Dubbed by some as the unofficial eighth round of the draft, undrafted free agency is an important part of team-building. Even on just a practical level, the league doesn’t draft enough players to fill out the roster, so undrafted free agents fill in the cracks.
But more than that, UDFAs can be an important source of talent for savvy teams. Every year, teams mine crucial depth, important role players, a handful of starters and even a star or two from time to time.
For a few years now, we’ve been previewing the UDFA class to try and identify who those gems in the muck could be. We have a decent track record. Of the 40-some players highlighted last year, 30 are still with the same team, 21 made the Week 1 roster and 12 were either key contributors or starters — guys like Dolphins CB Storm Duck, Jets DT Leonard Taylor, Rams LB Omar Speights and Steelers CB Beanie Bishop. Hits in past years include guys like Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Vikings LB Ivan Pace, Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker, Patriots S Brenden Schooler and Jets TE Stone Smartt.
Hopefully the momentum continues. Here’s a look at at least one UDFA from every team who has a chance to stick and make an impact. One caveat: not all the teams have finalized their UDFA signings, so it’s possible a deal that has been reported ends up falling through. There are also some helpful resources linked below.
Resources:
- 2025 Undrafted Free Agent Tracker
- “The Beast” from the Athletic’s Dane Brugler
- Consensus Big Board, from Arif Hasan
- Relative Athletic Scores
- 2025 UDFA Guaranteed Money, from Spotrac
- NFLTR’s 2024 UDFA Watchlist
- NFLTR’s 2023 UDFA Watchlist
49ers: Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner
HM: Nebraska WR Isaiah Neyor
San Francisco has established a weird precedent under HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch when it comes to running backs, a catch-22 that kind of encapsulates the draft experience for the current regime. In the years in which the 49ers draft a back, usually in the third or fourth round, that back is usurped by a late-round or undrafted counterpart.
- Shanahan pounded the table for Joe Williams in the fourth round in 2017. Fellow rookie Matt Breida, an undrafted free agent, beat out Williams for a role and he never appeared in an NFL game. Raheem Mostert also joined the 49ers in 2017.
- The 49ers drafted Trey Sermon in the third round in 2021. Sixth-rounder Elijah Mitchell leapfrogged him on the depth chart as a rookie.
- The following year, the 49ers drafted Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round. They also signed Jordan Mason as an undrafted free agent. You know the drill…
Last year, the 49ers drafted RB Isaac Guerendo in the fourth round and he operated behind Mason for most of the year until the latter got injured. He might have broken the streak, but it’s worth noting the 49ers also signed UDFA RB Cody Schrader who was claimed during final cuts by the Rams and spent the year on Los Angeles’ roster. Given Guerendo’s injury history that continued in his rookie year, it’s quite possible Schrader might have been the latest example.
All of this is to say that it doesn’t necessarily bode well for 49ers fourth-round RB Jordan James, even though he’s a solid prospect in his own right. History says not to sleep on Kiner. He’s not an impressive athlete but he’s a hard-nosed runner who absolutely despises being tackled. Per Brugler, he was fourth among all FBS backs last year in forced missed tackles with 82. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Bearcats and had a draftable grade from Brugler. And honestly, his RAS is not all that different from James.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Neyor, an athletic marvel at 6-4 and 218 pounds who ran a 4.4 flat 40-yard dash. His college career peaked after a 2021 season at Wyoming when he caught 44 passes for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging nearly 20 yards a catch. He turned that into an opportunity at Texas but tore the same ACL twice in two years and played just one game for the Longhorns. In his final year at Nebraska, he caught 34 passes for 455 yards and five scores. There’s a crowded depth chart ahead of him in San Francisco, but his athleticism gives him a chance to stand out and be a core special teamer, with the opportunity to work his way up from there.
Bears: LSU S Major Burns
HM: North Carolina LB Power Echols
Chicago’s UDFA class stands out on the name front. It does not stand out as much in terms of projecting potential impact. Neither player has much of a path outside of special teams, though that’s true for most UDFAs. Echols is the more decorated player, with three years of starting experience and multiple ACC accolades. However he’s lacking in the athleticism department, with just a 2.18 RAS out of 10.
