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AFC UDFA class grades

Kevin Austin Jr.

Kevin Austin Jr.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The rankings in parenthesis indicate overall NFL ranking. Team tables below include tryouts (tryout players not included in ranking formula). Listed at the bottom of the column are the top unsigned UDFA who haven’t received reported tryout offers.

Click here for NFC UDFA grades if you missed them.


1. Indianapolis Colts (2)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
LB11 122 JoJo Domann Jabril Cox 7.6 6012 230
QB8 162 Jack Coan Greg McElroy 7.7 6032 218
OT21 196 Ryan Van Demark Joe Haeg 9.44 6064 307
RB20 259 D’Vonte Price J.R. Redmond 7.8 6010 210
RB23 274 Max Borghi Danny Woodhead 7.55 5093 210
CB39 301 Dallis Flowers Roc Alexander 9.53 6010 196
S25 337 Sterling Weatherford Tanner Muse 8.85 6040 224
RB33 339 CJ Verdell Ke’Shawn Vaughn 2.33 5076 202
WR62 413 Samson Nacua Steve Ishmael 8.06 6027 206
WR68 446 Michael Young Jr. Johnnie Dixon 5.44 5102 190
LB38 451 James Skalski James Morris 6.56 5117 228
RB47 456 Jah-Maine Martin James Jackson 3.36 5095 215
iOL46 473 Wesley French Clint Boling 9.65 6047 307
WR80 --- Kekoa Crawford Johnnie Lee Higgins 6.05 6004 192
WR106 --- Jackson Anthrop 1.2 5090 186
iOL54 --- Josh Seltzner Avery Gennesy 6045 309
iOL60 --- Alex Mollette 8.5 6021 300
iOL84 --- MJ Dumas 4.68 6031 306
OT59 --- Beau Morris 1.15 6051 300
OT61 --- David Kroll 4.47 6060 318
DL55 --- McKinley Williams 3.47 6035 291
DL77 --- Caeveon Patton 7.71 6012 291
ED64 --- Isaiah Chambers 1.41 6032 256
ED65 --- Cullen Wick 9.5 6035 267
ED74 --- Scott Patchan 9.13 6043 251
ED78 --- Lucky Oyovwi 2.25 6026 244
LB71 --- Forrest Rhyne 6013 233
LB83 --- Grant Dixon 8.32 6024 231
CB70 --- Evan Holm 7.51 5111 180
CB99 --- Cedrick Cunningham Jr. 6.69 5106 205
S75 --- Trevor Denbow 8.27 5110 208

The Colts signed three players I ranked inside my top-200 – LB JoJo Domann (R4 grade), QB Jack Coan (R5), and OT Ryan Van Demark (R6). In addition, the club signed one RB I had a draftable grade on (D’Vonte Price, R7) and one who fell just outside that range (Max Borghi).

It wasn’t just the high-end UDFA talent that earned the Colts best-in-show in the AFC. Beyond the five headliners I just mentioned, the Colts signed eight additional prospects that I ranked between Nos. 301-473 on my pre-draft board. That group of 13 had an average size-adjusted RAS athletic composite in the 72nd-percentile.

It confused me that Domann wasn’t drafted. He went to Nebraska as a safety and brought the coverage chops to linebacker when he was converted in 2019. Domann broke up 16 passes in 24 starts/30 appearances over the last three seasons. He has the instincts and athleticism for the work, running a 4.62 with an elite 6.88 three-cone during pre-draft testing.

Domann’s also a sideline-to-sideline presence in the running game. Domann was one of only three linebackers in this class who finished top-10 in overall PFF grade, coverage grade, and run-defense grade (Devin Lloyd and Malcolm Rodriguez were the others).

This was a great landing spot for Jack Coan. The Colts are going to take his development seriously, without a long-term contingency plan beyond Matt Ryan. And how cool is it that Coan reunites with former Wisconsin teammate RB Jonathan Taylor? Coan needs a strong running game to play-action off of, and he knows from experience that Taylor will provide it.


2. Baltimore Ravens (4)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
WR27 192 Makai Polk Steven Johnson 4.9 6031 197
LB21 237 Zakoby McClain Quincy Williams 4.38 5115 227
LB23 243 Jeremiah Moon Kemoko Turay 9.22 6046 247
WR36 251 Devon Williams Equanimeous St. Brown 5.6 6050 211
QB17 319 Anthony Brown Kelly Bryant 7.48 6013 217
WR47 321 Slade Bolden Trey Quinn 4.88 5105 189
WR53 351 Emeka Emezie Kelvin Harmon 3.27 6023 210
LB32 389 Josh Ross Cameron McGrone 1.72 6006 225
DL33 403 Nolan Cockrill Michael Dogbe 6.44 6027 278
OT34 406 ARon Johnson Brenden Jaimes 5.11 6053 300
OT39 463 Brodarious Hamm Derrick Kelly II 2.76 6051 306
LB42 491 Diego Fagot Josh Kaddu 6.12 6027 235
ED48 499 Tyler Johnson Desmond Hollin 5.61 6034 281
QB43 --- Tre Ford 6.93 5113 197
RB54 --- Kevin Brown Karan Higdon 8.74 5087 207
RB60 --- Ricky Person JR. Brenden Knox 4.81 6004 215
WR104 --- Trevon Clark 1.78 6026 193
WR121 --- Shemar Bridges 4.11 6035 207
iOL67 --- Liam Jimmons 4.77 6050 320
DL65 --- Ralfs Rusins 0.57 6052 305
DL67 --- Rayshad Nichols 6027 306
LB57 --- Charles Wiley 8.74 6021 251
CB80 --- Denzel Williams 5.64 5101 180
CB98 --- Kordell Jackson 0.66 5083 178
S57 --- Cory McCoy 4.72 5092 182

During my four years ranking UDFA classes, the Ravens have easily been the AFC’s best at signing undrafted talent. I mentioned in yesterday’s NFC UDFA column that three NFL teams – the Cowboys, Saints, and Eagles – had ranked in the top-10 of these rankings all four years. The Ravens barely missed that designation, ranking No. 11 in 2019, No. 9 in 2020, and No. 2 in 2021 before this year’s No. 4 finish.

