The most overpaid & underpaid players at every NFL position

The 49ers could afford to be big spenders during the offseason while employing seventh-round pick Purdy as their starter under center. Entering his second NFL season, Purdy is set to make less than $900,000 this season and won't make more than $1.1 million through the 2025 season. It's quite a luxury that should allow San Francisco to continue building around him.

Denver is hopeful Sean Payton can fix Wilson after the disaster that was last season. His cap hit is tied for the sixth highest at the position ($22 million), but Wilson went 4-11 as a starter with a poor 36.7 QBR last season.

A seventh-round pick last year, Pacheco emerged as the starting running back for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. He's set to make less than $900,000 this season and looking to capitalize on a season in which he finished with 960 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.

Patterson earned a contract extension after his breakout 2021 season but saw his production fall last year, particularly in the passing game. At age 32, he will count $5.5 million against the cap this year, but his role could decline further after the Falcons drafted Bijan Robinson.

St. Brown appears to be the steal of the 2021 draft as a fourth-round pick, now with 2,000 yards receiving over the last two years. He will count just over $1.1 million against the cap in 2023.

Thomas is no longer the highest-paid wideout in the NFL, but his cap hit of over $14 million in 2023 still puts him in the top 10. He's been unable to stay healthy over the last three seasons, including only three games played last year.

Tennessee was thrilled with what they saw from Okonkwo in his rookie season. The fourth-round rookie emerged late in the year, finishing with 32 catches for 450 yards and three touchdowns. He will count just under $1 million against the cap this season.

Dissly's contract is a real head-scratcher, as he counts nearly $9.2 million against the cap in 2023 and shares tight-end duties with Noah Fant. His presence in the passing game has been nominal, including only 34 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns in 2023.

Smith was extremely valuable in his rookie season, playing all over the line for the Cowboys. The 2022 first-round pick could serve either at guard or tackle this year, and the versatility by itself makes him a bargain with a cap hit of just over $3 million.

Stanley is capable when he's on the field, but the veteran has seen one injury after another over the last three seasons. He played only 11 games last season, but his cap hit remains the fourth highest among all tackles this year at nearly $23.7 million.

Jenkins missed most of his rookie season due to injury but made up for lost time last year with elite play at guard for the Bears. The former second-round pick has a cap hit of nearly $2.3 million in 2023.

Peat is one of the highest-paid guards in the game, drawing a cap hit of nearly $9 million this season. The veteran has missed time in every season of his career and has played a combined 17 games over the last two seasons.

Humphrey's play has been at or near the top of the league since he was drafted in the second round in 2021. He made his first Pro Bowl last season, but his cap hit is approximately $1.5 million in 2023.

Allen has been solid when available, but the Rams center has missed significant time in two of the last three seasons. He played only seven games in 2022, but his cap hit is over $3 million this year.

Rousseau has developed into the player Buffalo hoped for when they spent a first-round pick in 2021. He recorded eight sacks in only 13 games, creating a great pass-rushing tandem early in the season with Von Miller.

Ogbah would like to forget about 2022, playing only nine games due to injury and recorded just one sack. His cap hit heading into this season is over $17 million as he hopes to rebound.

Hamilton saw a nice uptick in snaps and production for the Jaguars season, finishing with 46 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The fourth-year player has become a force, but his cap hit remains less than $3.9 million this season.

Denver paid Jones like an elite defensive tackle when he was brought over from the 49ers last year, but the early returns aren't great. He had only 34 tackles and two sacks in 15 games, and his cap hit is nearly $13 million in 2023.

Parson's payday will come soon enough, but until then, he will remain one of the most underpaid players in the NFL as an elite pass rusher. He's been an All-Pro in both of his NFL seasons, totaling 26.5 sacks. Parsons' cap hit is less than $4.7 million this season.

Gregory struggled in his first season away from Dallas, with only two sacks in six games while missing most of the year due to injury. His cap hit is over $16 million this season, 13th highest among edge rushers.

Bolton was one of the heroes of the Super Bowl for the Chiefs as well as a team captain throughout the season. He recorded 180 tackles and two sacks during the regular season. As Bolton enters his third year, the former second-round pick has a cap hit of less than $1.6 million.

The run defense and inside linebacker have been a problem for the Chargers recently, and Murray's struggles are part of the reason. The former first-round pick could lose snaps to Eric Kendricks this season, but his cap hit is over $4.1 million this season.

Woolen was a revelation for the Seahawks as a rookie from the fifth round, making the Pro Bowl and finishing third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. He led the league with six interceptions, coming into his own at corner. Woolen's cap hit is still less than $1 million in 2023.

The Chargers made Jackson one of the highest-paid defensive backs in the NFL last year, but the first year was a nightmare. He played only five games due to multiple injuries. Jackson's cap hit is $17 million this season.

Baltimore's top pick in the 2022 draft, Hamilton was terrific in his rookie campaign as the top safety in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. His cap hit is just under $3.7 million this season.

If Adams didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all with one injury after another recently. He played only one game last season, and is looking to rebound in 2023. His cap hit is over $18 million, third highest among safeties.