With the 2023 NFL Draft and the majority of the UDFA signing period in the rearview mirror, which undrafted free agent signings stand out across the NFL?
Which Undrafted Free Agent Signings Will Make NFL Rosters?
The 2023 NFL Draft was one of the deepest overall classes in recent memory. We’re seeing that reflected with the sheer volume of talent present in the undrafted free agent pool. Below, we’ll list the most likely UDFA candidate to make each roster, with runner-ups mentioned as well.
Arizona Cardinals: Blake Whiteheart, TE, Wake Forest
Blake Whiteheart is not only a candidate to make the Cardinals’ roster as a UDFA, but also work his way into a consistent role down the road. Zach Ertz won’t be around forever, and past Trey McBride, there’s no established depth.
Whiteheart has the size and sure hands to thrive, but he’s also an incredibly smooth athlete (6.77 three-cone) and a methodical separator.
Runner-Ups: DT Jacob Slade, CB Quavian White
Atlanta Falcons: Justin Marshall, WR, Buffalo
The Falcons’ receiving corps, outside of Drake London, is still essentially wide open, and Justin Marshall has the profile to take advantage. He fits Arthur Smith’s mold at WR, standing at 6’2″, 227 pounds, with 33″ arms, 4.41 speed, and elite testing explosiveness. In 2022, Marshall caught 64 passes for 837 yards and four scores after transferring from Louisville.
Runner-Up: EDGE Ikenna Enechukwu
Baltimore Ravens: Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
It was very surprising to see Keaton Mitchell go undrafted. Mitchell’s notably undersized at 5’8″, 180 pounds, but he’s a legitimate sparkplug in space with his 4.38 speed. He also has slippery running ability in congestion, as well as untapped receiving upside. Mitchell gives Baltimore something they don’t have in their rotation. He could very well stick around.
Runner-Ups: OL Jaylon Thomas, WR Dontay Demus Jr., CB Jeremy Lucien
Buffalo Bills: Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida
Day 3 addition Nick Broeker does have tackle experience, but Buffalo’s OT depth could still improve. Richard Gouraige isn’t an elite athlete, but he could be a potential swing tackle. He started 42 games at Florida. Across that span, he showcased excellent power with his 6’5″, 309-pound frame and 34″ arms, but he also has surprising knee bend on the move.
Runner-Ups: S Cyrus Fagan, DT DJ Dale
Carolina Panthers: Eku Leota, EDGE, Auburn
Eku Leota can help make the Panthers’ EDGE rotation stronger and more secure. Leota logged seven sacks and 10 TFLs in 2021 and was on his way to more production in 2022 before a torn pectoral ended his season.
MORE: FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
He has great size at 6’3″, 263 pounds, with 33 1/2″ arms, but is also very natural as a stand-up EDGE with his burst, motor, and hands.
Runner-Ups: DT Jalen Redmond, RB Camerun Peoples, CB Rejzohn Wright, LB Austin Ajiake
Chicago Bears: Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU
Last cycle, a UDFA linebacker made the Bears’ roster in Jack Sanborn. This year, Micah Baskerville has more competition, with starters Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards joining the ranks. But Baskerville is a defensive leader and a sure tackler, who also shows off underrated coverage instincts. At the very least, his profile will be appealing on special teams.
Runner-Ups: QB Tyson Bagent, OL Gabe Houy
Cincinnati Bengals: Devonnsha Maxwell, DT, Chattanooga
Devonnsha Maxwell could be a steal as a UDFA addition for the Bengals, who need DL help. Maxwell has a great build at 6’2″, 290 pounds, with 33″ arms, and he’s not a bad athlete.
Maxwell’s best trait is his mix of leverage and strength, and he’s proven he can win with those traits. He broke the SoCon record for career sacks and put up 45.5 TFLs in five years.
Runner-Ups: G Jaxson Kirkland, LB Shaka Heyward
Cleveland Browns: Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah
The Browns’ addition of Siaki Ika hearkens a shift to more odd-front and hybrid alignments. In that setting, Mohamoud Diabate could be a defensive weapon with his upside as a rush linebacker from space.
