The 9 Best NFL Undrafted Players of All Time

While the disappointment of not being selected in the NFL draft can be immense, that's not always the end of the story.

In fact, for some players, it's really just the beginning.

As the draft concluded, they embarked on a unique kind of journey—one that occasionally takes many years. All of them, though, no matter the time it took, ultimately capitalized on an opportunity and became a star.

The reality is that going undrafted makes for an improbable professional path. As these guys showed, however, it's not an impossible one.

Night Train Lane, S

AP

Year undrafted: 1952

No, I never watched Dick "Night Train" Lane. You probably didn't, either.

Look at the numbers, though, and you should be pretty darn impressed by the safety with an elite nickname who played 14 seasons.

After four years of military service, he joined the Los Angeles Rams on a tryout in 1952. Lane snagged a still-standing NFL record of 14 interceptions as a rookie and embarked on a Hall of Fame career.

Named an All-Pro in six seasons, Lane retired with 68 interceptions—which remains the fourth-best total in league history.

Larry Little, OG

AP

Year undrafted: 1967

Larry Little initially signed with the San Diego Chargers, spending two years with the franchise before the Miami Dolphins acquired him in a trade.

There, the right guard's career took off.

During his 12 seasons with Miami, Little garnered first-team All-Pro honors five times and second-team recognition twice more. He played a key part of two Super Bowl-winning teams—including the perfect 1972 season.

Little entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1993 class.

Donnie Shell, S

ap

Year undrafted: 1974

Armed with a legendary group of talent, the "Steel Curtain" defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers ruled the 1970s.

The back end of that unit featured Donnie Shell, who held a reserve role on the Steelers' first two championship teams in 1974 and 1975. But by 1978 and 1979, he'd become an essential piece of that dominant defense.

Shell played all 14 seasons with Pittsburgh, earning All-Pro recognition four times while collecting 51 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries.

He entered the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Warren Moon, QB

AP

Year undrafted: 1978

Warren Moon had anything but a direct path to NFL stardom.

Do not mistake that, however, for believing he wasn't busy excelling; Moon won five Grey Cups (CFL championships) in six seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos and became the first-ever 5,000-yard passer in Canada.

He joined the Houston Oilers in 1984 and became a star in 1988. Moon won Offensive Player of the Year in 1990, guided the franchise to the playoffs in seven straight years and secured eight Pro Bowl nods in a row.

Moon, who finished his career on the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, is the lone player in the Canadian and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

John Randle, DT

FR51399 AP

Year undrafted: 1990

Within only a few years, the Texas A&M-Kingsville product showed the rest of the league it had made a pretty significant oversight.

John Randle held a backup job as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings in 1990, then posted 9.5 and 11.5 sacks during the next two seasons. He proceeded to become one of the NFL's most feared defensive tackles.

For six consecutive years, Randle was a first-team All-Pro selection—and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1998.

Randle hit double-digit sacks in nine of his 14 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the Vikings prior to three in Seattle. He retired with 137.5 sacks, trailing only fellow Minnesota legend Alan Page (148.5) at the position.

Randle entered the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Kurt Warner, QB

Year undrafted: 1994

Kurt Warner's story is captivating.

After the Green Bay Packers cut him in 1994, he played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League from 1995-97. Warner spent 1998 between the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe and the St. Louis Rams.

Because of Trent Green's unfortunate knee injury in the 1999 preseason, Warner finally had a chance—and he absolutely dazzled.

Warner threw a league-best 41 touchdowns, earned the league MVP and guided the Rams to a Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans. He landed a second MVP in 2001 and propelled St. Louis to another Super Bowl trip. As if that's not enough, he took the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl in 2008.

Warner is the only player in both the Arena and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Adam Vinatieri, K

AP

Year undrafted: 1996

You cannot tell the story of the NFL without Adam Vinatieri.

Sure, omitting his name is possible when discussing the New England Patriots' dynasty with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. But when you look specifically at those big games, Vinatieri's footprint was all over them.

During the playoffs of the 2001 season, he buried two clutch field goals in the infamous "Tuck Rule" game and drilled the Patriots' winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI. He hammered the winner in Super Bowl XXXVIII and connected on what proved to be the decisive kick of Super Bowl XXXIX.

Got the idea, right?

A three-time first-team All-Pro, Vinatieri played 10 seasons in New England and 14 with the Indianapolis Colts. He remains the NFL's all-time leader in both field goals made (599) and scoring (2,673 points).

Vinatieri should soon be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

(And if not, we riot. Metaphorically, of course.)

James Harrison, LB

AP

Year undrafted: 2002

Pittsburgh saw something in James Harrison and signed him in 2002, but he never made a substantial impact in two seasons. That led to Harrison inking a futures contract with the Baltimore Ravens and playing for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2004—only for Baltimore to cut him.

Most stories end there. Were it not for Clark Haggans' weightlifting accident, it could've been for Harrison, too.

Instead, he jumped on the opportunity to rejoin Pittsburgh.

Harrison held a reserve role until securing a starting job in 2007, a season that started a four-year streak of All-Pro recognition. In 2008, he posted 16 sacks, won Defensive Player of the Year and memorably returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII.

During his 15-year career, Harrison put up 811 tackles with 84.5 sacks.

Antonio Gates, TE

AP

Year undrafted: 2003

Harrison played college ball at Kent State from 1998-2001, overlapping with Antonio Gates (2001-03) for one year.

They never suited up together, though, because Gates only played basketball—and helped the Golden Flashes reach the Elite Eight in 2002. But the two-time All-MAC player on the hardwood headed for the gridiron in 2003.

San Diego took a chance on Gates, who surged into a first-string spot as a rookie tight end. He then earned first-team All-Pro recognition in three straight years.

Not bad for a basketball player!

Gates received eight consecutive Pro Bowl nods while garnering All-Pro status five times in that stretch. He played 16 seasons on the Chargers, retiring with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns. Those totals rank fourth, fourth and first in NFL history at his position.

The most recent Hall of Fame class in 2025 featured Gates.