Trey Smith was expected to be one of the top free agents of the 2025 class
After Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, the top free agent in the 2025 crop is expected to be Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith — a 25-year-old coming off of a Pro Bowl season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs told Smith on Thursday that they plan on hitting the guard with the franchise tag, which means that the team will own his rights for one more season at the cost of a fully guaranteed $23.4 million payment in 2025.
If you were hoping for the Green Bay Packers to drastically improve their offensive line in free agency, Smith was really the squad’s only opportunity.
Pro Football Talk dropped its initial top 100 free agents of 2025 earlier this week. Between Smith (ranked third overall, behind Higgins and Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold) and Packers center Josh Myers (ranked 27th) are just six offensive linemen:
- #6: Ronnie Stanley, Ravens
- #16: Alaric Jackson, Rams
- #17: Cam Robinson, Vikings
- #18: Drew Dalman, Falcons
- #23: Mekhi Becton, Eagles
- #26: Will Fries, Colts
Even among the players on that list, you can argue that Stanley and Robinson are already showing signs of decline. For perspective, Stanley ranked 37th out of 81 qualifying tackles in the NFL in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus while Robinson finished 53rd in their grading system. Fries also only played four full games last season before breaking his tibia, which required surgery.
Between Smith and the report that Higgins will also be tagged for a second offseason in a row, the top end of the 2025 free agency class is already beginning to be shaved off. Hopefully, some top players will still be available via free agency when the new league year begins on March 12th. Until then, all the Packers can do is sit around and wait for news like the rest of us.