free agency has slowed down given it's April, aka Draft Month. Many of the offseason's top free agency targets have found their 2023 season homes. While the draft is where most teams build their foundation, free agency can be the cherry on top that pushes teams over the finish line into the world of contention.There are several starting caliber defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs looking for new deals and places to make an impact. Below are the top three free agents at each defensive position, leading up to the 2023 . CHI DE #91 There's still a solid starter whose sack totals have him in the company of all-time greats out on the market. , who turned 28 in March, has recorded eight or more sacks in each of his first seven seasons, including 9.5 in 2022, his only season with the .Only four others have done that since individual sacks have been recorded (in 1982): three Hall of Famers (, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White) anddefensive, a future Hall of Famer. If a team needs at least eight sacks and more juice for its pa s rush, Ngakoue should be the first call among all the remaining defensive free agents. Players with 8+ sacks in each of first seven seasons of career (since 1982):PLAYERSEASONSYannick Ngakoue 2016-20222014-2020DeMarcus Ware*2005-2011Derrick Thomas*1989-1995Reggie White*1985-1991 SEA DE #57 comes to play when the lights shine brightest: His 13.5 career playoff sacks are the third-most ever behind three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest (16.0) and Hall of Famer Bruce Smith (14 Jackson Carman Jersey .5). Any contender who wants a proven playoff pa s-rusher should be blowing up Clark's phone. BUF OLB #56 Floyd has racked up 29 sacks and 157 pre sures since 2020 the past three seasons, and he's shown an ability to perform without Aaron Donald. He racked up four sacks and 28 quarterback pre sures in the six games Donald mi sed with injury last season. He's also played in every game since 2018, showing phenomenal health for a player entering his age-31 season. NYG DT #91 With the proliferation of Vic Fangio's two-high safety defense designed to stop the pa s in the NFL, teams more than ever need defensive linemen who can be significant factors against the run. plays the run as well as any defensive lineman in the NFL. The 28-year-old had a torn meniscus that cut his 2022 short, but in the first 11 weeks of the season, he ranked right alongside Aaron Donald and as one of the best run-stopping defensive linemen in the entire league.Most tackles on designed run plays, Weeks 1-11 (2022 season)PlayerTackles on designed rush playsLV 50IND 43CAR 42MIA 41IND DeForest Buckner39LAR A'Shawn Robinson*38LAR Aaron Donald38* Tore meniscus in Week 11 CLE DE Stanley Morgan Jersey #97 was a cap casualty in Seattle after coming over as part of the trade. He's solid in run defense, and even though Harris declined a touch rushing the pa ser last season (two sacks, 28 pre sures) in comparison to 2021 (six sacks, 32 pre sures), he should still bring value as a key cog in a pa s-rushing rotation for a playoff-caliber team. CAR DE #99 The 29-year-old, like Harris, is a nice rotation player. He had his fewest sacks since his rookie season in 2016 with only one in 2022, but Ioannidis was just about as much of a factor in the quarterback pre sures department (35) as ascending, young defensive tackle Derrick Brown (40). CAR LB #40 Jones totaled 44 total tackles, six tackles for lo s, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble while playing in Mike Thomas Jersey the 2022 season's final 11 games. He mi sed the first six games with a shoulder injury. Jones hasn't been the same from a speed perspective since breaking his foot in the 2018 season, but he's still a serviceable depth piece at this stage of his career. Jones, 28, has garnered interest from the , visiting them Monday, according to . Myles Jack MLB Nagging injuries like the groin ailment dealt with in 2022 have hampered the speedster's ability to produce. However, when healthy, he is one of the better athletes at the position and is a solid player in coverage. Jack will be 28 by the time the 2023 season rolls around, and he could be a nice add for a team looking to utilize a rangy linebacker in sub-coverage packages. DAL ILB #32 , a former first-round pick of the in the 2018 NFL Draft, followed his longtime defensive coordinator Dean Pees to Atlanta, and he totaled a career-high 159 tackles. That tied for the sixth most in the entire NFL last season. The player he was tied with, linebacker , signed a three-year, 19.5 million contract in the first wave of free agency with the . Evans, 27 years old, is only nine months older. He hasn't been the star many would have hoped coming out of Alabama, but he's a serviceable player who could fit a number of defenses. LV CB #24 ' 32 career Drew Sample Jersey interceptions are tied for the third most among active players as only and have more (34 each). Peters appeared to be a step slower in 2022 following a torn ACL that cost him his entire 2021 season. There's a chance he could look more like his Pro Bowl-caliber level he has showed for most career the further he gets away from that injury. Only 30 years old, Peters probably has enough gas in the tank to be a nice veteran role player on a contender. BAL CB #23 dealt with knee injuries that caused him to mi s six games, including the final five of the season. However, he'll only be 27 years old entering the 2023 season, and his 51.7% completion percentage against in coverage last season with the 16th best in the NFL among players with 60 or more pa s attempts targeted their direction. There should be a starting opportunity out there for him somewhere, considering he's at least a No. 2-caliber cornerback. BAL CB #28 Darby is in the buy-low, prove-it deal zone, thanks to a torn ACL he suffered five games into the 2022 season. Darby has allowed a solid 69.7 pa ser rating in coverage since 2019 despite not recording an interception in that time If he's healthy, he could be a nice depth addition. HOU SS was one of the best safeties in football in 2020, but his play has declined in each season since. The soon-to-be 30-year-old allowed a 102.8 pa ser rating in coverage as the primary defender, the 17th highest in the NFL among defensive backs to play in at least 10 games. He can still provide value in the run game, evidenced by a career-high 102 tackles in 2022, but his coverage has been sliding in the wrong direction for a couple seasons. CLE FS #26 is 33 years old, an age in which no one is lining up to give a defensive back a significant, long-term commitment. However, McLeod showed he still has plenty left to contribute on the gridiron with career highs in pa ses defended (eight) and tackles for lo s (eight). Only (11) had more pa ses defended in the Colts secondary in 2022. Jake Browning Jersey CLE SS #37 had a nice season at 31 years old, becoming a surprise starter after the release of former first-round pick . A couple interceptions and five pa ses defended is solid work. Although, now entering his age-32 season, Harmon isn't as consistent in coverage as he once was during the ' Super Bowl runs in the 2010s. He probably has more value to the or the Patriots considering his ability to thrive in a "Patriots Way" type of environment.