One UDFA To Watch From Every Team

By
Logan Ulrich
-

Undrafted free agency is an important part of the team-building process. From a pure numbers perspective, the NFL has to rely on undrafted free agents to compromise somewhere between a quarter and a third of all active players — not even counting practice squads. There were 257 players drafted last month and at least that many, probably more than 300, will be signed as undrafted free agents. 

That makes undrafted free agency a potentially important source of talent. Ninety percent of these players will be cut and wash out of the NFL in a few years. But there will be a couple dozen who stick as key role players, starters or perhaps even a star or two. 

For a few years now, we’ve taken a look at each team’s undrafted free agency class to try and pinpoint prospects with the best chance to stick and make an impact. We’ve gotten pretty solid at it. Obviously there’s a high error rate with undrafted free agents but each year we’ve been able to hit on several of the notable players who end up beating the odds. 

This year might be a little unique because the feedback from the NFL has indicated this is a much shallower draft class than usual. The amount of junior declares was less than half what it’s been in previous years, and the combination of NIL and remaining pandemic eligibility kept some other players in school. As a result, this is a thinner group to try and find contributors. Still, there will always be players who surprise and beat the odds.

It’s also worth noting that as of publication, only about a dozen teams had finalized their first wave of UDFA signings, so some signings highlighted here could fall through. 

Here’s the 2024 version of our UDFA watchlist, along with some helpful links for research. 

49ers: Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai

Honorable Mention: Michigan C Drake Nugent

Back before the draft, we pegged Mordecai as one of the most underrated quarterbacks in this draft class and one of the players we liked most to overperform expectations. That remains the case. The moment the NFL draft ended, the first reported UDFA signing was Mordecai to San Francisco. As in all facets of the NFL, there’s more of a premium in undrafted free agency to get quarterbacks, but the level of interest is still notable. 

Mordecai started his career at Oklahoma before transferring to SMU, putting up big numbers, then finishing out his final year of eligibility at Wisconsin. He did not have the same statistical success with the Badgers unfortunately but he did acquit himself relatively well against the jump in competition. At 24 years old, he has nearly 1,300 career passing attempts in 46 games, which is a level of experience that has been beneficial for other unheralded quarterbacks who have outplayed their draft position. Mordecai’s arm strength does not stand out but he’s a loose athlete who can scoot. He racked up over 300 yards rushing and four touchdowns for Wisconsin last year, then ran a 4.53-second 40 at Wisconsin’s pro day this spring. 

The 49ers have Brock Purdy, Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen in the top three spots on the depth chart. Reps for Mordecai won’t be plentiful but he does have a chance to secure a spot on the practice squad, and maybe more. Purdy ahead of him is evidence of what’s possible for someone in his position. 

Nugent is the other player worth mentioning. I’ve highlighted an offensive lineman each of the past two seasons for the 49ers, and they’ve largely failed to make much of an impact. Still, the team has shown a willingness to embrace linemen with modest backgrounds who fit HC Kyle Shanahan’s scheme-specific needs. Nugent isn’t the biggest center but he’s quick and smart, two attributes the 49ers prize in their centers. Nugent started two seasons at Stanford and one at Michigan, winning the national title last year, and he ran the short shuttle in 4.5 seconds, which is a great time for an offensive lineman and something Shanahan highlighted as appealing. 

Bears: Illinois DT Keith Randolph

HM: UBC OT Theo Benedet

Randolph had generally draftable grades from most outlets. He had a sixth-round grade from Brugler and ranked 210th on the consensus board, 208th on ESPN’s ranking. Ultimately his lack of a standout trait pushed him out of the draft entirely, as did an underwhelming final season at Illinois. 

However, he’s got an NFL body at 6-3 and 300 pounds, and Brugler projecting him as a solid “dirty work” player. What also works in Randolph’s favor is the Bears’ current depth chart at defensive tackle. Andrew Billings is locked in at nose tackle and Chicago used Day 2 picks on Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens last year. After that the depth chart is fairly wide open with only journeymen veterans Byron Cowart and Michael Dwumfour. Randolph has a path to an active roster spot as a rookie and an inside track to a practice squad berth. 

Benedet has a higher ceiling than Randolph but a much longer path to get there. The jump in competition from the University of British Columbia to the NFL is going to be steep. While Benedet put himself on the radar by testing well alongside teammate and Lions fourth-round OT Giovanni Manu, he’s an interesting projection. His arms are shorter than the threshold teams usually have for offensive tackles, and at 6-7 and under 300 pounds he’s got less sand in his pants than a team might want in a guard, depending on the system. Teams that prioritize athletic guards who can get out in space will have Benedet graded higher. We’ll see if that’s a fit for the Bears. 

