The NFL All-Value Team: Defense
Let's pick a starting defensive lineup of NFL players who have the best value contract at each position.
Last week, I put together a starting lineup of NFL players on offense who had the best value contracts at their position. This week, I'm doing the same thing with the defense.
There are conditions that I put on this exercise. Here they are:
The player may not be under a rookie contract, meaning either a recently drafted player or an undrafted player whose salaries are set in place based on the salary cap and draft position.
The player must not have signed a one-year deal — he needed to have signed for at least two, but preferably three or more years.
The player must not be in the final year of his current deal (in other words, he's not somebody who is up for an extension and could be in line for more money).
Only the player's current contract may be considered — meaning if he signed a new contract this offseason, that's the contract I take into account.
Once again, there were some cases in which it was easy to pick a player, but in other cases, it was more difficult. In plenty of cases, the player contracts weren't what one would call a value signing, but the signing looks better compared to other contracts.
I selected three defensive linemen, two edge rushers, two off-ball linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties. Obviously, defenses can boast a different mix of positions in a starting lineup (the 3-4 vs. 4-3 defense is a good example), so your lineup might vary depending on who you have on the field.
Interior defenders (3)
Cameron Heyward, Steelers
Heyward got a two-year extension before the start of the 2024 season and continued to be a productive player at age 35. Though he's no longer a player who can be the primary pass rusher, he still does more than enough in the pass rush to play alongside someone who is the primary guy. The Steelers gave him a deal that allowed him the chance to finish his career with the team that drafted and developed him. They did a good job of rewarding him while not overvaluing him.
Grover Stewart, Colts
Stewart signed a three-year deal with the Colts in 2024 that was in line for a player of his caliber. He's not the type of player who generates a lot of pressure, but he does a good job of complementing others who do. The Colts structured the deal so they would have an out in 2025, but Stewart played at a level that justified the deal. If he continues to play well this season, he'll be back in 2026 on a salary that is more than reasonable given the way the market has trended.
Zach Sieler, Dolphins
Sieler signed a three-year extension with the Dolphins back in 2023 and got two years worth of fully guaranteed money at the time. He's had back-to-back seasons with 10 sacks. Though Sieler isn't an elite player, he's delivering like one to some degree. Sieler has two years left on his deal, so it will be interesting to see what happens if he gets another 10-sack season in 2025.
Edge rushers (2)
Gregory Rosseau, Bills
Rosseau generated 24 pressures as a rookie and, while that production fell to 18 in 2022, it went back up to 25 in 2023. He then had a career-best 35 pressures in 2024, along with eight sacks, and the Bills extended him in March this year. However, the Bills didn't pay Rosseau a deal that didn't even put him in top 10 for APY salary. His extension looks good when compared to the rest of the market, but if he continues to play well, we could be looking at a true value deal here.
Jonathan Greenard, Vikings
Greenard had 12.5 sacks in his final season with the Texans in 2023, a year after he missed half the season in 2022 because of injuries. The Vikings did pay Greenard well in 2024 free agency but not at a level that put him in the top 10 for APY salary. Greenard then delivered a 12-sack season with 42 pressures. Another season like that in 2025 and this will go down as a true value signing.
Off-ball linebackers (2)
Zaire Franklin, Colts
The Colts took care of one of their own when they signed Franklin to a three-year deal back in 2022, and then they gave him another three-year extension in 2024. He continues to produce at a level that justifies the money he's receiving. Franklin had his best season as a pro in 2024 and got his first Pro Bowl bid and his first AP All-Pro selection. He's just 28 years old so he stands a good chance of playing out the deal — and possibly getting another extension if the Colts believe he can still be a key contributor.
Jordyn Brooks, Dolphins
Brooks isn't a top player at his position, but he does plenty of things well. He signed with the Dolphins in 2024 on a three-year deal that paid him less than $10M APY. Brooks has delivered a reasonable return on that deal — again, he's not an elite player but he is producing at a level that justifies the deal he received. The Dolphins structured the deal in a way that allowed them to hedge their bets, but that bet has paid off thus far.
Cornerbacks (2)
Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
Humphrey signed a five-year extension back in 2020 and has two years left on his deal. To be sure, an extension signed in 2020 is going to look good compared to today's deals. But what Humphrey represents is the case for why it's sometimes a good idea to extend players drafted in the first round before their fifth-year option kicks in. That gives teams a chance to get some cost control (even if it's not a lot) in future seasons. If Humphrey keeps playing well, it will be interesting to see if the Ravens consider an extension for him next season when he enters the final year of his deal.
Kenny Moore, Colts
Moore is a No. 2 cornerback, the Colts paid him accordingly and he's delivering on the three-year deal he signed last year. He took a little less money than he got on the four-year deal he originally signed back in 2019. This is a good example who has been productive for the team that developed him (he originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, but was waived) and gets rewarded, though at a level that matches his on-field production.
Safeties (2)
Brandon Jones, Broncos
This turned out to be a shrewd signing for the Broncos, who brought in the former Dolphins safety after parting ways with Justin Simmons. Jones delivered more than some may have expected on the three-year deal he signed. His play was at a level that some may have considered him worthy of the Pro Bowl. Another quality season from Jones would mean this goes down as a true value signing.
Julian Love, Seahawks
While not a true value signing, the deal the Seahawks gave Love in 2024 is one that matches his production. After signing a two-year deal with the Seahawks in 2023, he earned his first Pro Bowl berth and got a three-year extension that significantly raised his salary. However, the Seahawks didn't overpay him and Love continues to be productive. The deal was structured to allow the Seahawks to part ways with Love in 2026, but if he plays well again this season, the Seahawks won't be concerned with that.