Baltimore signed four draftable talents on my board – WR Makai Polk, LB Zakoby McClain, LB Jeremiah Moon, and WR Devon Williams. The Ravens were extremely aggressive in the UDFA market with receivers and LB in particular. Baltimore signed two additional top-500 overall prospects at each position – WRs Slade Bolden and Emeka Emezie, and LBs Josh Ross and Diego Fagot.

I loved Baltimore’s draft, but I found it interesting that the Ravens didn’t pick a receiver after trading Hollywood Brown for a first-round pick (that eventually became C Tyler Linderbaum). The Ravens, who staunchly stick as close to a BPA ethos as possible, felt there were better values to be had at other positions on Days 2-3 while other teams aggressively reached for receivers.

But with an uninspiring top-six on the depth chart at the position – including Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Tylan Wallace, Binjimen Victor, and Jaylon Moore – the Ravens needed to add legitimate camp competitors and did. It’s entirely possible that two UDFA receivers will make Baltimore’s roster.

Linebacker was another need area due to Josh Bynes’ age and David Ojabo’s compromised 2022 availability. Either McClain or Ross could hang on the active roster as a developmental nod to the post-Bynes future. Moon makes a ton of sense slipping into Ojabo’s projected roster spot until the latter’s return.


3. Las Vegas Raiders (6)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
CB32 221 Sam Webb Michael Ojemudia 9.37 6004 201
WR33 228 Tre Turner Tyler Vaughns 3.55 6013 184
OT24 231 Bamidele Olaseni Lucas Niang 3.88 6071 339
LB25 252 Darien Butler Khaleke Hudson 5103 226
ED33 285 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Curtis Weaver 4.1 6022 270
QB15 294 Chase Garbers Brian Lewerke 7.01 6017 215
RB29 299 Sincere McCormick Devin Singletary 3.97 5084 205
S32 415 Isaiah Pola-Mao Jayron Kearse 8.84 6034 212
S33 430 Qwynnterrio Cole Joshua Kalu 4.69 6001 203
ED44 462 Zach VanValkenburg Cedric Reed 6.06 6044 263
WR86 --- Justin Hall Dazz Newsome 4.23 5083 189
TE38 --- Cole Fotheringham Matt Bushman 3.65 6041 246
S70 --- Bryce Cosby 5.65 5096 188

The Raiders didn’t pick until No. 90 overall in the draft, and they made only six picks. This gave them a very strong argument to NFL agents during the UDFA free-for-all and Las Vegas capitalized.

The Raiders signed seven prospects ranked inside my top-300, four of whom I had draftable grades on. Webb is extremely raw but has the size/athleticism profile you can dream on and work with. Plus, he plays special teams, which could justify a roster spot during his development phase.

Turner has good ball skills and breaks tackles after the catch but doesn’t chance directions suddenly, making it difficult to separate. Olaseni played soccer and basketball as a child in London, and didn’t discover football until 2014. He was only a one-year starter in the P5 and has a ways to go – but you can dream on the frame, length, play strength, and light feet. Perfect guy to sneak on the practice squad.

McCormick is undersized but skilled – he’s going to have to beat out veteran Ameer Abdullah and R7 pick Brittain Brown to have a shot to crack the roster (he might need an injury in addition to that), but is going to be given a shot. I liked Garbers’ odds of cracking the Week 1 active roster until Las Vegas’ trade for Jarrett Stidham this week. Garbers is likely practice-squad bound.

The Raiders clearly see something in Notre Dame’s Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. After giving him $207k in bonuses, Tagovailoa-Amosa is going to be given every opportunity to hang around as well.


4. Tennessee Titans (7)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
DL12 175 Jayden Peevy Vernon Butler 4.29 6053 308
OT20 189 Andrew Rupcich Ben Bartch 7.72 6060 322
DL15 198 Haskell Garrett Larrell Murchison 4.58 6021 300
WR32 219 Reggie Roberson Jr. Tylan Wallace 4.39 5110 193
ED32 273 David Anenih Azeez Ojulari 7.57 6020 245
OT29 355 Jalen McKenzie James Hudson 3.41 6046 310
iOL40 392 Xavier Newman-Johnson Austin Blythe 5.36 6017 297
RB55 --- Julius Chestnut Bryce Brown 5110 228
WR95 --- Brandon Lewis 6.47 5084 175
iOL51 --- Hayden Howerton Kasey Studdard 8.06 6030 300
ED49 --- Sam Okuayinonu Tully Banta-Cain 8.06 6010 269
LB78 --- Jack Gibbens 7.42 6032 242
CB63 --- Tre Swilling 6.45 6006 196
S46 --- Michael Griffin II 5113 213
S63 --- John Petrishen 7.85 6007 227
K8 --- Caleb Shudak 1.31 5065 179
P4 --- Ryan Stonehouse Max Duffy 5093 189

The Titans didn’t take a DT in the NFL Draft but signed two of the best left immediately upon its conclusion in Texas A&M’s Jayden Peevy and Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett. Both were multi-year collegiate contributors. The Titans don’t have much behind Jeffery Simmons and Teair Tart, so the investments made sense. I’d expect at least one of Peevy and Garrett to make the Week 1 roster.

Andrew Rupcich has an ideal blend of size and athleticism. Making a massive leap up from NAIA, Rupcich needs to play lower and with better technique. It’s likely that the Titans will ultimately be able to sneak him onto the practice squad. Rupcich gave me Ben Bartch vibes during the pre-draft process.

I like the odds of either Roberson or Lewis to make the opening-day roster. Those two have opposite stories. Roberson showed lock-to-be-drafted skills earlier in his career, but saw his past three seasons either wrecked or affected by injuries. When he’s right, he’s a Tylan Wallace-like deep threat.

