4 overrated defensive players heading into NFL free agency

The NFL season is over and free agency is the next major event, but teams must be wary of these four overrated defensive veterans entering free agency.

While having a solid free-agent addition is key for most competitive teams, more often than not free agency is a time for teams to overspend on overrated players.

For every good deal, there seems to be three that aren’t. The same will almost certainly occur in 2022, as teams are geared to add aggressively and fill holes. On defense though, these four options stand out as significant risks.

Here are four veteran defenders that are overrated heading into free agency.

Free agency target Rasul Douglas

Rasul Douglas was a developmental height-weight-speed cornerback coming out of West Virginia, and for the longest time, it seemed like that development was not actually occurring. While he would be good for the occasional interception, more often than not Douglas was getting burned by opposing receivers. He was a liability in coverage and heading into the 2021 season he was seen as nothing more than depth.

He had a great season with the Packers though, and after years of mediocrity, it now seems like Douglas may earn a hefty contract thanks to his good season. While his play was significantly better than years previous, he still wasn’t elite. His five interceptions stand out, but he had ample opportunity to get picks due to the number of times passes were thrown his way early.

Douglas certainly has some intrigue, and it is possible that he is just a late bloomer, but a team willing to risk a big contract on that is making a bad move. Douglas could be the classic case of a defender entering a great fit across from other solid players and maximizing his value. Wi his py hold up? I have my doubts, thus a big contract for Douglas makes him overrated.