At 6’3″, 224 pounds, Diabate has elite burst (11′ broad), speed (4.51 40-yard dash), and bend off the edge, and he has the length to combat extensions.
Runner-Ups: EDGE Lonnie Phelps, DB Tanner McCalister, LB Charlie Thomas
Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR, Fresno State
Jalen Moreno-Cropper amassed 169 catches for 1,992 yards and 16 scores over the past two seasons. He’s undersized at 5’11”, 172, but has 4.4 pace, to go along with rare foot speed, sink, and short-area quickness — tools he maximizes as a separator. Moreno-Cropper dominated DBs in Shrine Bowl 1-on-1s and should have the same impact at Cowboys camp.
Runner-Ups: CB Myles Brooks, WR David Durden, EDGE Durrell Johnson, OL Earl Bostick Jr.
Denver Broncos: Demontrey Jacobs, OT, South Florida
Past Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, Denver’s tackle depth is suspect. Demontrey Jacobs, at the very least, has tools worth keeping around as a potential swing tackle with additional upside. He’s a massive 6’7″, 312-pound blocker with 36″ vines for arms, who also logged a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.38, showcasing his easy mobility.
Runner-Ups: EDGE Thomas Incoom, CB Art Green, DT PJ Mustipher
Detroit Lions: Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
The Lions kept a UDFA in Jerry Jacobs in 2021, who’d go on to become a valuable rotational DB for the team. Starling Thomas V has that potential in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle.
Thomas, at 5’10”, 194, is a feisty, fast-paced competitor with elite recovery speed and foot quickness breaking on routes, and his 15 PBUs in 2022 exhibit his high-level ball skills.
Runner-Ups: S Brandon Joseph, LB Trevor Nowaske, RB Mohamed Ibrahim
Green Bay Packers: Jimmy Phillips Jr., LB, SMU
The Packers filled several roster holes with their expansive draft class, but they still need more established depth at ILB. Jimmy Phillips Jr. is a 6’1″, 232-pound defender with 4.68 speed, who put up 85 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and five pass deflections in 2022. Phillips has density and tackling utility, and he’d be a great depth and special-teams asset.
Runner-Ups: WR Duece Watts, S Christian Morgan, EDGE Brenton Cox Jr.
Houston Texans: Xazavian Valladay, RB, Arizona State
Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary are locked into roster spots, but the Texans have some flexibility beyond that. Xazavian Valladay could end up being a UDFA who takes advantage. Valladay is an energized athlete, an efficient vertical runner, and an able receiver at 5’11”, 204 pounds. His 4.47 speed was on full display at the Shrine Bowl.
Runner-Ups: EDGE Ali Gaye, WR Jared Wayne, OT Kilian Zierer
Indianapolis Colts: Emil Ekiyor Jr., OL, Alabama
The Colts had a fantastic draft. One of the few knocks is that they didn’t shore up their interior depth, but UDFA Emil Ekiyor Jr. should help with that.
MORE: 2023 NFL Draft Winners and Losers
At around 6’2″, 314 pounds, with over 33″ arms, Ekiyor has the profile to play center or guard. He’s an experienced starter who has good burst off the snap, and finishes plays with consistent physicality.
Runner-Ups: S Cole Coleman, LB Donavan Mutin
Jacksonville Jaguars: Kaleb Hayes, CB, BYU
The Jaguars don’t have suffocating depth at the boundary CB spot. That could open the doors for a talent like Kaleb Hayes to crack the depth chart. Hayes, who put up 18 PBUs across 2021 and 2022, has 4.33 speed, a 40″ vertical, a 10’8″ broad jump, and a 6.88 three-cone at 6’0″, 194 pounds, with near-33″ arms. He’s essentially a build-a-cornerback.
Runner-Ups: DL Jayson Ademilola, WR Elijah Cooks, DB Divaad Wilson
Kansas City Chiefs: Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
We’ve seen the Chiefs get gold out of late-round and UDFA RBs before. You don’t have to look back very far — Isiah Pacheco was a seventh-rounder in 2022.
Deneric Prince has the potential to stick around as well, especially with the writing on the wall for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. At around 6’0″, 216 pounds, with 4.41 speed, Prince has the ideal physical tools.
