Undrafted free agents – Page 3

One undrafted free agent rookie to watch for each team

Highlighting one undrafted rookie free agent for each team with a strong chance of making an impact

Teams don’t stop their pursuit of finding players who can help them once the NFL draft ends. The next step is picking and choosing the undrafted rookies and signing them as free agents, or UDFAs.

The undrafted rookies will get chances to prove themselves in upcoming rookie minicamps, OTAs and minicamp heading into the full team training camp this summer. Which ones stand strong chances to not only make the roster, but maybe even make an impact on the team?

Here is one UDFA candidate from each of the 32 teams who stands out as a player with a good chance to stick on the roster.

One thing to know about each of the Rams’ 26 undrafted rookies

Get to know the Rams’ undrafted rookie class with one thing to know about each of the 26 players

The Rams will have a lot of rookies on their offseason roster after selecting 14 players in the draft and signing another 26 as undrafted free agents. Few teams will give their rookies a better chance to make the team than the Rams this year, considering they only had 44 players on their roster before the draft.

Los Angeles is no stranger to finding undrafted gems and there could be one or two again this year. Here’s one thing to know about each of the 26 prospects they signed after the draft.

Raiders waive two to make room for undrafted free agent signees

Raiders waive two to make room for UDFA signees

Saturday, immediately following the draft, in which the Raiders added nine players, they went about signing undrafted free agents. By the time all the reports came in as to who the Raiders were signing, they were over the 90-player limit. So, Monday, they announced they had waived to players.

Getting waived to make room are safety Jalen Elliott and tackle Sebastian Gutierrez.

Elliott appeared in eight games with the Lions in 2021.

Gutierrez was an undrafted rookie for the Raiders out of Minot State last season. He was called up for one game last season, seeing two special teams snaps.

Both players had spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad last season and were brought back on reserve/future deals in January.

These cuts bring the roster, with draft selections, to 80, which means they will add as many as 10 undrafted rookies. Which, as it happens, is exactly how many showed up in our UDFA tracker.

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2023 NFL draft: Analyzing the Chargers’ UDFA class

The Chargers are hoping to land a hidden gem or two in 2023.

The rookie class doesn’t end with the final selection. In fact, the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant only kicks off a more frenzied event: the undrafted free agent (UDFA) scramble.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Chargers’ rookie free-agent signings.

Top 2023 undrafted free agents signed by the Bucs

Tampa Bay picked up some solid players as UDFAs after the draft.

The NFL draft does not truly end with the final selection of the final round. It instead continues in the immediate aftermath with the signing of undrafted free agents, some of whom will have a better shot of making an NFL roster than some drafted prospects.

The Bucs wasted little time snatching up undrafted players following the selection of Mr. Irrelevant. They picked up 19 free agents, among the most of any NFL team.

With little cap space to sign veterans this offseason, the Bucs could end up relying on contributions from several undrafted rookies this season. They did manage to sign a handful of coveted prospects who surprisingly slipped out of the draft despite ranking among the best at their positions.

Here are the best undrafted free agents signed by the Bucs this year:

Breaking down the Vikings UDFA signings

The Minnesota Vikings brought in 15 UDFA signings. @TheKevinFielder provides an introduction with a brief synopsis of all 15.

While hearing their name called during the NFL Draft is the dream of every college prospect, some don’t get that luxury.

With just 259 draft picks, more players find themselves waiting after Saturday’s conclusion to find their chance. Often forgotten, these undrafted free agents come into the NFL with limited expectations but high hopes.

Over the years, a laundry list of undrafted free agents have carved out long careers, including former Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle, John Randle.

This season, the Vikings signed 15 players to an undrafted free-agent deal. These players will go through the off-season program, hoping to make the team’s 53-man roster before the regular season begins.

Here are each of those signings.

Broncos aiming to find more undrafted free agent gems

The Broncos have a great history of finding UDFA gems, a tradition they hope continues this year.

The Denver Broncos had just five picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft, but they will enter rookie minicamp with upwards of 20 rookies in attendance.

The Broncos have signed 14 undrafted free agents so far on our unofficial UDFA tracker, and at least one more player has been invited to camp on a tryout basis. Denver has a history of uncovering undrafted gems seemingly every year.

“[T]he minute the draft ends, [there is a] two-and-a-half-hour period where you don’t know that you’re going to be doing it, but you’re going to find the last starting running back for this team that played in the Super Bowl in [undrafted] free agency,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last week, referring to former Denver running back C.J. Anderson.

“There are a bunch of those players that are sitting out there. They don’t know it yet. They’re not going to be drafted. Procuring more players and looking at each one with the lens of, ‘How can this guy do it?’ That’s still exciting. That’s the part that you’re like, ‘Did I flip enough magnets?’ The scouts have these guys stacked and there’s a process. We’re still working.”

The Broncos’ recent history of UDFA success stories includes Anderson, Chris Harris, Shaq Barrett, Phillip Lindsay, Alexander Johnson and just last year, Jalen Virgil and Brandon Johnson. Rod Smith was the best UDFA signing in franchise history, and Tim Patrick and Alex Singleton are also among the team’s current players who entered the league undrafted.

“Our scouts are over there working free agency,” GM George Paton said on Saturday. “Sean spoke to the scouts and the entire room today about all the former free agents that have made teams and gone to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’re hoping to find a few really good players in free agency post draft.”

Who knows, maybe another UDFA gem will be part of this year’s signing class.

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Broncos invite QB Judd Erickson to rookie minicamp

The Broncos have invited former CSU QB Judd Erickson to rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.

After selecting five players in the 2023 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos are now filling out their 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents.

In addition to their under-contract UDFAs, the Broncos will also invite several players to try out at their rookie minicamp in two weeks. So far, we know of two rookies who have been invited to rookie camp on a tryout basis.

The first is Incarnate Word outside linebacker Chris Whitt. The second is San Diego quarterback Judd Erickson, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He’s a local prospect who grew up in Highlands Ranch and started his college career at Colorado State.

After three years at CSU as a backup, Erickson was a graduate transfer to San Diego, playing in four games in 2021. He played in seven games in 2022, completing 113-of-211 passes for 1,406 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Erickson will be a long shot to get a contract offer from the Broncos as current third-string quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has 40 college starts on his resume and spent last season as a practice squad backup in the NFL. Erickson will get an opportunity, though, and that’s all he can ask for.

We are tracking all of Denver’s UDFA signings on Broncos Wire.

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Saints 2023 undrafted free agents tracker: Instant analysis on each pickup

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, but we’re just getting started with this year’s rookie pickups. The New Orleans Saints are going to be busy recruiting undrafted free agents in the hours and days ahead, so check this space often for the latest updates.

They should find some good players. The Saints have a strong history in signing undrafted rookies, and two of them made the tean last year — wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (Weber State) and offensive lineman Lewis Kidd (Montana State).

Here’s everything you need to know about the newest members of the black and gold:

2023 Vikings undrafted free agent tracker

After selecting six players in the 2023 NFL Draft, the race begins for undrafted free agents. Here is everyone the Vikings have signed.

The 2023 NFL draft is officially complete! The Minnesota Vikings entered the draft with five selections and finished making six selections

Once the seventh round starts, teams will begin calling players about signing as an undrafted free agent. Teams will offer signing bonuses to convince them to sign. The Vikings entered the weekend with 23 open roster spots and they will likely sign a big undrafted free agent class.

Here at Vikings Wire, we will be tracking all of them leading up to