2012 NFL Undrafted Free Agents: 7 Players Who Will Make Teams Pay

The NFL is full of undrafted free agents who have gone on to have stellar careers, making the teams that passed on them in the draft pay for their mistake.

The 2012 season is no different than any other year, as there are some players who should have been drafted but for whatever reason were passed on and signed after the draft as free agents.

These players are going to play with a chip on their shoulders their entire careers, and they will in due course become cornerstone members of their teams.

They are the unwanted. The cast-offs. The next generation of Wes Welkers, James Harrisons and Arian Fosters.

Jarrett Boykin, Wide Receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars

Marques Colston proved to the league that speed isn't everything. He is a polished route-runner who has terrific hands and size.

Boykin is the same kind of receiver. He isn't fast and won't be a huge vertical threat, but he will be strong underneath coverage as an "X" receiver for the Jags.

Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars will show signs of life in the passing game, and Boykin work his way into the starting lineup at some point during the 2012 season. 

Chase Minnifield, Cornerback, Washington Redskins

The Redskins got a huge steal landing Minnifield as an undrafted free agent. They had a terrible secondary last year, and Minnifield has a chance to earn playing time on their roster as long as his knee holds up.

Minnifield was considered to be one of the top prospects at the cornerback position before the 2011 season, but a subpar senior season hurt his draft stock. Combined with a pro day where he ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, and the former second-round prospect tumbled all the way out of the draft.

With additional time to fully recover from knee surgery, Minnifield will become a contributor for the Redskins either this year or next.

Dwight Jones, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans

Dwight Jones is going to be a good receiver in the NFL. 

He has size—6'3" and 230 lbs.—and excellent hands. He isn't afraid to go over the middle and take punishment, but more often than not he's going to be the one dishing it out.

The issue with Jones is that he needs to completely dedicate himself to football. If I were him, I would be spending all of my time at team facilities watching tape and memorizing the playbook front to back.

It's a shame he went undrafted, but that might be the motivation he needs to succeed as a pro. 

Duke Ihenacho, Strong Safety, Denver Broncos

I'm stunned that Ihenacho went undrafted.

He is an instinctive player that is always around the football and has good size for his position at 6'1" and 205 lbs. What's more, he loves to lay the wood on receivers and running backs when they come his way.

The knock on Ihenacho is that he isn't an "explosive" player despite looking the part at San Jose State. During his collegiate career, he made play after play when his team needed him the most.

Ihenacho get a chance to compete for a roster spot and could steal a starting role in Denver, especially considering that legend Brian Dawkins recently called it quits. 

James Brown, Offensive Tackle, Chicago Bears

The Bears didn't address the need for offensive line help anywhere in the draft, but they could have landed one of the biggest steals of this year's class as a free agent. 

Brown is a big, athletic man with long arms at 6'4" and 306 pounds—prototypical size and body type for an NFL tackle. With enough time spent in the weight room he will be downright beastly. 

He's a physical banger who loves the action in the trenches, leading many to believe that Brown might be better suited to be a guard at the next level. No matter where the Bears decide to put him, he's going to excel.

Chris Owusu, Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers

Owusu joins a suddenly loaded and talented wide receiving corps in San Francisco, and it would seem to be a tough sell that he will even make the squad.

However, the Stanford product is a gifted receiver with blazing speed and sudden quickness off the line and in his cuts. With his talents on full display, Owusu will find a way to make the roster this year for the 49ers.

There are concerns about his history of multiple concussions, but we have seen other players overcome this with no ill effects. 

Owusu will become a household name soon enough to people all over Northern California and throughout the country as he turns into a game-breaking wide receiver for the 49ers.

Chris Polk, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles

Todd Milles of the News Tribune reported via Twitter that Polk has a degenerative hip issue, surprising everyone in the media and moving Polk—an early-second round pick by most experts—out of the draft completely.

Polk denied those rumors, via CBSSports.com:

"

I know teams are concerned about my shoulder, but I also heard somebody say something about a degenerative hip and there is just no truth to that. I had labrum surgery on the shoulder a year ago and it didn't slow me down last season.

"

Polk is a big, powerful runner during his time at Washington. In addition to his ability to make big plays in the running game, Polk is also an extremely gifted pass-catcher out of the backfield.

While he won't see any time as a starter this year unless LeSean McCoy gets injured, Polk will be a sure-fire starter at some point in his career.

And you know he's angry about this sudden twist of fate.

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