4 overrated defensive players heading into NFL free agency

Free agency target Jadeveon Clowney

Jadeveon Clowney has been one of the more overrated defenders for the better part of three seasons now. While an athletic freak and a good run defender, Clowney has been an inconsistent pass rusher, to say the least. He finally had a solid season last year with the Browns, but that was after a pair of seasons where he posted three total sacks.

While sacks aren’t the end all be all for a player, it is evidence that they are regularly getting pressure and finishing plays. Clowney hasn’t been that great there, and a lot of his success last season was in part due to Myles Garrett getting so much attention on the other side. While Clowney is a fine defender and should be starting, treating him like a top-edge rusher at this point is silly.

Clowney will once again enter free agency as a top edge rusher free agent and more than likely another team will overpay for the veterans’ services. If you sign him as a run defender across from a top-end pass rusher, you likely won’t be disappointed. However, if you give him a hefty contract and expect an elite pass-rusher be prepared to be disappointed.

As free agency draws nearer, teams will get ready to spend some money to improve their team. While the right free agent can be a gamechanger for a team, overvaluing an overrated free agent can be detrimental. While each of these veterans can play still, giving them top-level contracts would be a mistake this offseason as each poses too many question marks at this point in their career.