Chicago Bears: 5 best free agent defensive linemen in 2023

2. Marcus Davenport, Edge Defender, New Orleans Saints

Marcus Davenport hasn’t quite lived up to the 2 first round picks the Saints gave up to get him but has been a very solid player nonetheless.

His ability to crash the edge in the run game would raise the floor of one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.

He isn’t the flashy bendy speed rusher that most teams covet. However, he gets it done as a power rusher. Davenport is one of the best pocket pushers in the NFL and would plug in seamlessly into Alan Williams’s defense.

Also, don’t let his measly 0.5 sacks this past season scare you away. Sacks are generally less stable and harder to predict from year to year.

He has been in the top 15 in true pass rush win rate in the last two years, a much more stable stat. The big question with Davenport throughout his career has been health.

He has never played a full season and only has 1 year in which he played more than 500 snaps. With that being said, it’s hard to say how much teams will value him price wise.

We know the NFL pays for sacks more than they should and are sometimes hesitant to give guys with injury histories big dollars.

Davenport is one of the younger and more ascending players in this FA, which is why I would prioritize him. He doesn’t solve all of their defensive line needs but he can be a consistent presence off the edge moving forward.