RSS FeedPFW Identifies Top 100 NFL Free Agents for 2012
By Chris Malumphy
Mike Wilkening of ProFootballWeekly.com has compiled PFW's top 100 free agents in the NFL for 2012. His article ranks the top 100 free agents from best to worst and provides capsule comments for each player including age and type of free agency (restricted, unrestricted, franchise player, etc.). Check it out.
DraftHistory.com provides information on when those top 100 free agents were drafted or went unselected below.
| Where Top NFL Free Agents for 2012 Were Drafted | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Team | Year | Round | Pick | Player | Drafted By | College |
| QB | Alex Smith | 49ers | 2005 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 49ers | Utah |
| Vince Young | Eagles | 2006 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Titans | Texas | |
| Jason Campbell | Raiders | 2005 | 1 | 25 | 25 | Redskins | Auburn | |
| Drew Brees | Saints | 2001 | 2 | 1 | 32 | Chargers | Purdue | |
| Chad Henne | Dolphins | 2008 | 2 | 26 | 57 | Dolphins | Michigan | |
| Kyle Orton | Chiefs | 2005 | 4 | 5 | 106 | Bears | Purdue | |
| Matt Flynn | Packers | 2008 | 7 | 2 | 209 | Packers | Louisiana State | |
| Brian Hoyer | Patriots | 2009 | Michigan State | |||||
| RB | Cedric Benson | Bengals | 2005 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Bears | Texas |
| Marshawn Lynch | Seahawks | 2007 | 1 | 12 | 12 | Bills | California | |
| Matt Forte | Bears | 2008 | 2 | 13 | 44 | Bears | Tulane | |
| Ray Rice | Ravens | 2008 | 2 | 24 | 55 | Ravens | Rutgers | |
| Michael Bush | Raiders | 2007 | 4 | 1 | 100 | Raiders | Louisville | |
| Michael Robinson | Seahawks | 2006 | 4 | 3 | 100 | 49ers | Penn State | |
| Peyton Hillis | Browns | 2008 | 7 | 20 | 227 | Broncos | Arkansas | |
| Arian Foster | Texans | 2009 | Tennessee | |||||
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | Patriots | 2008 | Indiana | |||||
| Mike Tolbert | Chargers | 2008 | Coastal Carolina | |||||
| WR | Ted Ginn Jr. | 49ers | 2007 | 1 | 9 | 9 | Dolphins | Ohio State |
| Dwayne Bowe | Chiefs | 2007 | 1 | 23 | 23 | Chiefs | Louisiana State | |
| Robert Meachem | Saints | 2007 | 1 | 27 | 27 | Saints | Tennessee | |
| Reggie Wayne | Colts | 2001 | 1 | 30 | 30 | Colts | Miami (FL) | |
| Eddie Royal | Broncos | 2008 | 2 | 11 | 42 | Broncos | Virginia Tech | |
| DeSean Jackson | Eagles | 2008 | 2 | 18 | 49 | Eagles | California | |
| Vincent Jackson | Chargers | 2005 | 2 | 29 | 61 | Chargers | Northern Colorado | |
| Laurent Robinson | Cowboys | 2007 | 3 | 11 | 75 | Falcons | Illinois State | |
| Early Doucet | Cardinals | 2008 | 3 | 18 | 81 | Cardinals | Louisiana State | |
| Harry Douglas | Falcons | 2008 | 3 | 21 | 84 | Falcons | Louisville | |
| Mike Wallace | Steelers | 2009 | 3 | 20 | 84 | Steelers | Mississippi | |
| Mario Manningham | Giants | 2008 | 3 | 32 | 95 | Giants | Michigan | |
| Brandon Lloyd | Rams | 2003 | 4 | 27 | 124 | 49ers | Illinois | |
| Pierre Garcon | Colts | 2008 | 6 | 39 | 205 | Colts | Mount Union | |
| Marques Colston | Saints | 2006 | 7 | 44 | 252 | Saints | Hofstra | |
| Wes Welker | Patriots | 2004 | Texas Tech | |||||
| TE | Jeremy Shockey | Panthers | 2002 | 1 | 14 | 14 | Giants | Miami (FL) |
| John Carlson | Seahawks | 2008 | 2 | 7 | 38 | Seahawks | Notre Dame | |
| Fred Davis | Redskins | 2008 | 2 | 17 | 48 | Redskins | USC | |
| Martellus Bennett | Cowboys | 2008 | 2 | 30 | 61 | Cowboys | Texas A&M | |
| Visanthe Shiancoe | Giants | 2003 | 3 | 27 | 91 | Giants | Morgan State | |
| T | Jared Gaither | Ravens | 2007s | 5 | 0 | 0 | Ravens | Maryland |
| Carl Nicks | Saints | 2008 | 5 | 29 | 164 | Saints | Nebraska | |
| Demetrius Bell | Bills | 2008 | 7 | 12 | 219 | Bills | Northwestern State | |
| G | Ben Grubbs | Ravens | 2007 | 1 | 29 | 29 | Ravens | Auburn |
| Evan Mathis | Eagles | 2005 | 3 | 15 | 79 | Panthers | Alabama | |
| Jeremy Zuttah | Buccaneers | 2008 | 3 | 20 | 83 | Buccaneers | Rutgers | |