In contrast, Burns is a standout athlete, notching an 8.23 RAS thanks to a 4.52 40 at 6-2 and 207 pounds, plus a 37.5-inch vertical. He battled injuries in his time at LSU but still started 33 games in four years. The depth chart at safety is more crowded than linebacker but Burns has the profile to develop into a legitimate special teamer down the line with some time on the practice squad.
Bengals: Ohio State C Seth McLaughlin
McLaughlin was the top-rated player on ESPN’s draft board when the draft finished, ranking No. 135 overall and as the No. 2 center. Brugler had a borderline third-round grade on him, and he was No. 166 on the consensus big board. By all accounts, he was a draftable player. But a torn Achilles suffered in practice last November that prevented him from working out at all during the process likely knocked him from the middle rounds to undrafted free agency.
The Bengals are poised to reap the benefits with a little patience. Veteran C Ted Karras is 32 and entering a contract year, with 2024 seventh-round C Matt Lee the only other alternative on the roster. The standard rehab timeline for an Achilles injury should have McLaughlin back by training camp, where he has a chance to make a bid for the top backup spot behind Karras.
Some other names worth filing away are Notre Dame DT Howard Cross, Arkansas DT Eric Gregory and BYU OT Caleb Etienne. Cross is the only Notre Dame player the Bengals have added this offseason who played for DC Al Golden last year. He has high-level effort but low-level physical tools. He’ll compete with Gregory who has some potential as an early-down space-eater if he develops. Etienne fits the Bengals’ mold at tackle as a huge body with questionable foot speed.
Bills: Arkansas State C Jacob Bayer
Bayer doesn’t have experience at a big-time college elite athleticism going for him. While his overall RAS of 7.03 is above average, he did not test well in the short shuttle or three-cone drills, both of which measure agility and change of direction skills. Bayer checks the boxes in a big way when it comes to toughness and strength, however. A former elite high school powerlifter, Bayer threw up 32 reps on the bench press this spring. He also returned to the starting lineup for his final collegiate season just five months after surgery to repair a torn ACL. The Bills have two established centers on the roster already, so Bayer’s best bet at first will likely be the practice squad.
Broncos: Jacksonville State G Clay Webb
HM: Utah LB Karene Reid
Webb is the obvious standout in this group. A former five-star recruit at Georgia who never found his way onto the field, he transferred to Jacksonville State (not to be confused with Jackson State, the HBCU Deion Sanders formerly coached at) and became a mainstay in the starting lineup. While it was still Division I in Conference USA, the level of competition was obviously far below what it was at Georgia, which contributed to him falling out of the draft. Another factor was a lawsuit against him for bullying in high school, the details of which are fairly disturbing.
Still, he had draftable grades from most evaluators and tested well during the process with a strong 40 time and jumping results. There’s an opening to a roster spot as a backup interior lineman in Denver and the $225,000 in guarantees he received on his deal is a strong indication that the Broncos both had competition to sign him and that they think the chances are good that he’ll at least earn a practice squad spot.
The other name worth watching as a dark horse to make the roster is Reid. Nearly all the Broncos linebackers have notable injury histories. Dre Greenlaw (Achilles), Alex Singleton (ACL), Drew Sanders (Achilles) and Justin Strnad (wrist) have all had season-ending injuries in the past few years, which puts a little extra premium on the depth behind them. Reid is already 25 years old after going on a Mormon mission and is undersized at 5-11 and 230 pounds, but Brugler highlighted his flashes of speed and four years of reliable production at Utah.
Browns: Tulane DL Adin Huntington
There’s no magic bullet to scouting NFL players but when it comes to defensive linemen, there’s a pretty strong correlation between athleticism and pass rush production. Huntington didn’t get drafted but he did his best during the pre-draft process. At 6-1 and 281 pounds, Huntington ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, turned in outstanding agility times of 4.41 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.46 seconds in the three cone, jumped 38 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-6 in the broad and benched 225 pounds 30 times for good measure. In total, Huntington had a RAS of 9.64, 75th out of over 2,000 defensive tackles in the database.
The worst metric for Huntington is his size, as 6-1 and 280 pounds is on the stubby side for what a lot of NFL teams prefer. His arms are just 32 inches long as well, so he’s not a long player. That will matter less for the Browns and DC Jim Schwartz‘s attacking system, however. Schwartz prizes disruption and Huntington has the tools to become a disruptive player.