Bengals: Indiana LB Aaron Casey

The new kickoff rules are going to be groundbreaking for how teams construct their special teams units. Former Patriots HC and special teams savant Bill Belichick thinks teams will put more of a premium on size over speed on special teams units, which opens up an avenue for linebacker body types to be prioritized over defensive back and receiver body types. 

The Bengals had just six linebackers on the roster before the end of the draft and there’s certainly an opening for someone like Casey to crack the back end of the roster or the practice squad. He’s not a dominant athlete but he’s a physical player who comes downhill with a vengeance. Last year, he led the Big 10 with 20 tackles for loss and added 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He’s a hammer of a player with enough athleticism to stick in the NFL. 

Bills: Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr.

Yes, this is NFL legend Frank Gore’s son. The younger Gore unfortunately was not blessed with his father’s athletic gifts, which allowed him to carve out a long career even after major knee injuries. Gore Jr. is 5-7, under 200 pounds and was timed in the high 4.6-range in the 40. But he’s tough like his father and a student of the game. He ran for over 4,000 yards in four seasons at Southern Miss. 

The other factor working in his favor is an open depth chart in Buffalo. James Cook is the starter and the team used a fourth-round pick on Kentucky RB Ray Davis as the presumptive No. 2. Veteran Ty Johnson carved out a role as the No. 3 and a kickoff returner last year but Gore could unseat him if he also makes himself useful on special teams. 

Broncos: Wyoming OT Frank Crum

HM: Memphis RB Blake Watson

Denver gave Crum a $25,000 signing bonus to sign which was among the largest figures of any player in this undrafted class. It’s easy to see why Crum could have generated a bidding war. He ran a sub-5-second 40 time at 6-8 and 313 pounds, and overall tested like an elite athlete. NFL teams are always desperate for competent tackles, let alone ones with rare traits like Crum, so it’s a little curious he went undrafted.

Obviously he needs some more development, and it’s possible some teams had medical red flags. While Crum started 49 games in college at Wyoming, which is an impressive track record of durability, he missed time in the spring of 2023 with pericarditis and saw five different doctors before being cleared to play.  

Watson doesn’t play as high a value position and the depth chart ahead of him is a little more crowded. He was held in much higher esteem throughout the pre-draft process, however. Watson checked in at 221 on the consensus big board and was one of ESPN’s top five remaining available players after the draft ended. At 5-9 and 200 pounds, he ran a 4.4 flat at Memphis’ pro day along with 41.5 inches in the vertical and 11-foot-3 in the broad jump. After dominating at Old Dominion, Watson picked up where he left off in his final collegiate season, averaging 6.0 YPC and rushing for 1,152 yards with 14 touchdowns. 

He’s also a skilled pass-catching back, and this is where he could make his mark for the Broncos under HC Sean Payton. Watson caught 53 passes for 480 yards and three scores last season, and another 37 balls the year before that. There’s stiff competition for the third-down role in Denver, with veteran Samaje Perine and last year’s UDFA standout Jaleel McLaughlin ahead of him at the moment. But Watson is more explosive than Perine and more sturdy than McLaughlin, giving him a chance to set himself apart. 

Browns: Miami G Javion Cohen

Cohen was one of the highest-ranked players on the consensus board to be left without a team once the draft ended, slotting in at No. 169. He started two years at Alabama before transferring to Miami and starting a third, earning second-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-ACC in those last two years. Cohen is a wide body at 6-4 and 322 pounds. However, he’s more powerful than nimble and that combined with a lack of positional flexibility may have hurt him during the pre-draft process. 

He took an official 30 visit with the Browns which likely helped give Cleveland an edge in securing his commitment. The other edge is how well Cohen fits the Browns’ offense. While Browns HC Kevin Stefanski has a background in the wide zone rushing offense — the ubiquitous Shanahan tree — Cleveland runs a diverse menu of run concepts compared to a lot of other teams and have particularly leaned into gap runs over the past few seasons. While some of those runs, like Counter, require guards to be able to pull, overall there’s more of a premium placed on power over athleticism compared to zone schemes, which still dominate the league right now. 

