Undrafted NFL Free Agents Who Could Be Major Contributors in 2015
Every NFL season includes productive undrafted rookies—players who find ways to be significant contributors for their teams even though they were not among the 256 players selected in the draft.
Last year’s end-of-season top-50 rookie rankings here at Bleacher Report included five undrafted free-agent signings, and there were numerous others who had a case for being on the list. It’s likely there will be at least a handful of undrafted rookies who make an impact on the league in 2015.
Realistically, the odds are against each and every undrafted rookie. Having not been valued highly enough by any team to be selected in the draft’s seven rounds, an undrafted player has to stand out in training camp and the preseason, proving his worth against veteran and draft-pick competition, to earn a roster spot.
Each of the following players, however, is in a situation where he could end up playing with regularity in the upcoming season. While all of them had enough talent to warrant draft selections, they were also able to sign with teams with openings for depth and competition at their respective positions.
Xavier Williams, NT, Arizona Cardinals
1 of 8
After losing Dan Williams to the Oakland Raiders in free agency, it would have made sense for the Arizona Cardinals to draft a nose tackle. Instead, they were able to land Xavier Williams, who had more than enough talent to be a Day 3 draft pick out of Northern Iowa and should be able to push for playing time at the position.
The only true veteran nose tackle on the Cardinals roster is Alameda Ta’amu, who played just 24 snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Ta’amu started three games in 2013 but suffered a torn ACL at the end of that regular season. According to Cardinals coach Bruce Arians (via Jess Root of Revenge of the Birds), Ta’amu then “basically ate himself out of a job” last season.
Ta’amu has the size and strength—and when he is in shape, the quickness—to be a dominant and disruptive player at the nose tackle position. He has not shown that he can consistently be that, however. Even if he does return to form this year, the Cardinals will need a depth player who can play in a rotational capacity.
That’s where Williams come in. Having measured 6’2” and 320 pounds at his pro day, according to NFLDraftScout.com, Williams has good size for the nose tackle position and is able to drive through his opponents to generate power. Additionally, Williams displays enough burst off the snap and hand skills to beat blockers off the line and shoot gaps into the backfield.
Dominant against Football Championship Subdivision competition, and again during his week at the East-West Shrine Game, Williams demonstrates on the field that he has the traits to be a disruptive force in the middle of a defensive line. He was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and his testing numbers at Northern Iowa’s pro day were subpar, but a nose tackle will always be more impressive in game action than in a glorified track meet.
Given the Cardinals’ lack of legitimate options at nose tackle for their 3-4 defense, Williams should have a good shot at earning a spot on the 53-man roster. If Ta’amu continues to struggle with his weight or is underwhelming in his play, Williams could make a push to emerge as the starter.
Derrick Lott, DE/DT, Tennessee Titans
2 of 8
It’s likely that age, as he will be 25 years old before the beginning of the season, and a history of injuries played bigger parts than talent in Derrick Lott going unselected in this year’s draft. It’s understandable that Lott went undrafted, but his tools could enable him to make a rapid impact in the NFL.
The largest player to run a sub-five-second 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, at 6’4” and 314 pounds, Lott has optimal physical tools for an interior defensive lineman. He is big, long and powerful and has a good burst off the snap and the movement skills to make plays all along the line.
While Lott is older than the typical small-school project on whom a team wants to use a draft pick, he has enough skill to be an immediate contributor. On his game film, Lott shows ability to use his hands to work his way off blocks, while he typically holds his ground adequately at the point of attack.
Lott is a more natural fit to play 4-3 defensive tackle than any spot in the Titans’ 3-4 front, but his length and agility should enable him to play, at least situationally, as a 5-technique defensive end.
The Titans used one draft pick to add to their defensive line, as they selected another versatile and athletic interior player in Auburn’s Angelo Blackson with the first pick of Round 4. But they could still use more talent on the unit.
