Quick Links: Defensive Linemen | Linebackers
Here's the thing about the NFL offseason. There really isn't one.
No sooner does the confetti stop falling at the end of the Super Bowl than teams slam shut the book on the season that was and look ahead to the campaign that will be. 2026 is no different. The NFL Scouting Combine has already come and gone. The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh will be here before you know it. But in between comes one of the most important portions of the offseason calendar.
Free agency—where NFL teams fight over available players like shoppers at a Walmart on Black Friday.
OK, so maybe it's not that bad. But things get pretty wild for a while.
Starting with Monday's "legal tampering" period (the dumbest name for a thing ever), over the next couple of weeks, dozens of players will change teams (or re-up with their old ones). Hundreds of millions of dollars in guaranteed money will be given out. Many NFL teams will be reshaped significantly. We're already seeing it, with players getting released and traded left and right.
And one of the biggest trades involved a defensive back.
Granted, the trade that sent cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams had a far bigger NFL impact than an IDP one. But the moving and shaking on the back end of the defense could still have a substantial fantasy impact.
A move to a new team that means a full-time role near the line of scrimmage can give a defensive back's value a sizable boost. Conversely, get stuck as a deep safety (or left out of this really expensive game of musical chairs altogether), and it can be no bueno.
With that in mind, after examining this year's free agent class on the defensive line and at linebacker, it's time to preview the top free agents of 2026 at defensive back.
S Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts
Cross was rock-solid for IDP managers once again in 2026—after logging 146 tackles in 2024, Cross backed those numbers up with 120 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a second consecutive second-place finish in fantasy points in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring. Now, the 24-year-old heads into free agency for the first time.
Cross has his limitations—his passer rating against over the last two years has been over 100. But he is only just entering the prime of his career and is a beast in run support. The Colts have expressed interest in bringing Cross back, but if another team outbids Indy, it's a safe bet that it will be to employ him in a role similar to last year. Provided that's true, he's a top-five fantasy defensive back in 2026.
Projected Landing Spot: Indianapolis Colts
S Kam Curl, Los Angeles Rams
Curl was the highest-scoring defensive back in fantasy football last year, propelled to those heights by a career-high 122 total tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions. As well as Curl played last year, though, he's likely headed elsewhere—the Rams gave fellow safety Quentin Lake almost $13 million a season last year, and the team is also staring at a massive extension for Trent McDuffie.
Curl is a talented and well-rounded defensive back—he's solid in run support and logged the second-best passer rating against of his six-year NFL career in 2026. There will be no shortage of demand for the 26-year-old's services, and he should remain a full-time player and in the IDP DB1 conversation regardless of the next helmet he puts on.
Projected Landing Spot: Minnesota Vikings
S Jaquan Brisker, Chicago Bears
Brisker burst onto the IDP scene as a rookie in 2022, topping 100 total tackles, adding four sacks, and finishing ninth in fantasy points among safeties. The 26-year-old hasn't been able to replicate that statistical success, but his numbers in 2025 were respectable: 93 total tackles, a sack, and an interception.
Brisker's numbers weren't jaw-dropping last year, but he's in the prime of his career, can play both safety spots, and just started 17 games for a playoff team. He could see well over $10 million a season on his next deal, which will likely come somewhere besides Chicago. His IDP value will be largely reliant on how close to the line of scrimmage his new team wants to deploy him.
Projected Landing Spot: Philadelphia Eagles