Buccaneers: Marshall S J.J. Roberts
HM: Texas C Jake Majors
Tampa Bay put a lot of emphasis on its offensive line in undrafted free agency, handing out $825,000 in guarantees to just three players — Majors, Nebraska C Ben Scott and Georgia State OT Ben Chukwuma. Backup center is a big hole, so both Scott and Majors will have a good shot to win a roster spot. Majors had a draftable grade from Brugler and the consensus board, while Scott is the better athlete. Chukwuma got the highest guarantee of any undrafted player in the league this year, so it seems like the Bucs weren’t the only team high on him.
But Roberts feels like the true name to watch here. He’s not the biggest safety at 5-11 and 192 pounds but he tested like a ludicrous athlete. Roberts ran a 4.41-second 40, including a blazing 1.46-second 10-yard split. He also hit 40.5 inches in the vertical, 10-foot-6 in the broad, 4.11 seconds in the short shuttle and 6.76 seconds in the three cone. As a cherry on top, he hit 20 reps in the bench, which is significantly above his own body weight. He punches above his weight on the field, too, tackling like a safety even if he’s athletic enough to play cornerback. The Bucs’ depth chart at safety isn’t necessarily anything to write home about, so Roberts could crack the roster there or if he makes his mark with his athleticism on special teams.
Cardinals: Ohio State OL Josh Fryar
Arizona signed one of the slimmer UDFA classes in the league for the second year in a row. Of that group, Fryar is the easy standout. He started the last two years for Ohio State at tackle, on the left side in 2023 and on the right in 2024. He tested well, running a 5.07 second 40 at 6-5 and 318 pounds on the way to compiling a 9.2 RAS. As a bonus, Arizona OL coach Justin Frye was Fryar’s position coach the past three years at Ohio Sate as well. Fryar is well-positioned to earn a practice squad spot and compete for swing tackle duties in the next few years.
Chargers: South Carolina RB Raheim Sanders
Sanders was the victim of an exceptionally deep class of running backs this year. In most years, he would have gone in the fifth or sixth round, about where he was slotted in the consensus big board. Instead he was pushed all the way out. It worked out to some degree, however, because the Chargers are a perfect fit for his skillset. Sanders is big and fast, running a 4.46-second 40 at 6-0 and 217 pounds. While he has reliable hands, he’s not great in pass protection and runs upright, limiting his power. He’s at his best in gap schemes that give him a lane to build up to full speed, and that’s exactly the kind of offense the Chargers run. Los Angeles is deep in the backfield but running back is a position that takes a lot of attrition, so Sanders has a good shot to stick around as emergency depth.
Chiefs: Southern Arkansas CB Melvin Smith
HM: Washington State OT Esa Pole
One of the hidden advantages of being a Super Bowl contender is an edge in recruiting undrafted free agents, as the Chiefs have regularly done well in this area. Their group in 2025 is filled with potential standouts like Clemson TE Jake Briningstool, who had a fifth-round grade from Brugler and was No. 184 on the consensus big board. Pittsburgh LB Brandon George (9.98), Oklahoma State OT Dalton Cooper (9.08) and Penn State DT Coziah Izzard (9.71) are RAS standouts who have a chance to develop into role players.
The two names I want to focus on are Smith and Pole, however. Kansas City has a history of plucking quality cornerbacks from the hidden corners of college football. Smith could be the latest. He was a no-star recruit who forced his way onto the field and started four seasons at Southern Arkansas. His production during his final two seasons is staggering, with 35 pass deflections and nine interceptions. He tested like an NFL-level athlete as well, running a 4.39 40 at 5-10 and 190 pounds. He’s on the small side and his arm length is another knock, potentially pushing him inside to the slot. But he’s competitive and flashed at the Senior Bowl. There’s an opportunity for a cornerback to seize a role with the Chiefs, and it could be Smith.
Pole did not start playing football, period, until 2021 when he tried out for Chabot College, a community college in California. His 6-5, 323-pound frame and his basketball background helped make him a fast learner, and he parlayed that opportunity into a starting job at Washington State. Pole is sashimi-raw still but the improvement he showed from Year 1 to Year 2 at Washington State was notable and earned him a draftable grade from Brugler. I don’t think he’ll make the active roster for the Chiefs but a practice squad berth is certainly within reach. If he continues to develop quickly, Pole could become a legitimate player for the Chiefs at some point in the next few years.