Lott will have to prove quickly in training camp that his skill set can translate to playing in the NFL and in the 3-4. If he can do that, he should have a good shot at making the roster as a backup. If he does, expect his explosive qualities to make him tough to keep off the field.
Antwan Goodley, WR/RB, Dallas Cowboys
3 of 8Coming off a career at Baylor in which he caught 150 passes for 2,366 yards and 21 touchdowns, Antwan Goodley could certainly be an asset to the Dallas Cowboys on their wide receiver depth chart.
Goodley has limited height and length and is not a natural hands catcher, but he has good speed and is dangerous in the open field once the ball is in his possession.
On a Cowboys team that had just three wide receivers with more than seven receptions last season, Goodley could potentially emerge as the No. 4 option. He will face competition for that role, though, from 2014 fifth-round pick Devin Street plus fellow undrafted rookies Deontay Greenberry and George Farmer.
Goodley’s potential at wide receiver, however, is not the only reason he is on this list. If the Cowboys want to maximize his opportunities to be a legitimate contributor to their team, they would be smart to experiment with the possibility of Goodley playing some running back.
At 5’10” and 209 pounds, Goodley has a build more befitting a running back than a wide receiver in the NFL. His ability to cut and to run off contact gives him intriguing potential to be a back, and he has some experience previously lining up in the backfield.
After losing DeMarco Murray in free agency this offseason and not selecting a running back in the draft, the Cowboys have a weakness at the position. The Cowboys do not have one back who will be able to be a load-carrying feature back like Murray was; instead, they will have to take a committee approach that could include Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams, depending who makes the roster.
If Goodley can offer the versatility to both contribute to that rotation and be a pass-catcher, his chances should be good to not only make the roster but be a significant and valuable piece of the Dallas offense.
.png?w=256)
Jeff Luc/Zach Vigil/Mike Hull, ILB, Miami Dolphins
4 of 8
It’s unlikely that Jeff Luc, Zach Vigil and Mike Hull will all make the Miami Dolphins roster this year. It’s likely that one if not two of them will, however, so because the three linebackers were similarly graded players coming out of college, all three of them are worthy of being highlighted in this slideshow.
The Dolphins went into the draft with a need to upgrade their linebacker corps but did not use any of their seven picks to draft one. They have two decent starters in Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins, but they otherwise have subpar talent at the position.
That leaves an opportunity for Luc, Vigil and Hull to not only compete with one another for a roster spot but also to compete with the other veteran linebackers on the Dolphins roster—Spencer Paysinger, Kelvin Sheppard and Chris McCain, among others—for a starting spot or at least a key depth role.
Given that, it’s easy to see why four linebackers, also including Marshall’s Neville Hewitt, chose to sign with the Dolphins after going undrafted. Hewitt is a roster long shot, but the aforementioned three—who all ranked within the FBS’s top 13 in total tackles last season, according to CFBStats.com—should give one another a tough battle.
Luc, from Cincinnati, has the most physical upside of the trio. At 6’1” and 256 pounds, Luc has optimal size for the middle linebacker position and also has the athleticism to be explosive downhill and make plays from sideline to sideline. He was a one-year wonder in college, having finally played up to his potential in 2014 after a disappointing start to a career that began at Florida State, but he had a 133-tackle senior season.
Vigil, from Utah State, had 154 total tackles in 2014, the second-most of any player in the FBS. Snubbed by the NFL Scouting Combine like Luc, Vigil lacks top-end size and athleticism but is an instinctive player who tackles soundly, changes directions effectively and shows the ability to work through blocks.
Hull, from Penn State, is the smallest and least explosive of the trio, but he is a high-motor player who consistently gets himself in position to make plays. He has solid change-of-direction skills, can adeptly drop back into coverage and is a team leader who recorded 140 total tackles as a senior.
It would be ideal for the Dolphins if one of those three players can emerge as an adequate starting middle linebacker, which would enable them to move Koa Misi back to his more natural position of strong-side linebacker.
