NFL: Undrafted free agents who made it in NFL is inspiring

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill looks to throw during game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Atlanta. The former BYU great went undrafted but has carved out a solid career in the NFL.

Danny Karnik, Associated Press

Kurt Warner, Priest Holmes, Tony Romo and Taysom Hill probably don’t have much in common, but there is this: they were all undrafted free agents. They’re poster boys for players who weren’t considered good enough to be taken in the NFL draft and came into the league the hard way.

Predicting success in the NFL is a tricky business, as evidenced by the busts — Ryan Leaf, Vince Young, etc. — the undervalued — Tom Brady — and the afterthoughts — Warner, Holmes and Romo.

Some 262 college players were taken in the recent NFL draft; another 300 or so players were signed as free agents. Almost two dozen of them are from Utah schools, including some well-known players who had outstanding college careers — Britain Covey, the wide receiver/kick returner from Utah, Utah State’s Deven Thompkins, a third-team All-America wide receiver who produced 1,704 catches and 10 touchdowns for Utah State last season and was the MVP of the LA Bowl, and BYU’s Samson Nacua, a wide receiver. Covey and Thompkins were considered too small to be drafted and Nacua didn’t have great production.

How receiver Samson Nacua stole the show at BYU’s pro day

The odds that one of them will make an NFL roster next season are probably not as slight as you might think. Of the 1,696 players who make an active roster next season, about 30% of them will be undrafted free agents. The NFL draft once consisted of as many as 30 rounds (Bart Starr, the great Packers quarterback, was drafted in the 17th round), but the modern draft consists of seven rounds. The scramble for free agents has replaced the later rounds of the draft.

There are 17 undrafted free agents in the NFL Hall of Fame and many other UDFAs have made their mark in the league. Warner was a two-time league MVP and Super Bowl champion quarterback. Holmes was the league’s offensive MVP and rushing champion. Romo was a four-time Pro Bowl selection at quarterback.

Malcolm Butler won a Super Bowl with a game-saving interception for the Patriots. Wes Welker caught 903 passes. Antonio Gates, a college basketball player at Kent State, became the most prolific tight …read more

Source:: Deseret News – Sports News

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