Lewis was a slot receiver in Air Force’s triple-option offense who came out of nowhere to explode for almost 30 yards per reception last season. He admitted during the pre-draft process that he didn’t even expect to participate in a pro day until after the team’s bowl game when a coach convinced him to. Lewis has the movement skills and hands to potentially take advantage of this opportunity.


5. Miami Dolphins (8)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
OT11 116 Kellen Diesch Jack Driscoll 9.75 6071 303
S13 157 Verone McKinley III Juju Hughes 2.39 5100 192
WR38 261 Tanner Conner Quincy Enunwa 8.85 6030 226
WR40 271 Braylon Sanders Antonio Callaway 7.61 6001 196
RB26 287 ZaQuandre White TJ Yeldon 4.14 6001 215
iOL28 315 Blaise Andries Brenden Stai 9.81 6062 311
DL26 345 Ben Stille Jay Ratliff 9.34 6040 300
DL35 423 Jordan Williams Jabari Issa 6.85 6043 291
iOL76 --- Ty Clary 6043 299
OT66 --- Tristan Schultz 6041 300
ED51 --- Deandre Johnson Al-Quadin Muhammad 4.78 6024 252
ED59 --- Garrett Crall 6.62 6041 239
ED70 --- Mike Tverdov 9.02 6036 266
ED75 --- Owen Carney Jr. 6030 269
LB84 --- Tyshon Fogg 6010 228
CB72 --- Kader Kohou 8.57 5095 193
CB81 --- Elijah Hamilton 8.74 6012 211
S43 --- Greg Eisworth II Stevie Brown 0.96 5114 199
P9 --- Tommy Heatherly 5110 210

Similarly to the Raiders, the Dolphins were able to sell their lack of draft picks to UDFAs as a better opportunity to crack the opening roster. Miami only had four picks, none inside the top-100.

With OT Kellen Diesch and S Verone McKinley III, I believe the Fins added draft picks five and six. Diesch, especially, deserved to be drafted. He’s long, super-athletic, and a proven P5 commodity. Diesch posted PFF grades of 80.0 or above each of the past two seasons, and showed out with a 98.7 pass-blocking efficiency last year.

McKinley would have been drafted were it not for his pre-draft testing, which included a 4.67 forty and sub-45th-percentile showings in both agility tests. He moves around better than that on the field. I like his fearless style. Coaches and teammates rave about him. He was an All-American last year, breaking up 12 passes and picking off six.

Plus, McKinley once DM’d me about the video game NCAA 2014, so you know he’s got good taste.


6. Pittsburgh Steelers (13)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
CB36 242 Bryce Watts Ashton Youboty 7.89 5115 187
ED34 314 Tyree Johnson Jabril Frazier 3.48 6027 250
DL25 340 Tayland Humphrey Josh Augusta 0.96 6003 328
CB41 343 Chris Steele Sean Murphy-Bunting 7.58 6003 187
RB35 352 Jaylen Warren Jerick McKinnon 4.82 5080 207
RB46 444 Mataeo Durant C.J. Marable 6.5 5113 196
OT38 450 Jordan Tucker Rashod Hill 1.62 6062 344
DL39 457 Donovan Jeter Jay Bromley 6.24 6031 310
iOL45 466 Chris Owens Ben Claxton 3.16 6025 305
iOL49 500 Michael Maietti Brett Romberg 5.79 6013 303
RB51 --- Charles Williams Salvon Ahmed 3.76 5094 200
iOL56 --- Vincent McConnell 8.36 6045 295
iOL57 --- Jack Badovinac 6.54 6011 303
iOL63 --- Liam Fornadel 4.75 6042 312
iOL78 --- Vitaliy Gurman 8.26 6030 306
OT58 --- Jake Dixon 8.3 6051 310
LB68 --- Jahad Woods 4.15 5096 217
LB82 --- T.D. Moultry 2.08 6013 246
LB75 --- Tyler Dressler 7.74 6021 241
CB85 --- Tyrell Ford 6.66 5106 191

Pittsburgh finished outside the top-5 in the AFC because its UDFA class lacked the high-end talent of some other crops. That said, the Steelers did well to scoop up a bunch of intriguing lottery tickets. The Steelers signed 10 prospects I ranked in the top-500.

Some teams almost exclusively shoot for size/athleticism UDFA prospects who, for one reason or another, didn’t show-out in college. This year, Pittsburgh went the other way, signing a series of players who are better on the field than testing in shorts. Guys who went undrafted because of their athletic profiles, not a lack of skill.

The exception to that was at corner, where Bryce Watts and Chris Steele have NFL frames and athletic profiles. Outside of those two, in the aforementioned group of 10 top-500 prospects, nobody else tested above the 65th-percentile.

Take for instance Tyree Johnson, who led A&M with 8.5 sacks last year. Johnson is undersized, lacks length, and tested poorly. But he plays with good bend and body control and has a deep bag of pass-rushing tricks.

Humphrey is a fun dart throw at NT. He’s a sawed-off space-eater with a quick first-step who admirably wins the pad-level game despite his elephantine frame. But he’s a raw war-daddy, happy to knock heads and shake things up, but sometimes caught out of position or pushed upfield too quickly.


7. Jacksonville Jaguars (14)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
WR23 165 Kevin Austin Jr. Donovan Peoples-Jones 9.94 6023 209
CB34 226 Josh Thompson Kendall Sheffield 9.55 5114 194
QB11 250 EJ Perry Taylor Heinecke 9.43 6015 208
TE20 330 Gerrit Prince Hunter Bryant 4.82 6044 241
ED38 382 De’Shaan Dixon Will Overstreet 7.06 6042 247
OT32 395 Denzel Okafor Terrance Beadles 8.96 6032 307
iOL44 454 Nick Ford Cesar Ruiz 5.34 6050 310
WR108 --- Lujuan Winningham 4.8 6030 198
TE45 --- Grayson Gunter 5.85 6056 250
iOL52 --- Marcus Tatum Greg Senat 4.56 6065 307
DL76 --- Israel Antwine 7.84 6026 309
LB55 --- Grant Morgan 3.49 5111 224
CB67 --- Benjie Franklin 6.44 5114 172
S65 --- Sean Mahone 4.26 5111 203
K4 --- Andrew Mevis Cody Parkey 5101 203

Jacksonville had two primary targets. From the $230k in guarantees they handed to each – top-10 in this class and more than any UDFA had received prior to 2022 – it’s clear the Jags expect both to be on the Week 1 roster.