Colts: Temple K Maddux Trujillo
Trujillo earns the nod here partially on his own merits, partially because the Colts didn’t land many notable UDFAs with a path to a roster spot. He has a real opportunity to be the Week 1 kicker, however, after Indianapolis cut Matt Gay this offseason. The Colts love 2024 fill-in kicker Spencer Shrader, who made all five of his field goals and all nine of his extra points in 2024 with Indy and the Jets. Trujillo has the bigger leg, though, giving him a potential edge if he can be as consistent as Schrader inside of 50 yards. He made 16 of 22 kicks in his final year at Temple, but two of his makes were from 60 and 64 yards respectively.
Commanders: Florida State CB Fentrell Cypress
Cypress was a four-year starter who earned All-ACC honors twice, once as a second-team nod at Virginia and once as an honorable mention after he transferred to Florida State. He knocked down 29 passes in that stretch but had just one interception, which will be a point of emphasis for Commanders HC Dan Quinn and the defensive staff. Cypress brings some size to the table as a six-foot corner and has plus athleticism, including a 4.43-second 40 and an overall RAS of 8.59. There should be some snaps up for grabs in Washington’s secondary this summer and Cypress has a chance to impress.
Cowboys: Syracuse LB Justin Barron
Any rookie free agent with experience on special teams will have a leg up, and Barron arrives in Dallas with nearly 1,000 snaps of special teams work from college. If the learning curve isn’t too steep, that gives him a clear path toward a Week 1 role for the Cowboys. From there, Barron has a chance to make an impression in a relatively wide open linebacker group. He was a good enough athlete to play safety and big nickel in college, and at nearly 6-4 and 225 pounds, he’s got enough size to play linebacker in the NFL. He checks the boxes for intangibles as well, voted as a team captain in each of his final two seasons and playing nine games with a broken hand in 2023.
Dolphins: Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong
HM: Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers, Auburn LB Eugene Asante
Imagine two Arkansas receivers. One led the SEC last year with 78 catches and 1,140 yards, the other had 28 catches for 545 yards. They played together for two years and in that time the first scored six touchdowns, the second scored five. Player A is 6-4, 204 pounds and runs a 4.5 flat 40, 4.18 short shuttle, 6.85 second three cone and has a RAS of 8.58. Player B is virtually identical in height, weighs 214 pounds and runs a 4.43 40, 4.05 short shuttle and 6.85-second three cone for a RAS of 9.93. Both players hit 37.5 inches in the vertical leap, and Player A is 24 compared to 23 for Player B.
Which player did an NFL team use three third-round picks to select this past draft?
You might have guessed right now that Player B is Lions third-round WR Isaac TeSlaa, who went far higher than his more productive Razorback teammate Armstrong largely because he’s a slightly better athlete. Athleticism is important but I’m still baffled at how the NFL discounted the much more productive Armstrong so much that he fell out of the draft entirely. It could be Miami’s good fortune. Armstrong didn’t play on special teams in college and curiously opted out of the Shrine game, which could have contributed to his slide, but he has the tools to be a quality possession receiver who’s feisty after the catch and in the run game. It’s an element the Dolphins’ receiving corps doesn’t really have right now.
Conyers and Asante are worth watching as well. Both tested extremely well, with Conyers notching a 9.24 RAS at 6-3 and 260 pounds thanks to particularly strong jumps and agility drills. He’s got the tools as a blocker and after the catch to be useful for Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel as a complementary tight end. Asante was recognized on the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” for his elite athleticism and backed that up with a 4.46-second 40 time at the Combine. He plays like his hair is on fire and should be able to carve out a role on special teams sooner rather than later.
Eagles: Toledo S Maxen Hook
HM: Rutgers OT Hollin Pierce
Hook was one of Brugler’s highest-graded players who slipped out of the draft, getting a borderline fourth-round designation. He also came in at No. 219 on the consensus big board, well in the draftable range. Hook was a four-year starter, earning first-team All-MAC his final three years and team captain honors his last two. He stuffed the stat sheet, turned in respectable athletic testing and was a mainstay on special teams. There’s not an obvious reason why Hook fell, apart from teams generally devaluing the safety position and some nicks and bruises he battled at Toledo. The Eagles are shallow enough at safety that Hook has a real shot to make the team in Week 1, and follow in the footsteps of former Eagles UDFA S Reed Blankenship as a viable contributor.