Buccaneers: Appalachian State CB Tyrek Funderburk

HM: Florida State LB Kalen DeLoach

Funderburk doesn’t have standout size but at 5-11 and 186 pounds, he’s big enough to play outside cornerback. He ran a 4.39-second 40 and was good enough in the other athletic testing drills. The most impressive part of his profile is his ball production. In the past two years at Richmond and Appalachian State, Funderburk has 26 pass deflections and eight interceptions. 

While the Buccaneers drafted DB Tykee Smith in the third round, he figures to be a safety or nickel defender which will be a crowded competition. The Buccaneers skipped drafting an outside cornerback and for now will have Zyon McCollum compete with Bryce Hall. That leaves an opportunity for a player like Funderburk to make a great first impression. 

DeLoach is the more notable player as a three-year starter from a major school. He also has a good opportunity to earn a roster spot with a thin linebacker depth chart and a skillset that could excel on special teams. He ran a 4.47-second 40 at the Combine. However, at 5-11 and 215 pounds, he’s too small to be a full-time linebacker even as the NFL’s size standards for that position have shrunk. 

Cardinals: Colorado WR Xavier Weaver

Arizona had just three undrafted free agents signed to the roster and one of them was a long snapper. So there’s not much competition here for standouts. Weaver has a slim build at 6-0 and under 180 pounds while not compensating as much in the speed department as you’d like. He ran a 4.47-second 40, which is fast but not blinding. Weaver can play, though, leading South Florida in receiving for two years before transferring to Colorado last year and doing the same. He’s a good route runner and competitive at the catch point. 

Chargers: Florida State S Akeem Dent

The Chargers have an opening for a depth role at safety and nickel defender and Dent is a player to watch among the plethora of UDFAs and Day 3 picks Los Angeles brought in to compete in the secondary. He started 40 games in 54 appearances across five years at Florida State in a variety of roles from safety to cornerback to nickel. He has good size at nearly 6-0 and 203 pounds and is a plus athlete, running the 40 in 4.45 seconds and blazing a 6.78-second three-cone drill. 

Dent is great when he can come forward, less so when he has to go backward as evidenced by his one career interception. Still, he has the type of skillset that leads to success on special teams and a role as a backup eventually. 

Chiefs: Penn State LB Curtis Jacobs

Jacobs was one of the highest-rated players available per the consensus board. ESPN rated him as a fringe top-100 player and Brugler had a fifth-round grade on Jacobs. He was a former five-star recruit at Penn State who never quite lived up to his billing. Per Brugler, his lack of physicality and ability to get off blocks was a red flag on tape. However, he’s an outstanding athlete. Finding linebackers who are 240+ pounds that can run as well as Jacobs does is a tough task. 

Half of the off-ball linebackers who were on the Chiefs’ roster before the draft were former undrafted free agents, including a shoutout from last year’s column Cam Jones. Kansas City signed three more after the draft to compete for a spot, and Jacobs’ athleticism plus pedigree could help him stand out. 

Colts: BYU QB Kedon Slovis

Right now the Colts have a three-way battle set up between Slovis, Kansas UDFA QB Jason Bean and incumbent third-string QB Sam Ehlinger. The favorite for the No. 3 quarterback job should be Ehlinger given his experience but one of the rookies will have a chance to unseat him or grab a practice squad berth. Slovis feels like the one with the best odds. 

While he was never able to replicate the heights he hit during his freshman season at USC, Slovis brings a lot of experience to the table across his six college seasons at three schools, including the last two years at Pittsburgh and BYU. He has solid size for the position and great athleticism, notching a 4.55-second 40 time. His arm strength and accuracy are adequate, though his completion percentage fell in all six of his seasons. injuries have also been a nagging issue. 

Slovis’ fatal flaw is how pressure causes his game to crumble, and it’s why he projects as a backup at best in the NFL who only needs to keep a team afloat for a game or two. Still, he has the tools, experience and mental makeup to stick, whether it’s in Indianapolis or somewhere else. 

Commanders: Colorado State CB Chigozie Anusiem

HM: Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman, Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens

Anusiem wasn’t in the consensus top 300 but there was still some surprise when he wasn’t drafted. He had an active pre-draft process with multiple visits and he aced his athletic testing. At 6-1 and 200 pounds with over 32-inch arms, Anusiem ran a 4.39-second 40, showing great recovery speed. 

The agility drills were a little less stellar. Anusiem also had just one interception in six years of college football. There’s a lot of competition for spots in Washington’s cornerback room right now but Anusiem has a very moldable skill set that should appeal to HC Dan Quinn. 