Because he has the most measurable upside and is the best suited to play as a Mike linebacker in the NFL, Luc projects as the favorite to earn a job if he can continue to build upon his impressive senior year at Cincinnati. Whatever the result, the competition among these three will make Dolphins training camp one of the most intriguing to watch for potential undrafted free agent contributors.
Anthony Harris, FS/SS, Minnesota Vikings
5 of 8
Going into his senior season at Virginia, Anthony Harris was widely projected to be one of the first safeties selected in the 2015 NFL draft. Coming off a solid 2014 in which he earned third-team All-ACC honors, it came as a surprise that Harris went completely undrafted this past week.
While Harris does not have any truly outstanding traits, he is a well-rounded player. The national leader in interceptions with eight in 2013, Harris is a solid coverage safety with a proven ability to make plays on the ball. He is also a relatively fluid athlete and a productive tackler.
Shoulder surgery this past December might very well have been the biggest factor that kept Harris from being drafted. As Harris noted in a predraft interview with Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, he was unable to participate in any drills at the NFL Scouting Combine or at Virginia’s pro day.
Teams like to have precise results from athletic testing for every player they consider drafting, so that might have led some teams to take Harris off their boards. He is small for a strong safety, having weighed in at only 183 pounds at the combine, and it is uncertain how his athleticism would have measured up against the other free safety prospects in the draft.
Once he is healthy, however, Harris should be able to provide quality depth, with the ability to play both safety positions. He should also compete to be an immediate contributor on special teams.
It’s not out of the question that Harris could see a large chunk of playing time, or even start, at the strong safety position. Robert Blanton is a decent but unspectacular starter, and the Vikings’ other options at the position—Andrew Sendejo, Taylor Mays, Antone Exum and Ahmad Dixon—have not proved they are worthy of more than being backups.
At the least, Harris should be able to earn a spot on the 53-man roster among a group of safeties that is, aside from Harrison Smith, largely uninspiring.
John Crockett, RB, Green Bay Packers
6 of 8
During Ted Thompson’s tenure as general manager, no NFL team has had better success with its undrafted free agents than the Green Bay Packers. Cornerback Sam Shields is just one of numerous recent examples of unselected players who have gone on to be productive for the team. According to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, Packers' undrafted free agents have played 77,079 snaps since 2005, nearly 23,000 more than any other team.
The next UDFA to emerge as a productive player in Green Bay could be John Crockett. The Packers have an opening for a third running back on their roster, and Crockett should have a good shot at winning the job.
A well-rounded back, Crockett ran for 4,309 yards and 41 touchdowns in three playing seasons at North Dakota State. In his senior year, he also showed reliability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, as he caught 30 passes for 397 yards in 2014.
Crockett does not have tremendous power or speed, but he uses his vision well and has enough suddenness to bounce between running lanes and make defenders miss. He is also one of the most confident and energetic players on any football field in America—just ask anyone who watched him practice at the East-West Shrine Game.
The Packers have a true feature back, Eddie Lacy, who has taken the lion’s share of the team’s carries in each of his first two NFL seasons. That said, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy noted earlier this offseason that he will try to limit Lacy’s touches in order to preserve him, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which could open up more carries for a second- or third-string back.
After letting go of DuJuan Harris this offseason, the Packers’ competition for the No. 3 running back job behind Lacy and James Starks will consist of Crockett, second-year player Rajion Neal and fellow undrafted free agents Malcolm Agnew and Alonzo Harris.
It’s not inconceivable that Crockett could even end up landing the second-string spot on Green Bay’s running back depth chart. While Starks’ roster spot should be safe, he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry last offseason. That could open the door for Crockett to supplant him in the preseason, considering the Packers’ history of being open to giving playing time to undrafted rookies if they earn it.
Ryan Delaire, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7 of 8
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released defensive end Michael Johnson in March, just one season after signing him to a lucrative five-year contract. Their only significant move to replace him was acquiring George Johnson in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
George Johnson is a decent player who will likely start given Tampa Bay’s other options at the position, but a defensive end rotation of Johnson, Jacquies Smith and William Gholston will not strike fear into any opposing quarterbacks.