Those prospects are QB EJ Perry and WR Kevin Austin Jr. Perry was initially reported as signing with the Eagles, but he reversed course after finding out that Nevada’s Carson Strong had agreed to a record-setting UDFA contract with Philly. Perry only needs to beat out either CJ Beathard or Jake Luton for a roster spot in Jacksonville. Otherwise, the Jags will try to sneak him him onto the practice squad.

Austin, meanwhile, is a fun dart throw. He has ideal size and athleticism, and popped off for a 44-888-7 line last year amid Notre Dame’s up-and-down quarterback play. Austin’s pre-draft process was dogged by questions about his medical history, maturity, and one-year-wonder collegiate career. But when he’s healthy and locked-in, Austin is a handful for cornerbacks, with a strong blend of size, speed and ball skills.


8. Cleveland Browns (16)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
WR30 206 Isaiah Weston Robert Davis 9.62 6034 211
CB35 239 Shaun Jolly Parry Nickerson 6 5086 179
WR55 358 Mike Harley Marquez Stevenson 6.61 5100 179
WR59 390 Travell Harris Kermit Whitfield 3.18 5075 185
iOL41 420 Brock Hoffman Levi Brown 4.21 6034 302
S34 432 D’Anthony Bell Rayshawn Jenkins 8.99 6005 211
DL37 442 Roderick Perry II Gerald Willis III 2.24 6013 304
DL40 470 Glen Logan Roy Philon 5.42 6026 298
OT42 496 Ben Petrula Jonathan Martin 6.22 6050 316
QB44 --- Felix Harper 6.03 5097 164
TE36 --- Zaire Mitchell-Paden Rufus French 7.98 6047 257
LB90 --- Silas Kelly 6034 229
CB68 --- Junior Faulk 6002 210

I thought Isaiah Weston would get drafted on measurables and deep-field utility alone. He’s got an ideal blend of size and athleticism, and he knows how to win downfield, averaging 22.6 YPC over 109 career rececptions. The rest of his game is raw, and he’s going to turn 25 in October. But the Browns don’t have much at outside receiver behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones – DPJ would be a good mentor for Weston after arriving with a similar profile, albeit younger – and would love for Weston to emerge as the final receiver on the Week 1 depth chart.

The other interesting name here is Shaun Jolly. Jolly was an awesome Sun Belt corner who defended 25 passes across 34 starts the past three seasons (first-team All-SBC all three years). He’s small, lacks length, and will be a mediocre NFL athlete, but he’s a feisty and heady nickel who is difficult to shake and crashes down in run support. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was Greg Newsome’s primary backup at slot corner next year.


9. Cincinnati Bengals (18)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
OT23 225 Devin Cochran Will Fries 9.17 6071 306
WR34 232 Jaivon Heiligh Stanley Morgan Jr. 3.91 6004 202
ED31 265 Carson Wells Landis Durham 7.27 6026 241
iOL25 288 Ben Brown Dan Feeney 6051 312
ED41 409 Tariqious Tisdale Jalyn Holmes 7.09 6047 285
RB44 419 Shermari Jones Ryan Torain 6.75 6000 213
WR77 --- Kwamie Lassiter II Lucky Jackson 4.51 5107 185
WR93 --- Jack Sorenson 1.28 6002 189
TE46 --- Justin Rigg 6.5 6057 259
TE50 --- Jordan Wilson 2.46 6035 246
iOL69 --- Desmond Noel 5.08 6036 301
iOL73 --- Stewart Reese 3.23 6052 350
LB45 --- Clarence Hicks 7.35 6017 225
CB64 --- Delonte Hood 7.22 5112 192
CB77 --- Brendan Radley-Hiles 0.64 5077 183

After acquiring three projected offensive line starters earlier in the offseason, the Bengals devoted their premium draft picks to a secondary crying out for help (Daxton Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt and Tycen Anderson).

The Bengals finally have a starting-five along the offensive line they feel good about. But Cincy still had depth concerns and were light on future prospects they felt good about. In the spirit of that, it wasn’t a surprise to see the Bengals aggressively target UDFA offensive linemen.

R4 pick OL Cordell Volson is going to make the Week 1 roster. I think there’s a decent chance he’s joined by one of the top-two UDFA offensive linemen that Cincinnati signed, either Devin Cochran or Ben Brown.


10. Kansas City Chiefs (19)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
WR20 147 Justyn Ross Jakobi Meyers 2.64 6035 210
LB16 199 Mike Rose Oren Burks 9.06 6037 243
QB9 217 Dustin Crum Nathan Peterman 7.21 6012 210
RB17 234 Jerrion Ealy Ronnie Hillman 6.15 5081 187
LB36 438 Jack Cochrane Carter Coughlin 9.18 6030 236
RB79 --- Devin Darrington 7.85 5086 215
RB89 --- Tayon Fleet-Davis 5.11 6001 213
WR96 --- Trevor Begue 7.92 5101 188
WR102 --- Bryce Nunnelly 6.03 6003 189
iOL62 --- Chris Glaser 9.07 6040 306
iOL74 --- Gene Pryor 6020 299
iOL82 --- Mike Caliendo 6.85 6040 301
DL45 --- Tristan Nichols 6033 258
DL78 --- Ikenna Onwuasoanya 4.33 6012 302
ED73 --- Brandon Barlow 8.08 6040 256
LB76 --- Jordan Genmark Heath 8.45 6011 226
CB93 --- Caleb Holden 6.86 5090 180
S56 --- Nasir Greer 7.87 6006 209
S59 --- Reggie Stubblefield 2.76 5110 192
S78 --- Qua Brown 6.05 5104 204
S79 --- Komotay Koffie 5.07 5111 194

Kansas City generally fairs better than this in undrafted free agency. But this was a unique drafting year for the Chiefs in that they had five picks inside the top-103 and 10 total. Roster mathematics led to a less-aggressive UDFA strategy.