Hartman was the biggest name of the undrafted class for the Commanders and he got a salary guarantee that indicates the team is optimistic about his chances of earning at least a practice squad spot and perhaps developing into a long-term No. 3 or backup. There’s an opening for that — he’ll be competing against Jeff Driskel and Jake Fromm for the No. 3 job and No. 2 QB Marcus Mariota is only under contract for one season. 

Owens is another athletic standout who I’m sure stood out for Quinn, even with as much depth as the team already has at safety. There are 21 defensive backs on the roster but none of them can match Owens’ 12-foot-2 broad jump which is second-best in Combine history. The 6-2, 216-pounder was unfortunately only able to do the jumps at the Combine, and he enters the NFL in need of a lot of development to be a viable player on defense. He has skills that can’t be taught, though, making him an interesting lottery ticket as an undrafted free agent. 

Cowboys: Minnesota TE Brevyn Spann-Ford

Dallas has a pattern of snaring an undrafted tight end as a project to round out the depth of their room. Spann-Ford will be competing against Peyton Hendershot and Princeton Fant for this role, and the most likely best-case scenario is beating Fant for a practice squad spot. Spann-Ford has some intriguing tools as a budding blocker and powerful receiver that could warrant a longer look. He’s 6-6 and 260 pounds, prototypical size for an in-line tight end. Having said that, this does not look like as strong of an UDFA class on paper as I’ve been accustomed to seeing from the Cowboys. 

Dolphins

I really struggled to highlight just one player from Miami’s undrafted class, which could turn out to be a good thing as the Dolphins look to replenish all the talent they lost this offseason. They could really use multiple contributors and I think they have a great shot at that. Here are the players who caught my eye: 

  • Dominican Republic OL Bayron Matos: A former basketball player out of USF who hails from the Dominican Republic and only participated in some spring football practices in college, Matos will receive the international exemption which will help him stick on Miami’s practice squad. He’s a multi-year project but at 6-7, 313 pounds, 35-inch arms and a 4.9-second 40 time, he has outstanding upside. 
  • UCLA OLB Grayson Murphy: His twin brother will appear further down this column with the Vikings. Grayson was more lightly regarded than his brother who was viewed as a potential early Day 3 selection. However, he tested faster. He measured at 6-2, 250 pounds with 30-inch arms and ran a 4.63-second 40, 4.56-second short shuttle and 7.1-second three-cone. There are some similarities to departed OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, who also was a bit of a tweener between a linebacker and edge rusher. 
  • TCU S Mark Perry: Shredding his pro day wasn’t enough to overcome not being invited to the Combine, and Perry ended up undrafted. Still, Perry has cornerback-level speed and good enough athleticism to make a mark in Miami. Outside of Jevon Holland and soon-to-be-34-year-old Jordan Poyer, the Dolphins’ safety room is wide open. 
  • Rhode Island S Jordan Colbert: He’s an even better athlete in the view of RAS, which does put a premium on being bigger while still putting up strong testing numbers. Colbert checks in at 6-2 and 215 pounds. His long speed isn’t as good as Perry but he’s a far more agile and explosive player. I feel pretty good about the chances of one of these two making the final roster and the chances for Colbert might be even better despite his small school background. 

  • Louisville CB Storm Duck: Obviously Duck belongs on the all-name team for this draft class as a whole. He has a chance to at least earn a practice squad spot for the Dolphins, however. Duck has NFL size and athleticism at over 6-0 tall with 4.4 speed. He’s had productive years when healthy, so the medicals might be the biggest red flag on his profile. 

Eagles: Baylor DT Gabe Hall

Signing Hall won’t do anything to quell the talk that Eagles GM Howie Roseman panders to the draft media. Hall had a fourth-round grade from Brugler, was the No. 2 available player post-draft per ESPN and ranked No. 180 on the consensus big board. Brugler noted he was more of a flash player than a consistent presence for Baylor, which could explain why he slipped out of the draft. 

Hall cuts an impressive figure getting off the bus at 6-6, 290 pounds and with a seven-foot wingspan. He played three-technique for Baylor and could play either three or five-tech for the Eagles. Philadelphia’s starters are set with Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Milton Williams, but the rotational spots behind them remain somewhat up for grabs. Hall is one of five players currently slated to battle for two or three roster spots. If he can tap into some consistency, that’s well within reach. 

