The veteran free-agent market has picked back up with the 2025 NFL Draft officially in our rearview mirror. One of the more intriguing players available is experienced EDGE Matthew Judon. Judon remains on the open market after playing for the Atlanta Falcons last season.
Judon is no longer the dominant pass rusher who once recorded 28.0 sacks in a dominant two-year stretch (2021-22), but he's still an effective, experienced defender. The former Grand Valley State standout accumulated 5.5 sacks and 25 pressures for the Falcons in 2024. Judon possesses enough remaining juice to help a team as a rotational pass rusher.
We've identified three ideal fits for Judon during this next wave of free agency.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have been overly reliant on Maxx Crosby for years, and that doesn't appear primed to change in 2025. New general manager John Spytek re-signed Malcolm Koonce to a one-year contract after missing the 2024 campaign with a season-ending knee injury. The Raiders hope Koonce can recapture the 2023 form that allowed him to total a career-high 8.0 sacks.
Every EDGE on the roster besides Crosby is a projection. Tyree Wilson hasn’t met the expectations of a No. 7 overall pick. The Raiders also signed Senior Bowl standout defensive end Jah Joyner in undrafted free agency. Adding Judon would offer the Raiders another veteran solution while players like Wilson and Koonce continue rounding into their best form.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are annual Super Bowl contenders and they're always in the market for extra veteran help. The ageless (34-year-old) Kyle Van Noy is in a contract year after somehow recording a career-high 12.5 sacks last season. Former second-round pick David Ojabo, who never really recovered from a pre-draft training injury, is also in a contract year.
The Ravens have a slew of developmental pass rushers on the roster, such as Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac, and rookie Mike Green, but general manager Eric DeCosta has never shied away from adding competition. Players aren't handed anything in Baltimore.
Judon began his career with the Ravens (2016-20), and one final hurrah with the team that believed in a small-school pass rusher from the D-II ranks would be legendary.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are going with a youth movement at EDGE opposite Nick Bosa this season. Faced with difficulties against the salary cap, general manager John Lynch released veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd earlier this offseason. Floyd was replaced during the draft when the 49ers selected former Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams at No. 11 overall.
Williams is a raw, moldable talent, but there isn't much in-house competition for snaps. The 49ers recently released former third-round pick Drake Jackson after he failed to develop appropriately. Yetur Gross-Matos is currently the top rotational rusher on the roster. Gross-Matos totaled 4.0 sacks and 21 pressures last season. The 49ers also like former UDFA Sam Okuayinonu. Judon would push for a part-time role while allowing returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to bring Williams along a little slower.