Still, Kansas City managed to emerge with four intriguing names. Mike Rose has a great blend of size, athleticism, and P5 production. He posted 321 tackles, 41 TFL, 14 passes defended and six INT over 49 games (all starts) in Ames. Rose should have declared after his superb 2020 season but returned and struggled with a rotator cuff injury last fall. He’s a versatile linebacker who should be able to hang around as a reserve and special-teamer.

Dustin Crum is a tough quarterback with a dual-threat element to his game. I think he has a better arm than he was given credit for during the pre-draft process. Ealy is a slasher with receiving chops (67 catches over 22 starts/33 appearances).

My favorite signing, though, was WR Justyn Ross. Ross had to wait a few days after the UDFA free-for-all on Saturday night to sign his contract due to the NFL’s concerns about the congenital fusion of his spine that led to surgery. Ross also dealt with a stress fracture in his left foot last season. He still managed to lead Clemson in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TD.

Prior to the spine injury, Ross was one of college football’s brightest young receiving stars. He posted 46 receptions for 1,000 yards as a freshman and 66 catches for 865 yards as a sophomore while working across from Tee Higgins during the Trevor Lawrence era. Ross has fabulous ball skills, and, at full health, is a handful to corral as a runner after the catch.

Will he ever get back to being that guy? Probably not. And it’s also highly possible that his career is cut short by injuries. But he was an awesome value signing for the Chiefs. Even a fraction of the old Ross was worth a draft pick. He’ll play in the NFL as long as his body allows him to.


11. Denver Broncos (20)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
ED25 142 Christopher Allen Jacob Pugh 6034 238
CB33 223 Ja’Quan McMillian Nickell Robey-Coleman 3.6 5096 181
WR57 378 Jalen Virgil William Franklin 9.16 6001 207
OT31 379 Michael Niese Seth McKinney 9.21 6032 303
LB41 482 Kadofi Wright Bo Ruud 6.03 6031 229
WR75 495 Kaden Davis Johnny Knox 8.34 5116 188
QB26 --- Eric Barriere Vernon Adams 5 5110 206
RB71 --- Tyreik McAllister Lexington Thomas 7.39 5090 181
WR90 --- Brandon Johnson 6023 195
TE48 --- Dylan Parham 6050 245
TE57 --- Rodney Williams II 8.87 6032 235
iOL71 --- Jake Stetz 6025 302
iOL80 --- Sebastian Gutierrez 9.84 6047 308
OT49 --- Clayton Bradley 8 6055 317
LB64 --- Kana’i Mauga 6.09 6006 245
CB74 --- Cortez Davis 3.46 5100 181

EDGE Christopher Allen, CB Ja’Quan McMillan and WR Jalen Virgil all have legitimate shots to crack the roster, and LB Kadofi Wright and WR Kaden Davis will be given long looks as well. Allen, who got the most guaranteed cash among the group, is the most intriguing lottery ticket.

A ballyhooed recruit with the body of Adonis, Allen posted six sacks and 13 TFL his first season in the rotation in 2020. But a fractured right foot in the 2021 opener stole what some thought would be his breakout campaign. Unfortunately, it was Allen’s second-major collegiate injury following a torn ACL in the 2018 preseason. Denver needs to figure out if he’s an EDGE or an LB. If Allen can stay healthy enough to build up from there, the Broncos may have a player on its hands.

McMillan is the opposite-sort of prospect. He’s small, and not a great athlete, but he started 27 games over three years on campus and posted an eye-opening 40 passes defended. He picks up tells from receivers and rides them along the route. McMillan manages to stay aggressive at the catch point without drawing flags.

Denver left the draft with some concerns with receiver depth. Virgil and Davis are both field-stretching speedsters. Denver is hoping to be put to a hard cut-day decision by whichever of the two performs better in camp.


12. Houston Texans (22)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
WR42 291 Johnny Johnson III Quan Cosby 5.46 5117 196
OT28 342 Myron Cunningham Colton Toner 2.12 6055 322
S26 346 Kolby Harvell-Peel Bacarri Rambo 6.58 5115 213
DL28 357 Kurt Hinish Kendall Reyes 8.83 6022 302
LB31 380 Jake Hansen Mike Hull 6006 239
DL41 487 Damion Daniels John Atkins 1.92 6016 302
WR94 --- Seth Green 7.84 6034 242
WR110 --- Drew Estrada 4.9 5117 195
OT47 --- Darta Lee 2.1 6034 313
LB49 --- Troy Hairston II 5104 231
CB87 --- Jacobi Francis 6.7 5095 191
S51 --- Tristin McCollum 6011 198

I didn’t love Houston’s draft, and I felt similarly about the post-draft strategy. Houston’s weak two-deep should have been a big selling point to NFL agents, but the Texans somehow didn’t sign a prospect within my pre-draft top-290.

The cream of the crop was Oregon’s Johnny Johnson, who had less than 600 receiving yards while dropping as many balls (3) as he had TD catches over 17 games the past two years. He’s coming off a foot injury and ran a 4.62 forty at his pro day.

OT Myron Cunningham, S Kolby Harvell-Peel, DT Kurt Hinish, LB Jake Hansen, and DT Damion Daniels will all be given shots to make the Week 1 active roster, but each have capped ceilings even things break right.