Runner-Ups: S Martez Manuel, OT Quinton Barrow, EDGE Truman Jones
Las Vegas Raiders: Drake Thomas, LB, NC State
Size might’ve been the only reason Drake Thomas went undrafted. No matter how you feel about Thomas’ 5’11”, 223-pound frame, he’s a phenomenal football player. He logged 101 tackles and 19 TFLs in 2022, then shined at the Shrine Bowl. With 4.7 speed, a 36.5″ vertical, and strong instincts, there’s little stopping Thomas from proving he belongs.
Runner-Ups: OL McClendon Curtis, EDGE Adam Plant Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers: Brevin Allen, EDGE, Campbell
Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, then who? That’s the question for the Chargers in their EDGE rotation, and Brevin Allen may be the answer. The 6’3″, 265-pound Allen has great size and length with over 34″ arms, yet, he’s very natural as a stand-up rusher, with the burst and flexibility to break through the apex. He logged 9.5 sacks in 2021.
Runner-Ups: RB Elijah Dotson, DT Jerrod Clark, S AJ Finley, TE Michael Ezeike
Los Angeles Rams: Christopher Dunn, K, NC State
The Rams let Matt Gay go, then passed on kicker options in the 2023 NFL Draft. Then, in the UDFA pool, they signed Christopher Dunn — who might’ve been one of the best kicker prospects in the class.
The 5’8″, 179-pound special-teamer converted on 28 of 29 field-goal attempts in 2022, never missed an extra point, and twice hit a career-long of 53 yards.
Runner-Ups: S Quindell Johnson, CB Jordan Jones, LB DeAndre Square
Miami Dolphins: Aubrey Miller, LB, Jackson State
The Dolphins only had four inside linebackers rostered ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., and Channing Tindall are likely locked in, but Aubrey Miller Jr. could sneak into the conversation as the fourth LB. He’s an explosive, tenacious competitor at 6’0″, 225 pounds, whose attacking style afforded him 117 tackles and 12 TFLs in 2022.
Runner-Ups: RB Christopher Brooks, DB Bennett Williams, EDGE Garrett Nelson
Minnesota Vikings: Calvin Avery, DT, Illinois
There weren’t many true nose tackles with double-team utility and penetrating upside in the same package in the 2023 NFL Draft, but Calvin Avery was one of those players. Avery can absorb doubles with his 6’1 1/2″, 345-pound frame, and he also shows very exciting flashes as a pass rusher 1-on-1 with his explosiveness (30.5″ vertical) and torque.
Runner-Ups: LB Ivan Pace Jr., WR Malik Knowles, TE Ben Sims
New England Patriots: Johnny Lumpkin, TE, Louisiana
The Patriots’ UDFA class is relatively small, but New England is always good for one surprise UDFA retention. Especially with little long-term security at TE, keep tabs on Johnny Lumpkin. Lumpkin is a Patriots prospect through and through. He has some receiving upside at 6’5″, 264 pounds, with 35″ arms, but his bullying style as a blocker stands out.
Runner-Up: QB Malik Cunningham
New Orleans Saints: Anfernee Orji, LB, Vanderbilt
Often, UDFAs who do make it find a niche on special teams. Anfernee Orji has the upside to be a defensive contributor, but his profile translates especially well in the special-teams phase.
He’s 6’1″, 230 pounds with 32″ arms, and logged a 4.53 40-yard dash and a 38.5″ vertical at the NFL Combine. Orji’s explosive, rangy, but most importantly — physical.
Runner-Ups: C Alex Pihlstrom, OL Mark Evans II, WR Shaquan Davis
New York Giants: Habakkuk Baldonado, EDGE, Pittsburgh
The Giants left the 2023 NFL Draft with a lingering need for more EDGE depth. Habakkuk Baldonado can provide that. Baldonado, who notched nine sacks and 12 TFLs in 2021, has great size at 6’4″, 251, with 84th-percentile explosiveness at that size. He’s a former MMA fighter with the hands and quickness to match, as he showed at the Shrine Bowl.