Pierce also was widely viewed as a draftable prospect. Brugler gave him a fifth-round grade and he was No. 186 on the consensus big board. A four-year starter at Rutgers, Pierce’s trump card is his planetary size at 6-8 and 341 pounds with a staggering 88-inch wingspan. He didn’t do any athletic testing during the pre-draft process, but at that size it’s no wonder the Eagles were interested in snapping him up after the draft. Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland gives the team a legitimate developmental edge for offensive linemen, and there are easy parallels to draw between Pierce and Stoutland’s latest success story, Mekhi Becton.
Falcons: Kansas CB Cobee Bryant
HM: Oregon State OL Joshua Gray
Bryant might have been the player I was most surprised to see go undrafted. He was a mainstay at Kansas in the starting lineup for the past four seasons and was first-team All-Big 12 each of the past three. In four years, he knocked down 35 passes, notched 13 interceptions and scored four touchdowns on defense and special teams. He’s not the biggest at just 180 pounds soaking wet but oozes competitiveness and takes pride in not missing tackles. He’s hyper competitive, hyper aggressive and a hyper trash talker, the type of player a lot of NFL secondary coaches would love to have.
Unfortunately Bryant ran just a 4.53-second 40, which is not a great number at his size, and he did not do any agility testing during the pre-draft process. That combined with his big personality could be why he went from being the No. 130 prospect on the consensus big board to undrafted. Still, he has an outstanding opportunity with the Falcons who were not able to add much to their cornerback room this offseason. There’s a world where Bryant is starting at nickel in Week 1, and at the very least his chances for a spot on the roster or practice squad appear strong.
Gray should also be highlighted because offensive linemen tend to go under the radar. He played the bulk of his career (56 starts) at left tackle before moving inside to guard for his final season, as the NFL viewed his best fit at the next level on the interior. He’s got the athleticism to fit Atlanta’s zone-blocking scheme and not a whole lot of competition for the backup center job. Gray is another strong candidate to be on the roster in Week 1. His $254,000 guarantee is among the larger sums of any UDFA this year.
Giants: Virginia Tech WR Da’Quan Felton
Felton stands out from the other Giants UDFAs in a few ways. One is literally — he’s nearly 6-5 and 215 pounds. He can fly, too, running a 4.5 flat 40 at the Combine and adding respectable jumps and agility drills for an 8.3 RAS. The second is financially. Felton got $264,000 in guarantees to sign with the Giants, a figure which ranked near the top for all UDFAs this year. In the grand scheme of things, that’s loose change for NFL teams, but it shows that the Giants had competition to sign Felton and felt comfortable that he’d at least earn a practice squad berth.
Jaguars: Minnesota DE Danny Striggow
Striggow had a somewhat unusual pre-draft process that gave him an opportunity to stand out. He was invited to the Hula Bowl and was a standout at the event, including interviews, practices and the game. That earned him a call-up to the Senior Bowl, the top all-star event on the pre-draft circuit, but on incredibly late notice. Striggow got the call at 11 pm on Wednesday and took two flights on Thursday to make it to practice. He started making plays right away, showcasing his talent and effort along with his work ethic. Striggow had 11 sacks in his final two seasons, and at 6-4 and 253 pounds he put up respectable testing numbers. He won’t ever be a high-end pass rusher but he is capable of eventually filling a role as a high-effort rotational player.
Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad ranked the highest of Jacksonville’s UDFAs on the consensus big board thanks to outstanding college production. Over the past three years at Oklahoma State, Washington and Oregon, Muhammad has an outstanding 42 pass breakups and four interceptions. Unfortunately he’s small, slow and old — a horrible combination for an NFL cornerback.