Falcons: North Dakota State CB Jayden Price

HM: Mid-American Nazarene CB Anthony Sao

In recent years, the Falcons have been a team to watch for unheralded UDFAs with unique backgrounds making an impact. Two years ago, former college lacross superstar Jared Bernhardt cracked the roster as an undrafted free agent and last year we highlighted Oklahoma Baptist alum Keilahn Harris, who had a stint on the practice squad during the season and followed former HC Arthur Smith to the Steelers. 

This year, the Falcons passed on taking a cornerback in the draft, one of the ramifications of using the No. 8 pick on QB Michael Penix Jr. Instead they added three undrafted free agents to the collection of dart throws they have at the position outside of top corner AJ Terrell. Once again they’re leaning hard on small-school options, with Price, Sao and Minnesota State-Mankato’s Trey Vaval. 

Sao has the most interesting background coming from the NAIA level. He has good size for the position at 6-0 and nearly 200 pounds, with good explosion numbers from his testing even if his 40 was a little slow at 4.58. He picked off four passes and knocked down 12 others in 2022, with injuries limiting him in 2023. 

Price is my favorite bet to make the roster, however. He’s not as sturdy as Sao but he’s a better athlete, running a 4.45-second 40 at 6-0 and 185 pounds. His vertical was the same, his broad jump was six inches shorter, while his agility testing in the short shuttle (4.07 seconds) and three-cone (6.93 seconds) were outstanding. He started three of the past four years for the Bison at corner and picked off three passes while knocking down 17, but his biggest impact could come as a return specialist. He holds the North Dakota State school record with five punt return touchdowns and averaged 14.4 yards per return for his career. 

Giants: North Dakota State G Jake Kubas

Guaranteed money given to undrafted free agents is an interesting thing to track. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean a lot. Every team has the same signing bonus pool that it has to parcel out to rookies, and any guaranteed base salary contains offsets that leave a team off the hook as long as that player ends up on a practice squad somewhere. 

But for players who we know relatively little about compared to some of the higher-touted draft prospects, guaranteed money can be a relevant bread crumb. The Giants gave Kubas $270,000 guaranteed, $30,000 of which was in a signing bonus. That’s a signal that New York 1) had to beat out other teams for Kubas, and 2) is high on his ability to at least stick around on the practice squad. 

New York didn’t address the offensive line in the draft after throwing a lot of free agency money at the position. Kubas was their most notable rookie addition. He’s a plus athlete as a guard at 6-4 and 308 pounds, though the critiques on his scouting report from NFL.com centered around his play strength. The Giants, like a lot of teams, are in sore need of depth up front, however, which gives him a good chance to stick. 

Jaguars: UTSA WR Joshua Cephus

Cephus left UTSA as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions, notching 313 grabs for 3,639 yards and 28 touchdowns in five years with the Roadrunners. He’s a rangy target at 6-2 and 193 pounds with some interesting body control to compete for the football. The best part of Cephus’ game is at the catch point, but he’s also adept at finding open space and has reliable hands. The weak point of his game is his speed, as he ran a 4.58-second 40 and is not a burner down the field. 

Jacksonville signed five undrafted rookies at receiver to compete for a depth chart that already had eight players and maybe only one or two spots not spoken for. Cephus will face intense competition to even make the practice squad. However, he’s an accomplished wideout with some clearly defined strengths, and that could help him stand out. In time, he could develop into a contributing player for the Jaguars or another team. 

Jets: Miami DT Leonard Taylor

HM: UConn DE Eric Watts, Michigan DE Braiden McGregor, Army LB Jimmy Ciarlo, Miami WR Tyler Harrell

The Jets had one of my two or three favorite undrafted classes in the entire league this year. The conversation has to start with Taylor, however, who was viewed as a potential future first-round pick at this time last year (hey those early 2025 mock drafts don’t get everything right). Taylor was an elite recruit and had double-digit tackles for loss as a sophomore en route to an honorable mention All-ACC honor in 2022. He did not take the next step many envisioned, however, recording just 19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and one sack in 2023 before declaring for the draft. 

Taylor ranked as the No. 117 player on the consensus board but that was likely inflated by the residual from his summer stock. He’s got above-average physical tools but he’s not an elite athlete and certainly not good enough to get by without more attention to his technique and effort. The good news is the Jets are known for helping develop defensive linemen, so he landed in about as good a spot as he could have hoped for. 

That said, it would not be shocking at all to see “the next Bryce Huff” be one of either Watts or McGregor, even though they’re much different players than the short and explosive Huff. Watts has some of the longest arms in this edge rushing class at 35.75 inches, and the nearly 6-6, 275-pound rusher tested like a high-level athlete. His production in college was modest but edge rusher is a position where athletic traits are more important than college production when it comes to projecting professional production. 

