maye stole the spotlight. It shouldn’t be a total shock if he goes on to have a better NFL career than some of the quarterbacks drafted ahead of him, though.

This offseason, Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. reset the defensive back market with a contract extension worth just over $21 million annually. By comparison, Geno Stone’s two-year, $14 million deal with the Bengals is a major bargain.

While Stone might not be the elite safety that Winfield is, he’s an ascending defender who had a career year with the Ravens in 2023.

Last season, Stone appeared in all 17 games and made 11 starts. He finished with 68 total tackles, 44 solo stops, nine passes defended, seven interceptions and an opposing passer rating of only 63.8.

The 25-year-old should step into a starting role on the back end of Cincinnati’s defense, and he has the potential to be a legitimate game-changer there. According to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Stone is already working hard to adapt.

“He’s another one of those guys who does not want to make a mistake,” Anarumo said, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “It affects his day. I’m like, ‘It’s OK, Geno, we didn’t tell you that yet.'”

Adding Stone should prove to be a massive move for the Bengals. While having Burrow back will help the offense tremendously, it will do little to address a defense that was a liability last season. The Bengals finished 2023 ranked 28th in pass defense, 31st in total defense and 21st in points allowed.

Stone can help improve the defense in a big way, and he’ll do so at a relative bargain.

The San Francisco 49ers made a few notable moves that should pay early dividends in 2024. They added pass-rusher Leonard Floyd to complement Nick Bosa, and they used a first-round pick on versatile wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

The addition of cornerback Rock Ya-Sin on a one-year, $1.3 million deal drew far less attention. However, the cornerback depth he can provide could give San Francisco’s defense a major boost.

Although the Niners ranked third in points allowed last season, they had issues with elite quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes got the better of them in the Super Bowl, and quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson also dissected their secondary.

The 49ers were interested in adding a cornerback at last year’s trade deadline.

“The San Francisco 49ers went looking for big names at the NFL trade deadline, checking on the availability of Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson and then-Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat, among others,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote in November.

The 49ers ultimately landed Chase Young, who had a minimal pass-rushing impact and did nothing to improve the secondary. While Ya-Sin isn’t on the level of Surtain or Johnson, he can help bolster the back end.

The 28-year-old was mostly just serviceable as a backup with Baltimore last season. However, he was a quality starter for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, allowing an opposing passer rating of only 82.6 in coverage.

While Ya-Sin may not be a full-time starter in San Francisco, the experience and ability he brings to the cornerback room shouldn’t be undervalued.

The Miami Dolphins are expected to once again field one of the league’s most explosive offenses in 2024. They still employ speedy playmakers like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, and they added Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency.

Given the top-end talent on Miami’s depth chart, it was easy to overlook the addition of sixth-round wide receiver Malik Washington. However, the Virginia product could quickly become a key contributor in Mike McDaniel’s offense as a rookie.

Washington is on the smaller side at 5’8″ and 191 pounds. He also lacks elite top-end speed (4.47-second 40-yard dash). However, he’s a physical receiver with a tremendous initial burst who can create chunk plays even if he isn’t stretching the field.

“Explosiveness is the name of the game for Washington,” Klassen wrote. “A short, thick receiver, Washington shows outstanding burst with the ball in his hands. He is lethal on screens and other simple yards-after-the-catch routes like flat routes and shallow crossers.”

Washington does have enough speed to create plays down the field. However, his initial value in Miami may come as a separator on underneath routes while players like Hill, Waddle and Beckham command attention deep. It’s a role that could make Miami’s passing game virtually indefensible at every level.

Twenty-five wide receivers came off the board before Miami selected Washington at 184th overall. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if he’s more impactful as a rookie than many of the wideouts selected ahead of him.

Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.