13. New York Jets (26)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
RB25 284 Zonovan Knight Khalil Herbert 5.84 5107 209
ED37 350 Ali Fayad Wyatt Ray 4.44 6015 248
DL34 422 C.J. Brewer Ricky Walker 6.08 6016 288
TE27 494 John Chenal Ben Mason 9.33 6024 254
QB28 --- Nick Starkel Collin Hill 1.7 6041 217
QB29 --- Liam Welch Case Keenum 6013 210
QB41 --- Breylin Smith 6023 227
RB63 --- DeAndre Torrey Larry Rountree III 6.03 5070 201
WR118 --- Irvin Charles 8.39 6041 228
WR119 --- Keshunn Abram 9.2 6013 194
TE31 --- Brett Borske Rico Gathers 7.35 6061 265
TE32 --- Daniel Imatorbhebhe Dante Rosario 3.28 6032 226
TE49 --- Isiah Macklin 5.72 6040 236
OT55 --- Airon Servais 4.89 6056 307
DL69 --- Savion Williams 2.79 6032 281
LB47 --- DQ Thomas 6015 226
LB86 --- Jeremiah Tyler 4.29 6007 223
CB57 --- Tony Adams Craig Mager 9.74 5114 203
CB76 --- Devin Rockette 5.24 5094 180
CB82 --- Allan George 8.66 5112 191
CB96 --- Darion Dunn 2.74 6000 195
CB108 --- Jeremy Webb 6026 201
S42 --- Omar Fortt Delvon Randall 7.58 6002 213
S49 --- Nowoola Awopetu 5112 197
S58 --- Jordan Mosley 5.82 6000 201
K5 --- Nick Sciba 5095 197

The Jets, like the Bears, eschewed UDFA bidding wars and instead opted to bring in a bevy of prospects for tryouts.

I liked RB Zonovan Knight at NC State. “Bam” posted 790-plus yards from scrimmage all three campaigns on campus and has preternatural contact balance. Last year, he ranked No. 12 in this class in elusive rating, and No. 14 in broken tackles forced. Knight also utility in the passing game. He’s a smooth route-runner and a fixer in pass-pro, smart, physical, capable, and enthusiastic. It would be nice if he could gain 10-15 pounds without further depreciating his quickness. Either way, the question will be if he has the athleticism to threaten NFL defenses.

Ali Fayad posted enormous production in the MAC – career 28.5 sacks and 53 TFL – but lacks measureables. Chenal picked the right spot, in that the Jets use fullbacks, but he’s a longshot for the Week 1 roster unless Nick Bawden suffers an injury.


14. Buffalo Bills (29)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
TE17 296 Jalen Wydermyer Jared Pinkney 1 6040 257
RB41 393 Raheem Blackshear Ito Smith 6.01 5093 194
OT33 405 Alec Anderson Cole Boozer 1.03 6051 304
OT35 426 Derek Kerstetter Simon Stepaniak 7.83 6044 305
iOL43 447 Tanner Owen Xavier Fulton 9.43 6042 307
WR76 --- Neil Pau’u Sage Surratt 5 6034 205
WR103 --- Keith Corbin 5.21 6006 191
WR122 --- Malik Williams 5.19 5067 196
DL62 --- Prince Emili 2.38 6005 295
ED56 --- Kingsley Jonathan 6025 259
CB65 --- Ja’Marcus Ingram 9.05 6010 185
CB109 --- Travon Fuller 6.28 6003 179
S77 --- Jay Lenard 6010 209
K11 --- Brandon Ruiz 5100 180

One year ago, Texas A&M Jalen Wydermyer was a consensus 2022 top-three TE… and TE1 on a number of boards. But a disastrous calendar year caused his stock to drop more than Bitcoin. The receiving smoothness we saw pre-2021 disappeared with Kellen Mond off to the NFL.

The Aggies’ suffered through poor quarterback play last year, but that’s hardly an excuse. Wydermyer dropped eight balls for an abysmal 16.7% drop rate. His blocking also mysteriously dropped-off, both in the run game and when asked to stay back in pass-pro.

The coup-de-gras on his plummet came during pre-draft testing, when Wydermyer ran a 5.02 forty and posted a 9th-percentile athletic composite despite ducking the agility drills that may have tanked the composite even further.

But receiving skill is a tough thing to teach at this position, and Wydermyer displayed it in college football’s premier conference prior to last year. He also retains potential as a blocker if his technique can be worked on – he’s got the frame and length for the work at the next level, certainly.

With Wydermyer, there’s the chance of a long-term roster cog. I don’t see that in the rest of the group.


15. Los Angeles Chargers (30)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
RB34 344 Leddie Brown Jeremy Langford 6.24 6001 215
WR63 417 Trevon Bradford DeAndrew White 4.24 5100 179
QB21 429 Brandon Peters Nick Fitzgerald 8.88 6044 228
RB49 475 Kevin Marks Jr. Tre Harbison 4.96 5111 200
CB56 498 Brandon Sebastian James Pierre 3 6001 182
QB25 --- Stone Smartt Zach Conque 8.93 6041 226
TE42 --- Erik Krommenhoek Sal Canella 6.11 6052 245
iOL88 --- Isaac Weaver 5.86 6064 310
ED79 --- Ty Shelby 8.04 6037 249
LB66 --- Kendricks Gladney Jr. 4.72 5106 209
LB93 ---

Tyreek Maddox-Williams

6.87 6004 228
CB75 --- Skyler Thomas 5087 184
S85 --- Raheem Layne 3.71 5111 192
K10 --- James McCourt 6010 216

The Chargers only signed five UDFA prospects on my top-500 board, and two of them – Leddie Brown and Kevin Marks Jr. – face extremely long odds to make the roster after LA drafted a pair of running backs on Day 3 (Isaiah Spiller and Zander Horvath).

Travon Bradford lacks size and athleticism and failed to crack 650 receiving yards in any of his six seasons on campus. Brandon Sebastian also may lack the athleticism for the next level.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Chargers try Brandon Peters at tight end. Peters is like Nick Fitzgerald in that he’s a big prospect with good mobility. He’s also like Fitzgerald in that he categorically lacks NFL accuracy. But as a tight end, Peters has 67th-percentile NFL athleticism. Including a 90th-percentile-or-better vertical jump, broad jump, and 10-yard split.