| Reggie Nelson | Bengals | 1999 | 5 | 8 | 141 | Chargers | McNeese State | |
| Chris Myers | Texans | 2005 | 6 | 26 | 200 | Broncos | Miami (FL) | |
| Mike Brisiel | Texans | 2006 | Colorado State | |||||
| C | Nick Hardwick | Chargers | 2004 | 3 | 3 | 66 | Chargers | Purdue |
| Scott Wells | Packers | 2004 | 7 | 50 | 251 | Packers | Tennessee | |
| DE | Andre Carter | Patriots | 2001 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 49ers | California |
| Aaron Maybin | Jets | 2009 | 1 | 11 | 11 | Bills | Penn State | |
| John Abraham | Falcons | 2000 | 1 | 13 | 13 | Jets | South Carolina | |
| Anthony Spencer | Cowboys | 2007 | 1 | 26 | 26 | Cowboys | Purdue | |
| Calais Campbell | Cardinals | 2008 | 2 | 19 | 50 | Cardinals | Miami (FL) | |
| Jason Jones | Titans | 2008 | 2 | 23 | 54 | Titans | Eastern Michigan | |
| Kendall Langford | Dolphins | 2008 | 3 | 3 | 66 | Dolphins | Hampton | |
| Cliff Avril | Lions | 2008 | 3 | 29 | 92 | Lions | Purdue | |
| Robert Mathis | Colts | 2003 | 5 | 3 | 138 | Colts | Alabama A&M | |
| Mark Anderson | Patriots | 2006 | 5 | 27 | 159 | Bears | Alabama | |
| Jeremy Mincey | Jaguars | 2006 | 6 | 22 | 191 | Patriots | Florida | |
| Antonio Garay | Chargers | 2003 | 6 | 22 | 195 | Browns | Boston College | |
| Israel Idonije | Bears | 2003 | Manitoba | |||||
| Michael Bennett | Buccaneers | 2009 | Texas A&M | |||||
| DT | Brodrick Bunkley | Broncos | 2006 | 1 | 14 | 14 | Eagles | Florida State |
| Sione Pouha | Jets | 2005 | 3 | 24 | 88 | Jets | Utah | |
| Paul Soliai | Dolphins | 2007 | 4 | 9 | 108 | Dolphins | Utah | |
| Jarret Johnson | Ravens | 2003 | 4 | 12 | 109 | Ravens | Alabama | |
| Red Bryant | Seahawks | 2008 | 4 | 22 | 121 | Seahawks | Texas A&M | |
| Aubrayo Franklin | Saints | 2003 | 5 | 11 | 146 | Ravens | Tennessee | |
| LB | Mario Williams | Texans | 2006 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Texans | North Carolina State |
| Manny Lawson | Bengals | 2006 | 1 | 22 | 22 | 49ers | North Carolina State | |
| Curtis Lofton | Falcons | 2008 | 2 | 6 | 37 | Falcons | Oklahoma | |
| E.J. Henderson | Vikings | 2003 | 2 | 8 | 40 | Vikings | Maryland | |
| Stephen Tulloch | Lions | 2006 | 4 | 19 | 116 | Titans | North Carolina State | |
| London Fletcher | Redskins | 1998 | John Carroll | |||||
| David Hawthorne | Seahawks | 2008 | Texas Christian | |||||
| DB | LaRon Landry | Redskins | 2007 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Redskins | Louisiana State |
| Carlos Rogers | 49ers | 2005 | 1 | 9 | 9 | Redskins | Auburn | |
| Michael Griffin | Titans | 2007 | 1 | 19 | 19 | Titans | Texas | |
| Aaron Ross | Giants | 2007 | 1 | 20 | 20 | Giants | Texas | |
| Reggie Nelson | Bengals | 2007 | 1 | 21 | 21 | Jaguars | Florida | |
| Tracy Porter | Saints | 2008 | 2 | 9 | 40 | Saints | Indiana | |
| Eric Wright | Lions | 2007 | 2 | 21 | 53 | Browns | Nevada-Las Vegas | |
| Richard Marshall | Cardinals | 2006 | 2 | 26 | 58 | Panthers | Fresno State | |
| Terrell Thomas | Giants | 2008 | 2 | 32 | 63 | Giants | USC | |
| Lardarius Webb | Ravens | 2009 | 3 | 24 | 88 | Ravens | Nicholls State | |
| Thomas DeCoud | Falcons | 2008 | 3 | 35 | 98 | Falcons | California | |
| Tyvon Branch | Raiders | 2008 | 4 | 1 | 100 | Raiders | Connecticut | |
| Dashon Goldson | 49ers | 2007 | 4 | 27 | 126 | 49ers | Washington | |
| Brandon Carr | Chiefs | 2008 | 5 | 5 | 140 | Chiefs | Grand Valley State | |
| Cortland Finnegan | Titans | 2006 | 7 | 7 | 215 | Titans | Samford | |
| Dimitri Patterson | Browns | 2005 | Tuskegee | |||||
| Brent Grimes | Falcons | 2006 | Shippensburg | |||||
| K | Josh Scobee | Jaguars | 2004 | 5 | 5 | 137 | Jaguars | Louisiana Tech |
| Phil Dawson | Browns | 1998 | Texas | |||||
| Jay Feely | Cardinals | 1999 | Michigan | |||||
| Matt Prater | Broncos | 2006 | Central Florida | |||||
| P | Mat McBriar | Cowboys | 2003 | Hawaii | ||||
| Steve Weatherford | Giants | 2006 | Illinois | |||||
