3 Bengals players make list of top 2025 NFL Free Agents

Pro Football Focus just released their top 50 rankings of 2025 free agents. Three Cincinnati Bengals made the list. 

More often than not, most of the names on lists such as this one, especially near the top, will not reach free agency. Teams bend over backward to retain their best players before they have a chance to hit free agency.

However, that's not always the case. In fact, there's a real chance that none of the three Bengals players included on this list will be back with the team next season. 

Tee Higgins, Wide receiver

We all knew Tee Higgins would be high on any 2025 NFL free agents list. On PFF’s latest rankings, the star receiver comes in at No. 2 behind Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. 

Of Tee Higgins, the PFF team writes: 

"The fourth-ranked player on PFF’s Free Agency Rankings last season, Higgins figures to be one of the most sought-after players on the market again in 2025. He missed the first two weeks of the 2024 campaign but is on course to maintain his streak of never finishing a season with a receiving grade below 70.0”

The writing for Higgins’ fate with the organization has been on the wall for over two years. Ever since the team used the franchise tag on Jessie Bates, we knew that David Mulugheta, the agent of both players, was not overly enthusiastic about negotiating with the Bengals. 

With the Bengals off to a 2-4 start to the 2024 season, if the team loses a few more games before the trade deadline, calls to trade Higgins will grow louder outside of the Queen City. For those of us who are used to how management does things, we know they will not make such a move. 

No matter how this season plays out for the club, the only question around Higgins left to ask is where he will sign in 2025. We know it will not be with the Bengals.

Mike Hilton, Cornerback

The next Bengals player to make the list is Mike Hilton. The nickel cornerback is ranked 24th overall. PFF had this to say about Hilton:

“One of the best slot defenders in the NFL of the past decade, Hilton, like most of the Bengals defense, has struggled early in 2024. He turns 31 right as free agency opens in 2025, but with PFF coverage grades above 70.0 in five of the past seven seasons, he should still receive plenty of interest.”

Hilton has been an excellent and pivotal addition to the roster since arriving in Cincinnati from the Steelers in 2021. Hilton is a vocal leader who recently called out his defense, saying they are not playing up to par. However, Hilton’s language was much more colorful. 

The Bengals could bring back Hilton next year. However, his age may cause the team to move on. Hilton could also choose to move on of his own volition, depending on how the season plays out and what happens with the defensive coaches in the offseason.

If Hilton does move on next season, the Bengals already have a natural replacement for him on the roster. Dax Hill was a first-rounder based on what he did in the slot while at Michigan. Contrary to the narrative that Hill changed positions when moving from safety to corner, the reality is that he made the move back to corner. 

Mike Hilton is one of the best free-agent acquisitions in Cincinnati’s history. If Cincinnati’s defense can turn around a disappointing start to this season, he could be a big part of why. 

Trent Brown, Offensive tackle

The third and final Bengals player to make PFF’s list is tackle Trent Brown. He lands at 46 in their rankings. A starting-level offensive lineman will be in high demand during the offseason. The only question about Brown is whether he can remain healthy for an entire season. Of Brown, PFF writes: 

“Brown signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati but suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 3. The hulking 6-foot-8 tackle has played fewer than 582 snaps in five of the last six years, making injuries an inextricable part of his story. When on the field, though, Brown has been a solid pass protector: He’s posted a pass-blocking efficiency of 96.0 or better every year.”

The coveted 2024 free-agent acquisition got off to a rocky start with the team. Brown was not healthy enough to fully participate in training camp and the preseason. He made it back just in time to start the season as the starting right tackle, only to be lost for the year in Week 3 to a torn patellar tendon. The Bengals drafted Amarius Mims in the first round of the 2024 draft. They will look to him to hold down the right side of the offensive line this season and beyond. 

The Bengals and Brown could join forces again next season. However, Brown will want to sign somewhere he will have the opportunity to be the starter. That will not likely be in Cincinnati if Mims turns out to be what the team hopes.