16. New England Patriots (31)

Pos Rank Name Comp RAS HT WT
ED30 211 LaBryan Ray Kingsley Keke 6.65 6042 286
QB13 266 D’Eriq King Quenton Flowers 5.46 5086 197
S37 460 Brenden Schooler Kai Nacua 9.78 6015 203
WR116 --- Jake Parker 7.26 5116 200
iOL77 --- Liam Shanahan 8.9 6045 305
iOL90 --- Kody Russey 8.71 6015 301
DL70 --- Jared Brinkman 6.5 6002 292
ED58 --- DaMarcus Mitchell 5.49 6026 260
CB95 --- Devin Hafford 8.3 5096 195
S97 --- Coby Tippett 3.73 5082 195
P7 --- Jake Julien 6020 217

Last year, the Patriots became the only organization in my four years doing this to not sign a UDFA on Saturday night after the draft. The Patriots’ streak of having at least one undrafted rookie making its initial 53-man roster for 17-straight seasons appeared to be in serious doubt. But K Quinn Nordin, signed a week after the draft, ended up hanging on the roster to extend New England’s streak to 18 years.

Between EDGE LaBryan Ray, OW D’Eriq King, S Brenden Schooler and OT Kody Russey, I think we’ll see that streak extend to 19. Ray’s biggest issue is health. He was a top-25 overall recruit coming out of high school but only played 850 snaps across five years at Alabama after suffering two separate feet injuries, two separate elbow injuries, and a groin injury.

King is a homeless man’s Kyler Murray in the vein of a Seneca Wallace or Quenton Flowers. His best chance to win a Week 1 job is converting back to receiver, a position he played early-on in his career at Houston. The Patriots have already pitched King on a “slash” designation. “I talked to [director of player personnel] Matt Groh, and he was excited,” King said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity. He told me I’ll do a little bit of everything—receiver, quarterback, running back—whatever I can do to stick.”

Brenden Schooler bounced between three FBS programs over six years in school, with his first and last seasons spent at safety and everything in-between at receiver. He’s extremely raw, but Schooler has one thing heavily working in his favor to convince the Patriots to keep him on the Year 1 roster: He’s an awesome special-teamer who could contribute on nearly every unit until he’s ready to join the defensive backfield rotation.

The Patriots clearly like Russey, giving him $180k in guarantees. Russey lacks size, but tested well. He’ll enter camp as C3 on the depth chart behind David Andrews and James Ferentz. What a twosome to learn from! Andrews has started 86 games over seven years in the NFL after arriving as a UDFA. Ferentz is entering his ninth NFL season after going undrafted.


Overall UDFA class rankings

Rank Team
1 Cowboys
2 Colts
3 Saints
4 Ravens
5 Eagles
6 Raiders
7 Titans
8 Dolphins
9 Giants
10 Falcons
11 49ers
12 Packers
13 Steelers
14 Jaguars
15 Lions
16 Browns
17 Seahawks
18 Bengals
19 Chiefs
20 Broncos
21 Bears
22 Texans
23 Panthers
24 Rams
25 Bucs
26 Jets
27 Commanders
28 Cardinals
29 Bills
30 Chargers
31 Patriots
32 Vikings

Top unsigned UDFA with no reported tryouts:

Quarterback Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Cole Johnson QB18 6043 220 5.69 Dan Orlovsky
Zerrick Cooper QB24 6022 230 1.72 Zac Lee
McKenzie Milton QB30 5111 194 1.78 Stephen Garcia
Patrick O’Brien QB32 6043 220 3.68 Dayne Crist
Jett Duffey QB33 5117 196 3.44 Blake Barnett
Juwan Carter QB34 5107 179 3.91 Chase Litton
Jawon Pass QB35 6041 240 3.16 Bobby Reid
Keon Howard QB38 6010 215 Tre Roberson
Daniel Smith QB39 5112 199 2.56 Dane Evans
Rogan Wells QB45 6030 210
Geremy Hickbottom QB46 6045 235 1.17
Joe Mancuso QB47 6026 219 8.38

Running back Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Master Teague III* RB38 5112 221 9.84 Mike Anderson
Cam’Ron Harris RB42 5086 214 Daniel Lasco
Devin Wynn RB56 5100 205 Javon Leak
Vavae Malepeai RB57 5107 212 Brandon Bolden
Stephen Carr RB58 5114 211 1.76 Bernard Pierce
Abdul Adams RB64 5104 204 7.62 Fozzy Whittaker
Tyler Nevens RB65 5104 238 0.78 Rudi Johnson
Quay Holmes RB66 6004 220 2.46 Jarvarris Williams
Kingston Davis RB67 5112 235 8.12 Kevan Barlow
Ivory Kelly-Martin RB68 5100 200 5 Antonio Williams
Joshua Mack RB70 5112 201 0.21 Cade Carney
Mulbah Car RB72 5104 210 5.88 Silas Redd
Ja’Darius Woods RB73 5055 193 6.67 Chad Morton
Kareem Walker RB74 6001 209 2.3 Malik Williams
Bradrick Shaw RB75 6014 220 7.24 Rico Dowdle
Marcus Williams Jr. RB76 5094 206 7.83 Bobby Rainey
Deon McIntosh RB80 5102 197 0.55
Michael Roots RB81 5086 204 3.01
BJ Smith RB82 5077 199 3.46
Morgan Ellison RB83 6010 230
Darien Rencher RB84 5075 192 5.65
Quardraiz Wadley RB85 5105 207 3.04
Alan Lamar RB86 5076 202
Sean McGrew RB87 5065 176 0.53
Martell Pettaway RB88 5085 204
Marcel Dancy RB89 5084 198 3.25
Dawson Downing RB90 5113 218 7.68

*Teague originally signed with the Bears before being waived on May 9.


Wide receiver Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Savon Scarver* WR60 5106 184 7.43 John Capel
K.D. Nixon WR66 5065 190 1.82 Sammie Stroughter
Tyler Snead WR67 5070 174 2.29 Penny Hart
Theo Howard WR81 6002 188 2.54 Byron Marshall
Henry Litwin* WR84 5110 189 7.18 Ray-Ray McCloud
Dahu Green WR107 6040 194
Octavius Evans WR111 6006 202 3.61
Kendric Pryor WR115 5104 183 5.5
Landon Lenoir* WR117 3.32
Cyrus Holder* WR123 6026 198 8.37

*Scarver, Litwin, Lenoir and Holder originally signed with the Bears before being released.