Ryan Delaire, an undrafted free agent out of Towson who ran a 4.97-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, might not either. Yet because the Buccaneers’ options at his position are so limited, a good training camp and preseason could go a long way for Delaire.
Having recorded 22.5 sacks over the course of two seasons in the FCS, Delaire has a proven proficiency at rushing the passer.
While it is reasonable to question whether Delaire will be able to translate that success to the NFL, his film demonstrates a solid combination of burst, bend, change-of-direction quickness and hand skills. At 6’4” and 254 pounds, he has adequate size for playing defensive end in a 4-3 front.
The Buccaneers lack both top-end talent and depth at defensive end. Delaire’s competition for a roster spot will be T.J. Fatinikun, who went undrafted in 2013 and had just one half-sack last season, plus Larry English and Lawrence Sidbury, a pair of busts from the 2009 draft who are clinging to their last NFL hopes.
Delaire should have a great shot at beating those players out, and if he can, there is no reason he should not get an opportunity to play significant time in the regular season. He could prove to be a surprise spark for a team that needs one on its defensive edge.
La’el Collins, LG/RT, Dallas Cowboys
8 of 8
Note: This slide was updated Tuesday afternoon to reflect Collins' signing with the Dallas Cowboys, which was first reported by Charean Williams of The Dallas Morning News and later confirmed by the team.
A first-round talent who went undrafted after being linked to a murder investigation just days before last week’s NFL draft, former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins will almost certainly get a shot to be a major contributor—now that he has signed with the Dallas Cowboys—assuming he is cleared in the investigation.
Seemingly just a victim of horrible timing, Collins met with Baton Rouge homicide detectives on Monday, who questioned him as part of their investigation into the shooting death of Brittany Mills, a 29-year-old woman who was killed at her home on April 24. Police told Ben Wallace of The Advocate that Collins “fully cooperated with investigators and is still not considered a suspect.”
Furthermore, a paternity test has proved that Collins did not father Mills’ child (who was successfully delivered but later died), and he has also “passed a polygraph test administered by an independent investigator,” according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. Barring an unexpected twist in the investigation, it appears as though Collins is on track to be cleared of wrongdoing.
Understandably, without all of that information available to them last week, all 32 NFL teams decided to pass on investing a draft pick in Collins. He might have been drafted on Day 3, in spite of the uncertainty, but his agent told NFL teams that Collins would not sign his contract if he were selected on Saturday, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. He would then have been eligible to enter the 2016 draft.
Going undrafted, on the other hand, made Collins a free agent. After visiting with the team Tuesday, Collins reportedly decided that the Cowboys would be the best fit among the many teams lining up in hopes of a chance to sign him.
The Cowboys already had one of the NFL's elite offensive lines—arguably, the league's best—but it's easy to see why they signed Collins anyways.
If not for the off-field uncertainty, Collins likely wouldn't have even still been on the board when the Cowboys picked at No. 27 overall in the first round of this year's draft. The 6’4”, 305-pound lineman was a three-year starter at LSU, with one season at left guard and two at left tackle, and is ready to compete for a starting job immediately.
According to a report by Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, Collins' preference is to continue playing offensive tackle, and it's possible he could push Doug Free for Dallas' starting right tackle job. The best move for both Collins and the Cowboys, however, would be to have him compete with Ronald Leary, and likely unseat him, to start at left guard.
Although his versatility is an asset, Collins lacks the desired length and lateral quickness of an NFL offensive tackle. A heavy-handed puncher who is dominant with his hands, Collins has a skill set that projects best to playing inside, where he and second-year right guard Zack Martin could form one of the league's best young tandems at the position.
All measurables courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
.png?w=480)
.jpeg?w=600 "Updated Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket")
.jpg?w=600 "Could Leafs Trade for McDavid in 2027? 🤔")