Jets: Fresno State S Dean Clark
HM: Michigan RB Donovan Edwards
Clark is a good example of how teams using official “top 30” visits as advanced recruiting for undrafted free agents can pan out. New York guaranteed Clark $160,000, indicating both the high regard it had for him and the competition for his services. The 24-year-old safety started 42 games in college and has extensive special teams experience, which will be his first path to a role. He also has good athleticism and instincts, knocking down 12 passes and picking off four his final two years at Fresno State and notching a 9.33 RAS after hitting 4.51 in the 40, 11 feet in the broad jump and 41 inches in the vertical at 6-0 and 208 pounds. He could make the Week 1 roster for the Jets as the fourth safety.
Edwards might have the most name recognition of any rookie free agent this year after his success for Michigan on the big stages the past few years. Unfortunately he never put it all together during his college career but he’s got good size, great athleticism and three-down receiving ability. He could very well have a better NFL career than college career, assuming he can crack a deep Jets backfield that goes four players deep right now.
Lions: UMass WR Jakobie Keeney-James
Detroit forked over $254,000 in guarantees to sign Keeney-James. He blazed a 4.37-second 40 at his pro day this spring, likely generating that significant interest. Keeney-James set career marks with 50 catches for 839 yards and six touchdowns this past season for the Minutemen, essentially equaling his production from the previous four years at Eastern Washington. At 5-11, 190, he tore up the other athletic testing, too, notching a 40.5-inch vertical, 4.07-second short shuttle and 6.88-second three cone.
Packers: Georgia DT Nazir Stackhouse
HM: Kentucky LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Florida Atlanta CB Kahzir Brown
In an interesting turn of events, Stackhouse had a higher ranking from both Brugler and the consensus big board than fellow Georgia teammate and Packers sixth-round DL Warren Brinson. He was also a starter at Georgia while Brinson was not, although the two played different roles. Stackhouse was a space-eating nose and will likely reprise that role in the NFL, while Brinson has more versatility and athleticism. It’s hard seeing both make the Packers’ active roster as rookies, barring injuries, and Green Bay has already tipped which one they prefer. Stackhouse should be able to secure a spot on the practice squad, though.
Dumas-Johnson is another former decorated Georgia Bulldog the Packers added to their collection, though he spent his final college season at Kentucky. The Packers aren’t as thin at linebacker as they have been in some other years but there could still be a path for Dumas-Johnson to carve out a role as a special teamer or backup. Brown stands out because Green Bay’s depth at cornerback is shaky, providing an opportunity for a youngster to make the team, and Brown has unique measurements at 6-1, 223 pounds with over 32-inch arms. In four seasons between Maine and FAU, he had eight interceptions and 33 pass breakups.
Panthers: Cincinnati G Luke Kandra
HM: Florida State K Ryan Fitzgerald
Kandra was one of the highest-rated players to slip out of the draft, ranking No. 180 on the consensus board and earning a borderline sixth-round grade from Brugler. Although Kandra recorded a RAS of 9.33, concerns about playing too stiff and mechanical seemed to have lowered his stock. Kandra led all players with 33 bench press reps at the Combine, ran a strong 5.17 40-yard dash and had good jumps. But his agility drills were poor, including 8.33 seconds in the three cone. For a Carolina team that wants to mash opponents in the run game, Kandra is a quality fit and he has a chance to earn a roster spot even if the offensive line is the best and deepest unit on the team.
Fitzgerald has a legitimate path to a starting job after signing with the Panthers to compete with incumbent K Matthew Wright. He was a first-team All-American last year and made all 13 of his field goals. Fitzgerald is 32-34 in the past two seasons on field goals, including five for five on kicks of 50 yards or more in 2024.
Patriots: Cal Poly OLB Elijah Ponder
HM: Alabama TE CJ Dippre
Ponder turned heads during the pre-draft process with outstanding athletic testing at his pro day. He measured in at 6-3 and 251 pounds, then hit 22 reps on the bench press, 4.63 seconds in the 40, 41 inches in the vertical, 11 feet in the broad, 4.28 seconds in the short shuttle and 6.99 in the three cone. All told, Ponder recorded a RAS of 9.7, one of the best figures in this class. He faces a big jump coming to the NFL from Cal Poly but he has terrific tools to try and develop as the Patriots try to rebuild their pass rush.
Dippre had a draftable grade from Brugler and was borderline draftable per the consensus big board at No. 263 overall. His forte is blocking and special teams, though with an RAS of 8.71 he’s not a lumbering jumbo tackle. New England has an opening for the No. 3 tight end role, so Dippre has a legit shot of making the roster.
