NFL Free Agency 2019: 10 Best players available after first wave

8. Darqueze Dennard, CB

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted cornerback Darqueze Dennard with the 24th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft with hopes that he could be a cornerstone of their secondary. Unfortunately, Dennard never developed into that type of prospect for them, hence why he’s hitting the market in 2019 NFL free agency. It’s also likely why he remains unsigned to this point in the free agency period.

Over his five years in the NFL, Dennard has just three interceptions to his credit, which speaks to his highly inconsistent showings in pass coverage. While he’s developed into a sure tackler in the open field and a plus run defender in the secondary, Dennard has never taken the leap in terms of his coverage abilities. With that, signing him would be a gamble, but a team could get a bargain on a former first-round pick that won’t be a liability as a secondary option.

7. Timmy Jernigan, DT

Turning 27 years old on Sept. 24, it feels as if Timmy Jernigan is an underrated commodity in this free agent class. There’s no doubt that much of that is due to the fact that the defensive tackle was limited to just three games last year with the Philadelphia Eagles because of injury. Having said that, a healthy Jernigan has proven throughout his five years in the NFL that he can be a highly valuable piece on the interior of a defensive line.

Prior to his injury in the 2018 season, Jernigan was actually the 10th-highest graded interior defensive lineman in the league according to Pro Football Focus. In truth, it’s really the back injury that creates trepidation about signing him for NFL teams. He had surgery on a herniated disc in the 2018 offseason and his back is what sidelined him for most of the year. If a team can get a clean bill of health on him, Jernigan is an impact player that a team could add now that the first wave has passed.