TE/FB Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Clint Ratkovich TE19 6005 236 9.39 Danny Vitale
Trae Barry TE34 6061 250 0.95 Cary Angeline
Matt Lynch TE43 6043 240 4.2
Mitchell Brinkman TE47 6022 246 6.21
Aaron Hackett TE52 6011 236 1.05
Juan Rodriguez TE59 6016 234 2.4
Jace Williams TE61 6045 216 3.61
Xavier Gaines TE64 6020 231 7.79

*Ratkovich tore his ACL during a workout at the Packers’ local day on April 8. He’s expected to receive interest once healthy.


OC/OG Rank Ht Wt RAS
Cain Madden iOL61 6024 310 2.12
Khalique Washington iOL79 6035 313 4.81
Orlando Umana iOL81 6034 311 2.49
Kohl Levao iOL85 6047 324 3.19
Jack Wohlabaugh iOL87 6024 307
Isaiah Edwards iOL92 6060 350 2.7

Offensive tackle Rank Ht Wt RAS
Greg Long OT48 6034 304
Uzo Osuji OT51 6063 301 7.82
Antione Frazier OT57 6037 327 5.93
Mark Brooks OT60 6057 304 6.71
Alex Akingbulu OT62 6054 310 6.38
Kooper Richardson OT63 6046 302 8.54
Payton Muljo OT64 6055 301 4.39
Eric Magwood OT65 6034 295 1.27
Tyrone Riley OT67 6060 291 3.79
TJ Jackson OT68 6062 349
Tarik Adams OT70 6031 325 1.33
Columbus Willis OT71 6045 333
Tison Gray OT72 6042 328 4.81
Jacob Vance OT73 6040 308
Colby Ragland OT74 6046 300 1.71

Defensive line Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Mohamed Diallo DL32 6050 285 Byron Cowart
Marcus Brown DL42 6015 290 1.52
Julius Turner DL43 5113 281 6.68
Tony Fair DL46 6013 343 0.71
Daquan Newkirk DL52 6025 328 2.83
Javaree Jackson DL54 6036 280 3.37
Bryson Donnell DL58 6006 303 6.35
Markell Utsey DL60 6024 281 4.66
A’javius Brown DL64 6001 323
DaShawn Crawford DL66 6002 287 4.55
Kevin Kegler DL72 5.89
CJ Wright DL74 5107 284 1.35
Jeremy Meiser DL75 6022 296 4.79
Macai Bruce DL79 5114 276
Weston Kramer DL81 6007 279 8.26
Miles Fox DL82 6000 289 8.05
Woo Scott Jr. DL85 5114 306 3.59
Dominion Ezinwa DL87 6040 283 6.25
Antwuan Jackson DL89 6021 298 3.13
Viane Moala DL90 6061 309

EDGE Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Adam Anderson* EDGE28 6040 236 9.37 Barkevious Mingo
Tre Williams EDGE36 6043 253 2.57 Tarell Basham
JW Jones EDGE60 6030 256
Manny Walker EDGE62 6035 239 8.89
Mandy Alonso EDGE63 6017 285
Aaron Sterling EDGE66 6005 245 5.03
Cody Roscoe EDGE68 5113 253 9
Josiah Erickson EDGE77 6010 224 4
Chris Turner EDGE81 6032 269 5.51
Kailon Davis EDGE82 6017 242 3.2
Josh Greenwood EDGE84 6002 284 6.53
Tristen Vance EDGE86 5107 228 3.78

*Anderson was indicted by a grand jury on rape charges in late-April. His arraignment is scheduled for June 13.


Linebacker Rank Ht Wt RAS
Colin Schooler LB46 5116 229 7.59
Jaylan Alexander* LB63 6005 236 1.31
Cole McCubrey LB65 5114 227 8.49
Ben Davis LB72 6034 237 7.36
Justin Rice LB74 6016 226 4.34
Lakia Henry LB77 5110 231 1.23
Kenny Hebert LB81 6033 230 6.54
Noah Burks LB87 6023 235 4.71
Noah Harvey LB91 6031 230 8.3
Eric Munoz LB92 5116 220 5.74
Blaze Alldredge LB94 6013 225 6.86
Phil Campbell III LB96 6004 219 5.7
William Kwenkeu LB97 6001 221 7.26
Deontay Anderson LB98 6014 218 6
Jaylen Jenkins LB99 5116 205
Terry Myrick LB100 5106 222 5.42

*Alexander originally signed with the Bears before being waived on May 9.


Cornerback Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Nick Grant CB52 6007 190 4.97 Tre Flowers
Leonard Johnson CB78 6003 194 6.7
Keondre Ko CB90 5112 190 6.48
Dominique Long CB91 6013 200 8.33
Kenneth George Jr. CB94 5116 194 6.36
Phillip Howard CB97 5100 187 4.29
Jesse Bramble CB101 5107 203 6.76
Freddie Johnson CB105 6001 183 7.6
Jordan Perry CB111 5112 178 2.37

Safety Rank Ht Wt RAS Comp
Amari Carter S40 5114 200 5.04 Justin Evans
Evan Fields S54 5116 201
Logan Stewart S60 5113 204 7.76
Brandon Drayton S64 6014 197 5.93
Mike Palmer S71 6012 194 2.28
Richard Dames S74 5106 190 1.55
Jack Fagot S76 6003 194 8.04
Tyrone Hill Jr. S80 6005 206 8.64
Daniel Wright S81 6000 187 2.41
Dy’Vonne Inyang S84 6001 177 4.25
Tyree Robinson S88 5104 190 1.32
Raekwon Chatman S91 5115 186 2.98
Collin Wilder S93 5103 195 3.84
James Jones IV S94 6002 192 4.87
Caleb Brown S98 6006 220 5.55
Cameron Lewis S100 6003 191 3.56

*Carter originally signed with the Bears before being waived on May 9.