Raiders: Indiana LB Jailin Walker
HM: Minnesota DE Jah Joyner, Old Dominion TE/FB Pat Conroy
Las Vegas’ linebacker room might be the thinnest depth chart of any position for any team in the league. Elandon Roberts is far and away the best option even at 31 years old, and the Raiders have to find another starter out of a group that includes Devin White, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Gainer, Amari Burney, seventh-rounder Cody Lindenberg and Brandon Smith. Walker couldn’t ask for a better situation to walk into as an undrafted free agent. The converted safety lacks a little sand in his pants at 6-0 and 220 pounds but he runs like the wind with a 4.4 flat 40 and looked right at home in his first year for Indiana in 2024, helping them reach the College Football Playoff. He has multiple paths to contribute, either on special teams or as a sub-package coverage specialist.
The Raiders had a few other notable UDFA signings. Joyner looks like an NFL pass rusher getting off the bus at 6-4 and 262 pounds. He ran a 4.6 40 which ordinarily would be enough to get him drafted. Brugler had a fifth-round grade on him and he was in the top 200 on the consensus board. However, the rest of his athletic testing was poor and his tape was more flash than consistency. Conroy has one of the best RAS numbers in this class at 9.98, though it drops to 9.26 if you consider him a tight end and not a fullback. The 6-2, 240-pounder ran a 4.68 40, 4.21 shuttle and 6.84 three cone, plus benched 23 reps and jumped 37 inches in the vertical, 10 feet in the broad. It’s not clear if new Raiders OC Chip Kelly plans to use a fullback.
Rams: North Carolina OL Willie Lampkin
Lampkin was a throwback outlier in terms of size this draft season, coming in at just a shade under both 5-11 and 280 pounds. Back in the leather helmet era, that would have been great, but in the modern NFL, there’s just not a precedent for a player Lampkin’s size having success as an offensive lineman. The rest of his athletic profile isn’t filled with compensatory factors either. He only hit 18 reps in the bench press, 5.21 seconds in the 40 and 4.7 seconds in the short shuttle, with underwhelming jumps too.
That said, Lampkin had some of the best blocking tape in this class. He wins with leverage and grit, borrowing heavily from his background as a wrestler. He started 61 games in five years at Coastal Carolina and North Carolina, earning plenty of accolades at both stops. The coaching staff at UNC also raved about his makeup. He’s wired the right way to have a shot at beating the odds, and a position change to fullback or jumbo tight end might be an option.
Ravens: Memphis LB Chandler Martin
The Ravens have a proud tradition of having at least one undrafted free agent make the roster in Week 1, though their league-leading streak that spanned nearly two decades was snapped a couple years ago. They’re in the process of building a new one and they’ve had a lot of success with linebackers. Iowa’s Jay Higgins arrives as a back-to-back All-American and a tackle machine, recording nearly 300 over the past two years, but abysmal athletic testing pushed him out of the draft. Martin is the better athlete with an 8.21 RAS compared to 3.46 for Higgins, and might be the better bet to make the team. He’s got a sturdier build and is dramatically faster at 4.56 seconds in the 40, though he doesn’t quite have Higgins’ instincts in coverage. He was prolific in a different way, notching 33 tackles for loss the past two years at Memphis.
Saints: Delaware RB Marcus Yarns
Yarns has all the makings of a preseason darling with his home run speed and pass-catching ability. His production at Delaware as a receiver wouldn’t make this obvious, but he has legit hands and some route-running savvy, enough to potentially moonlight as a slot receiver. His best asset is his speed and burst, however. He hit 4.45 seconds in the 40 with an outstanding 1.54-second 10-yard split, and his jumps also show his acceleration skills. He’s not built to handle a huge load and his agility testing revealed a bit of a straight-line player but Yarns has the skills to make the roster as a kick returner right away and eventually become a contributor on offense.
Seahawks: Ole Miss OLB Jared Ivey
Setting aside WR Isaiah Bond, who has mitigating legal circumstances that led to his fall out of the draft, Ivey was the second-highest rated player per the consensus big board to slide to undrafted free agency. He was No. 122 on the board and had a fifth-round grade from Brugler. Unfortunately poor athletic testing overshadowed some intriguing film and solid college production. Ivey had a RAS of 2, skipping drills at the Combine but still flopping at his pro day with a 5.15-second 40 and 7.56-second three-cone, to name a few disappointing results.
