When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, they have not one, not two, but four pending free agents who are set to be in heavy demand around the NFL when free agency opens up: Milton Williams, Zack Baun, Josh Sweat, and Mechi Becton.
Some like Baun, who became an All-Pro during his first-ever season as an inside linebacker under Vic Fangio. Others like Becton for his scheme versatility as a hybrid guard/tackle. And others still like Sweat or Williams, who are both among the best rushers in the NFL at their respective positions, depending on what a potential NFL team could need on their roster.
But which of the four players is the “best” free agent option in this year’s class? Well, in the opinion of NFL Daily host Gregg Rosenthal, the best Eagles free agent and top defensive player in the 2025 NFL free agent class is none other than Williams, the inside-out pass rusher who has never logged 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps as a pro. Why? Well, because he believes Williams was the best defensive player in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl and deserves to be paid accordingly.
“Not re-signing Williams sooner may be the rare Howie Roseman decision he’d like back,” Rosenthal wrote. “It’s hard to ignore Williams’ may have been the best defensive player on the field in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.”
While some may quibble with the decision to place Williams first and suggest he played better than Jalen Carter, fans didn’t have to wait long for the next Eagle to make it on the list, with Baun coming in two spots later at pick number five.
“He and Jalen Carter were the two best players on the best defense in football,” Rosenthal wrote. “Baun’s versatility — he played more than 150 snaps as a defensive lineman and in the slot, in addition to his linebacker duties — unlocked the Eagles’ defense. They gotta keep him!”
And then, three picks later, the Eagles Super Bowl trio was rounded out with Sweat, who has been and will continue to be a starting-caliber edge in 2025, just like he’s been for much of his career.
“Sweat has played like a plus starter for nearly his entire seven-year career with the Eagles,” Rosenthal wrote. “He seems likely to leave after taking a pay cut before the 2024 season.”
Is Rosenthal’s evaluation on the money? Are Philly’s other two players on the list, Becton at spot 52 and Kenneth Gainwell speaking in at spot 96? Frankly, it’s hard to say until the market bares out, but learning that some consider Williams the defensive pride of free agency does make the chances of Philadelphia retaining him rather slim. Why? Because in the modern-day NFL, teams have been increasingly willing to cough up additional resources to get pressure from the interior of the line, which is something Williams has made his calling card as a pro.
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