4 UDFA Sleepers Most Likely to Lock Down Starting Job in 2026 NFL Season

Undrafted free agents may not be the most exciting members of the 2026 rookie class, but several are trending towards playing big roles during the upcoming NFL season.

Making the final roster, let alone earning a starting job, is a monumental achievement for these unheralded prospects. According to Wide Left's Arif Hasan, only nine percent of UDFAs went through the final round of cuts between 2018-2024. To put this in perspective, more than half (52.6 percent) of Round 7 draft picks in that same span made it past cutdown day.

While most of the UDFAs brought in by clubs this offseason won't survive to see Week 1, a few will emerge as far more than camp bodies. These players may slip under the radar, but it won't be long before teams regret the decision to pass them up during the draft.

With that in mind, here's a look at four UDFA sleepers with at least a small chance of locking down a starting job for the 2026 NFL season.

FB Jackson Acker, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Aaron Gash

Fullback may be the least glamorous offensive position in football, but these players can still provide plenty of value to teams over the course of a long season.

A player capable of laying out devastating blocks and clearing lanes for running backs who can also handle some short-yardage carries and make a few plays in the passing game can be a tremendous asset.

Jackson Acker is looking to provide those services to the Buffalo Bills after agreeing to a deal to join them as an UDFA. He spent five seasons at Wisconsin working as both a RB and FB, finishing his collegiate career with 415 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 94 totes.

While the 23-year-old didn't see regular usage as a ball-carrier after his sophomore season, he stood out for his willingness to adapt to any role the team needed him to play.

Acker even had a stint at tight end despite his 6'1", 247-pound stature. While that frame is plenty big for an NFL back, it's diminutive compared to some of the Big Ten's hulking playmakers at the position. Being able to handle TE snaps is a true testament to Acker's versatility, toughness and grit.

The Bills will be able to make good use of that utility under first-year head coach Joe Brady. Acker has the power and frame to move the chains in short-yardage scenarios and can punch in scores at the goal line. He also has the hands and pass-catching chops to potentially add an additional weapon for Josh Allen to leverage in Buffalo's offense. Acker tallied 276 receiving yards and three scores on 37 receptions during his time in Madison.

Although Acker isn't a lock to make the roster, his main competition for the fullback spot comes from veteran free-agent acquisition Ben VanSumeren.

VanSumeren has valuable NFL experience under his belt but is coming off a devastating knee injury suffered on the opening play of the 2025 season. The torn patellar tendon was the second major knee issue the converted linebacker dealt with since the 2024 campaign kicked off.

If VanSumeren can't fully work his way back from these significant knee problems, Acker will have the inside track to securing his place on Buffalo's final roster and taking on a large role as a rookie UDFA.

RB Robert Henry Jr., Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

The Washington Commanders will play host to one of training camp season's most intriguing positional battles. The team's running back competition, which has six viable choices for three or four spots on the final roster, looks wide open for the taking.

While undrafted free agent pickup Robert Henry Jr. doesn't have the same pedigree as some of the drafted players starting out ahead of him on the depth chart, the UTSA product could easily usurp all of them with a strong offseason showing.

Henry will clash with a series of veterans with varying levels of NFL experience. The most proven is Rachaad White, who joined Washington this offseason after racking up over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns from scrimmage over four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While White is a strong candidate to start, he averages fewer than four yards per carry on his career and is best utilized as a third down back.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, one of the breakout stars of last year's training camp, will also be in the mix as he attempts to retain the starting job he seized as a seventh-round rookie. His 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 totes were impressive for an unheralded Day 3 pick, but he hasn't been consistent enough to slam the door on another player taking the RB1 job.

Henry should have plenty of confidence going into his first training camp, one that comes on the heels of a strong final season with the Roadrunners. He amassed over 1,000 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns on 151 carries and added 114 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 18 catches.

Although he played at a small program, Henry proved he could hang with elite talent when the opportunity presented itself. During the 2025 opener against Texas A&M, the back exploded for 177 yards and two touchdowns to keep UTSA competitive against a much stronger foe.

While he's more likely to catch on as a depth choice—assuming he can beat out the likes of Jerome Ford, Jeremy McNichols and fellow rookie Kaytron Allen—a head-turning showing at camp could vault Henry into the starter discussion.

TE Michael Trigg, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Tanner Pearson

The Dallas Cowboys landed one of the most gifted prospects in the 2026 class without having to expend a single draft pick to do so. Michael Trigg, an immensely promising tight end out of Baylor, signed with the franchise after he fell out of the draft entirely.

The 23-year-old had a fantastic final season with the Bears, achieving career highs in receptions (50), receiving yardage (694) and receiving touchdowns (six) in just 11 games. It was a great follow-up to the 30/395/3 line he posted in his first Baylor campaign in 2024.

Trigg was the highest-rated player on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board who ultimately failed to get drafted, becoming the only top-100 talent to not have his name called during the event.

While he has NFL size—he's nearly 6'4" and 240 pounds with long arms and big hands—and put some truly impressive highlights on tape during his tenure with the Bears, he struggled at his pro day with an overall dreadful performance that included a concerning 27.5-inch vertical leap.

The other real concerns with Trigg are related to his effort and maturity. He played at three different schools during his five-season collegiate career, getting hit with suspensions issued by his own program on two separate occasions. He's been susceptible to drops and mentally checking out, issues that won't be tolerated at the NFL level.

Despite the red flags, Trigg is as good of a pass-catcher as any tight end in the class. He's able to run routes like a jumbo-sized wideout and can take on nearly any defensive back and win at the high-point. He regularly reels in highlight-worthy catches and can pile up massive amounts of yardage after the catch by absorbing contact and staying upright.

While the Cowboys already have a quality starting TE in Jake Ferguson and a decent backup in Luke Schoonmaker, the league has been trending towards more usage of 13 personnel (meaning three tight ends on the field). Due to this ongoing offensive revolution, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Dallas' staff work with that personnel grouping more frequently in 2026.

Trigg may have the natural talents to thrive as a pro, but he still needs to outwork veterans Princeton Fant and Brevyn Spann-Ford, along with fellow UDFA DJ Rogers, for a chance to make the roster.

If Trigg can put it all together and truly shine during training camp, there's an outside chance he pushes for starter reps.

K Dominic Zvada, New York Giants

AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

The New York Giants may have finally found the young, effective kicker they've long been lacking. Dominic Zvada, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan, is looking like a shoo-in to make the roster after a dominant start to the offseason.

The 22-year-old was a weapon during his first season at Michigan in 2024, earning All-American honors after going 21-of-22 on his field goal attempts—a Big Ten leading 95.5 percent conversion rate. His lone miss was a blocked attempt.

While Zvada wasn't as effective as a senior last season—connecting on 17 of his 25 field goal attempts—he still put up a career-high 94 total points after nailing all 43 extra point tries.

Although Zvada wasn't taken in the 2026 draft, he landed in the perfect location to compete for a starting kicker spot. The G-Men lacked a strong incumbent option, with Ben Sauls only appearing in the final three games of his rookie season. While he was 8-for-8 on field goals and 7-for-7 on extra points in those contests, Sauls was far from a lock to make new head coach John Harbaugh's roster.

Zvada was clearly the better of the two during a head-to-head competition that opened mandatory minicamp. The rookie banged all eight of his field-goal tries through the uprights, while Sauls only managed to hit on half of his. It built on a performance during OTAs that led ESPN's Jordan Raanan to call Zvada the "heavy favorite" to win the job.

If Zvada can continue on this pace, he'll be Big Blue's starting kicker when the team opens the 2026 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.