McGregor isn’t as freakish as Watts, but he has some plus traits as well. A former top recruit for Michigan who took some time to break into the starting lineup, McGregor measured in at 6-5, 257 pounds at the Combine with 33-inch arms. At his pro day, he ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.63 seconds. He recorded nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks his final season. 

Two other names to know are Ciarlo and Harrell. The bench press does not have a ton of utility in terms of projecting football success but it’s at least notable that Ciarlo did 34 reps. At 6-0, 230 pounds with 4.6 speed and some notable agility times, Ciarlo is a high-end athlete who could carve out a role on special teams. Harrell had six catches over the past two years at Alabama and Miami. But he runs a 4.25-second 40-yard dash and that alone will give him a shot. 

Lions: Illinois WR Isaiah Williams 

HM: Louisville OL Bryan Hudson, Ohio State LB Steele Chambers

A former quarterback, Williams switched to receiver and has been dominant for Illinois the past few years, leading them in receiving yards all three seasons and racking up over 1,000 yards in just 12 games last year. He’s not a burner (4.63-second 40 at the Combine) and he’s not big (5-9 and 182 pounds), so it’s not entirely shocking he went undrafted. He’s twitchy, though, running a 4.11-second short shuttle and 6.75-second three-cone drill. That can be a recipe for success at the receiver position where change of direction ability can be more important than raw speed. 

The Lions did some research into this receiver class but ultimately passed on what was viewed as one of the deepest classes in years. That doesn’t mean there’s not an opening as the back end of the depth chart is unsettled with some spots available. Williams has an opportunity to secure an active roster spot if he can be even a fraction as successful as he was at Illinois. 

Hudson and Chambers are also worth spotlighting. Chambers has the traits to stick as a special teams contributor and eventually work into a backup role on defense. With the long-term uncertainty along the interior of the Lions’ offensive line, including at center, Hudson has a shot to carve out a role. His length is above average for the center position and his agility times are elite, which is a promising indicator the NFL looks for. 

Packers: USF OL Donovan Jennings

HM: Wisconsin LS Peter Bowden

The Packers love to take offensive linemen with a background at tackle and shift them around to various positions up front. Few teams have the track record that Green Bay does at mining offensive line gems from the later rounds and undrafted free agency. Jennings is the latest candidate who fits the cheese mold. He started 45 games at left tackle over six years at USF and tested at a high level for the position. 

Although the Packers took three offensive linemen during the draft, only one projects to the interior, at least at first, and Green Bay entered the draft with just four interior offensive linemen on the roster. Two of them, Royce Newman and Josh Myers, are in contract years, and Newman is probably on the roster bubble if Jennings hits the ground running. 

Bowden was the top-rated long snapper in the draft according to people who are supposed to track that kind of thing. The position has been a sore spot for the Packers for several years now, so Bowden might have one of the best chances of any undrafted rookie around the league at an active roster spot. 

Panthers: Virginia State CB Willie Drew

HM: Oklahoma C Andrew Raym

Cornerback was a major need for the Panthers but so were a lot of other positions. Such is life when you’re 2-15. Carolina had to wait until Day 3 to address the position, leading them to dip back into the undrafted free agency market for Drew. He’ll face a steep jump in competition going from Virginia State to the NFL, but there is a ton to like about Drew, from his length and athleticism — nearly a 6-4 wingspan, a 4.46 40 and a sub-7-second three-cone — to his ridiculous 11 interceptions and 34 pass deflections over the past two seasons. 

Carolina didn’t take a center either and there’s currently not a true center on the roster outside of Raym. Austin Corbett has some experience at the position to lean on as he transitions after playing guard for six years in the NFL. Brady Christensen is another option to get some cross-training at center. But being the only natural center on the roster could help Raym in his bid for a job, even though his lack of athleticism might put a ceiling on him long-term. 

Patriots: Texas LB Jett Bush

Bush wasn’t a full-time player for the Longhorns and he had a career-high five starts this past season. But the former walk-on kept on grinding until he found his way into a role. His stats are modest overall but he found a way to make plays last year, notching 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a pick-six, a fumble recovery and two pass deflections. He also stands out in the minority of linebackers to top the scales over 240 pounds, and he doesn’t sacrifice speed and athleticism either. He feels like a Patriots linebacker, even if it’s just a practice squad berth to start. 