Runner-Ups: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, C Ahofitu Maka, LB Troy Brown
New York Jets: Jason Brownlee, WR, Southern Miss
Past Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Corey Davis, and Mecole Hardman, there’s potential for movement in the Jets’ WR corps. Don’t be surprised if Jason Brownlee wins over coaches this summer. Brownlee was a top-150 prospect on my board. He’s an explosive, twitched-up 6’2″ WR with 34′ arms, who also has a functional release package and stellar instincts.
Runner-Ups: S Anthony Kendall, CB John Smith, WR Jerome Kapp
Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
In a deep CB class, Eli Ricks was a Day 3 prospect on my board — but he was still a safely draftable talent. Once he earned the starting job at Alabama in 2022, Ricks was very efficient in coverage the rest of the way through. He has eye-catching length and physicality at 6’2″, 188 pounds, and veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry can guide him along.
Runner-Ups: LB Ben VanSumeren, WR Jadon Haselwood, OT Trevor Reid
Pittsburgh Steelers: David Perales, EDGE, Fresno State
Pittsburgh’s UDFA class is thinner and more underwhelming than the rest of the league, but keep an eye on David Perales in the EDGE rotation. Perales doesn’t have size or athleticism on his side at 6’2″, 248, but he’s a gritty, high-motor rusher with a vast hand usage arsenal. He rode that play style to 18.5 sacks and 29.5 TFLs over the past two seasons.
Runner-Ups: DL James Nyamwaya, QB Tanner Morgan, C Trevor Downing
San Francisco 49ers: Joey Fisher, OL, Shepherd
The San Francisco 49ers have proven their mettle when it comes to finding sleepers on the offensive line, and Shepherd’s Joey Fisher could be next up. Fisher, who attended the Senior Bowl along with teammate Tyson Bagent, has projected positional versatility across the front and has extremely impressive raw athleticism and strength — traits to mold.
Runnter-Ups: RB Khalan Laborn, OL Ilm Manning, DB Avery Young
Seattle Seahawks: Matt Landers, WR, Arkansas
It’s surprising that Matt Landers went undrafted after his NFL Combine showing. He had a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 37″ vertical, and a 10’10” broad jump at 6’4″, 200 pounds, and later ran a 6.86 three-cone at his pro day.
MORE: Analysis and Grades For All 7 Rounds in 2023 NFL Draft
Landers is an explosive, flexible vertical threat with tremendous body control and hand-eye coordination. He can bring great value to Seattle’s rotation.
Runner-Ups: TE Griffin Hebert, CB Arquon Bush, S Ty Okada
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Christian Izien, DB, Rutgers
There are a few potential options here, but given Tampa Bay’s lack of safety depth, I’d keep an eye on Christian Izien. Izien was a four-year starter at Rutgers, who logged a 4.43 40-yard dash and 41.5″ vertical at a rocked-up 5’9″, 200 pounds. He has the versatility to play field safety or man up receivers from the slot and showed out at the Shrine Bowl.
Runner-Ups: WR Rakim Jarrett, RB Sean Tucker
Tennessee Titans: John Ojukwu, OT, Boise State
John Ojukwu was a draftable prospect for me and a top-150 player on my board. He has a tremendous physical profile at 6’6″, 309 pounds, with 34″ arms (RAS of 8.73), and he also started a whopping 51 games at Boise State. Tennessee’s tackle depth still isn’t great after the draft, and Ojukwu has the tools and experience to be a quality swing tackle.
Runner-Ups: WR Jacob Copeland, DL TK McLendon Jr.
Washington Commanders: Mitchell Tinsley, WR, Penn State
Mitchell Tinsley took Jahan Dotson’s No. 5 jersey at Penn State in 2022, after logging 87 catches for 1,402 yards and 14 scores at Western Kentucky in 2021. Tinsley is 6’0″, 200 pounds, with 32 3/8″ arms, but he’s also a nuanced separator and formidable RAC threat with his physicality and agility (6.7 three-cone). Don’t be surprised if he routes up DBs.
Runner-Ups: S Kendall Smith, OL Mason Brooks, QB Tim DeMorat