Still, Ivey has NFL size and length at 6-5, 274 pounds with 34-inch arms. His coaches at Ole Miss praised his intelligence and he was productive both from a sacks and a total pressures perspective. Beating NFL talent will be harder but he can still develop into a role player for Seattle and DC Mike Macdonald‘s creative scheme that asks a lot from players mentally.
Steelers: Iowa S Sebastian Castro
Castro was the No. 150 player on the consensus big board and had a borderline fifth-round grade from Brugler but was another player who slid probably because of poor testing numbers. The 5-11, 203-pound safety ran a 4.59 40 and didn’t particularly stand out in any of the other drills. He also turns 25 in October, so it’s doubtful how much upside is here for the Steelers to unlock. But Castro is a high-character, disciplined, smart and physical player who should contribute as a backup and special teamer.
Texans: North Carolina CB Alijah Huzzie
After four years at East Tennessee State capped by a dominant 2022 season in which he recorded six interceptions and 22 pass deflections, Huzzie transferred to North Carolina and had two more solid years as a starter. He added 18 pass deflections and four interceptions while also returning two punts for touchdowns. Huzzie set himself up as a draftable prospect as a slot corner and punt returner going into this spring.
Unfortunately he tore his ACL at the Shrine Bowl and now is looking at a redshirt year in 2025. Considering he’s already 24 years old, it’s less than ideal. If the Texans are patient, however, they could have a potential contributor in the next two or three years.
Titans: Miami WR Xavier Restrepo
The highest-rated player to slide out of the draft per the consensus big board (No. 119 overall), Restrepo’s poor athletic testing was too much to overcome in the end. Despite going over 1,000 yards receiving each of the past two seasons, a 4.85 40 at your pro day is going to be an anchor on any receiver’s stock. Restrepo did better in the agility testing, which makes sense considering his game as a slot receiver at 5-9 and 202 pounds. Reuniting with his college QB Cam Ward also gives him a chance at some early success, as does Tennessee’s barren receiving corps.
There should be a lot of opportunities for undrafted free agents to make the team in Tennessee considering the Titans earned the No. 1 pick last year. Florida OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson got a sizable guarantee, $255,000 in total, indicating both the league’s desperation for any offensive tackle with a pulse and Tennessee’s need for help. Iowa CB Jermari Harris got a noticeable guarantee as well, $244,000, while Boston College DL Cam Horsley had a fifth-round grade from Brugler and has a shot to carve out a role on the interior defensive line.
Vikings: Kansas OL Logan Brown
HM: BYU OLB Tyler Batty, Wisconsin OL Joe Huber, Georgia TE Ben Yurosek, Auburn WR Robert Lewis, Minnesota QB Max Brosmer
Minnesota has become one of the best teams in the league in finding and developing undrafted free agents. This group looks like another quality class with multiple candidates to become contributors. Brown was a former five-star recruit whose career never got off the ground at Wisconsin. He transferred to Kansas and after another bout of fits and starts broke out in 2024 as the starting right tackle. Brown’s athleticism stands out, earning a 9.49 RAS highlighted by a standout 4.51-second short shuttle time. At 6-6 and 311 pounds with 34-inch arms, he has prototypical tackle dimensions. His inexperience is a concern, but he got a fourth-round grade from Brugler and was No. 143 on the consensus big board. For a Vikings team looking for a reliable swing tackle, this could be a home run.
There are a few other candidates to make the roster. Batty had draftable grades from Brugler and the consensus big board as a high-motor edge rusher with good size and ordinary physical traits, someone Vikings DC Brian Flores would love as a potential depth piece. Brugler didn’t like Huber as much as Brown, but did give him a fifth-round grade and he could earn a backup slot at guard. Yurosek is an experienced blocker, underrated pass catcher and solid athlete who could push for a back-end roster spot at tight end. Lewis caught some buzz during the pre-draft process for his skills as a return specialist. Brosmer has plenty of experience and enough arm talent to stick around for a few years as the No. 3 quarterback.
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