Raiders: North Carolina LB Amari Gainer

Gainer played off the ball at North Carolina and for four years prior at Florida State, however, Las Vegas listed him as a defensive end in the official release announcing their undrafted signings. Assuming that’s not a typo or a wires-crossed situation, Gainer will need to put on some weight from the 236 pounds he’s listed at. He’s an impressive athlete, though. Gainer has great length for a linebacker and could sacrifice a little bit of speed and agility with more weight and still have an impressive tool kit for a sub-package rusher. 

Rams: LSU LB Omar Speights

The Rams have seven off-ball linebackers on the roster right now. All but one are former undrafted free agents, so this position is about as wide open as it gets for an NFL team. Even if Los Angeles keeps just three or four players here, which is quite possible, Speights has a chance to be one of those. He doesn’t have great size at 6-1 and 225 pounds but he ran a solid 40, hit 30 reps in the bench press and notched above-average agility times. Speights has five years of serious reps under his belt, including four at Oregon State and last year at LSU, though 2023 was short on impact plays which were in much greater supply earlier on in his career. 

Ravens: Maryland S Beau Brade

HM: Tulsa OT Darrell Simpson

Baltimore had one of the longest streaks in the league of having an undrafted free agent make the final roster until it was snapped a couple of seasons ago. They’re trying to build a new one. Brade was widely viewed as a draftable player with a borderline fourth-round grade from Brugler and slotting in at No. 143 on the consensus big board. He might have been a victim of a deep safety class and average athletic testing. Brade has a reputation as a smart player, however, and there’s a real opening on the depth chart at safety this year for the Ravens after losing some players in free agency the past couple of years. 

Simpson is a gargantuan tackle prospect and the Ravens are more open than some teams to those types of players who lack foot speed but are just wide bodies to get around. Simpson is 6-6, nearly 340 pounds and has over 35-inch arms. Tackle is a long-term question mark in Baltimore and Simpson should be able to secure at least a practice squad berth if he’s locked in. 

Saints: Yale WR Mason Tipton

HM: Arkansas DE Trajan Jeffcoat, TCU S Millard Bradford, Colorado State TE Dallin Holker

On paper, the Saints have a notable UDFA class with several potential contributors. Holker was top-200 in the consensus big board after a productive final season as a receiver and gives the Saints a developmental option at receiving tight end. Jeffcoat fits the prototype the Saints covet in terms of size, strength and athleticism, and he has some notable production in the SEC. Bradford has some notable athleticism and the depth chart at safety is relatively wide open. 

However, Tipton is the guy I have my eyes on because he brings a facet to the receiving corps that the Saints lack right now. He’s a shifty route runner who’s blazing fast. At 5-9 and 180 pounds, Tipton ran a 4.33-second 40 with an eye-catching 1.46-second 10-yard split. There’s an opening for that kind of player in the slot for the Saints’ offense and Tipton is really the best candidate to fill that. 

Seahawks: South Dakota State OT Garret Greenfield

HM: Houston DL Nelson Ceasar, Wyoming LB Easton Gibbs, Fresno State CB Carlton Johnson

Another notable UDFA class, the headliner here is Ceasar. He checked in at No. 171 on the consensus big board and was expected to be drafted. However, his athletic testing during the process did him no favors. RAS does not have a complete card on him due to his split between the Combine and pro day, but if you punch in all his numbers, he grades as a well-below-average athlete, which is not good for a pass rusher. He still the length and technical promise to stick around on the practice squad. 

Ceasar might be the biggest name but Greenfield is my favorite prospect in this bunch. He started four years at South Dakota State, then excelled at the Combine, with a 38.5-inch vertical jump that was a new record for offensive linemen. His athleticism shows up on tape and he has NFL-level tools. He just needs some developmental time, which isn’t ideal for a player turning 25 in September. His upside might be capped to a swing tackle, which is still a home-run outcome for an undrafted free agent. 

Gibbs didn’t blow away his athletic testing either but Seattle’s depth at linebacker is thin and Gibbs has an opportunity to stand out on special teams and earn a role. Johnson is diminutive at 5-10 and 175 pounds but he ran a 4.28-second 40 and was a playmaker at Fresno State. He could challenge for a role as the nickel and on special teams. 

Steelers: West Virginia CB Beanie Bishop 

HM: UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee, Charlotte DE Julius Welschof

Bishop is bean-sized which is why he fell out of the draft. But he packs a punch. The 5-9, 180-pounder ran a sub-4.4 40, hit 10 feet in the broad jump and had good agility times with 4.15 in the short shuttle and 7.05 seconds in the three cone. Bishop led college football last year with 24 (!) pass deflections and picked off four passes as well. 

It’s easy to get over your skis projecting rookies to the NFL, as it’s a hard transition for every player no matter which round they’re drafted in. If the Steelers were really high on Bishop, they probably would have drafted him. That said, Bishop’s skillset is perfect for nickel corner duties and that’s a glaring need for the Steelers. I can see a viable path to him not just making the roster, but potentially even starting for the Steelers this year. At worst, he should a good shot at a practice squad berth. 

Welschoff has an international exemption, so he won’t count for a practice squad spot. The German-born Welschoff has fascinating athletic traits, and the exemption will give him additional time to develop. 

I’m not sure how Plumlee fits in the NFL. I don’t think it’s at quarterback. He might get some Taysom Hill comparisons, but Hill is a much sturdier athlete. That said, Plumlee has been a fun watch with the ball in his hands over the past few years of college football, and he has over 2,500 yards on the ground. I’m fascinated to see how his transition to the NFL goes, even if it’s just a prelude to an appearance in another league. 

Texans: Virginia Tech DT Pheldarius Payne

The Texans rebuilt almost their whole defensive tackle room from scratch this offseason. Payne might be the last guy on the rebuilt depth chart — for now. In HC DeMeco Ryans’ attacking defense that will likely aim to feature a strong rotation to keep everyone on the defensive line fresh, Payne has a perfect skillset as a pass-rushing three-technique to thrive in a specific role. He’s undersized at 6-2 and 286 pounds but his pass rush efficiency was second-best in the nation, per PFF, and he had a strong pass rush win rate in his 2020 season at Nebraska as well. 

Impressively, Payne’s breakout season came a year after tearing his Achilles. He wasn’t able to do all of the athletic testing this spring but the numbers he did put up were promising, including 4.86 seconds in the 40. He absolutely has a chance to make some noise for the Texans. 

Titans: Washington RB Dillon Johnson

HM: Texas Tech G Cole Spencer

It’s not much of a surprise why Johnson went undrafted. Although he was No. 202 on the consensus big board and rushed for nearly 1,200 yards for the national runner-up Huskies, any skill player who runs slower than 4.6 seconds is going to take a major hit to their draft stock, tight ends excluded. Johnson’s 4.68-second 40 was a critical blow to his hopes of being drafted. 

That said, Johnson was one of my favorite backs in this class because of his physicality and versatility. He has one of the most established track records as a pass catcher in this class with 173 career receptions for over 1,000 yards. Johnson runs hard with good vision and is cast iron-tough. During the national championship, he was playing through a fractured bone in his right foot, a high left ankle sprain and a ruptured bursa sac in his left knee. Johnson can absolutely earn the No. 3 running back job for the Titans. 

Spencer had a 9.44 RAS out of a possible 10 thanks to a 4.9-second 40, 30 bench press reps, 30.5-inch vertical, 9-foot-4 broad jump, 4.71-second short shuttle and 7.85-second three-cone drill. Tennessee’s offensive line depth remains thin so Spencer is another candidate to watch to win a spot. 

Vikings: UCLA OLB Gabriel Murphy

HM: Air Force LB Bo Richter

Murphy was the highest-rated player to go undrafted per the consensus big board. This is the second year in a row the Vikings have landed the top-rated undrafted player after signing OLB Andre Carter last year and they’ve made it a point to go after pass rushers in undrafted free agency the past two seasons. So far the Vikings haven’t gotten a whole lot for their efforts but patience can be necessary. 

Murphy is a promising prospect, especially as an undrafted free agent. He and his brother are very similar — as you’d expect from twins — and both are in the 6-2, 250-pound range. Murphy ran a little slower than his brother but was more agile and had the overall better RAS score, though both tested well. Murphy was exceptionally productive at UCLA last season with eight sacks and compares well to fellow Vikings pass rusher Van Ginkel. 

Richter isn’t nearly as well-regarded as Murphy but he was the second-best athlete among the undrafted free agent class, per RAS. At 6-0 and a couple of burgers shy of 250 pounds, Richter steamed a 4.56-second 40 and jumped 40 inches in the vertical, 10-foot-4 in the broad. Brugler’s scouting report describes him as a downhill player and a potential liability in coverage but that sounds like a perfect profile for a new-age special teams ace on the revamped kickoff formation.

Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?

Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Leave a Reply