- Jared Ivey is a top candidate to crack the Seahawks' roster: The Ole Miss edge defender, ranked 66th on PFF’s big board, inexplicably wasn't drafted despite his high-level production.
- Johnathan Baldwin could boost the Packers' cornerback room: Among the 50 FBS cornerbacks who faced 50 or more targets in slot coverage in 2024, Baldwin ranked first in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.93).
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Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes
Undrafted free agents are key parts of NFL rosters, with some going on to have illustrious careers despite teams passing on them in the draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft's conclusion was followed by a wave of UDFA signings. Here is one undrafted player to keep an eye on for all 32 NFL teams.
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Arizona Cardinals: T Jeremiah Byers, Florida State
The theme of the Cardinals’ UDFA class is clear: the offensive line. Arizona added just six players after the 2025 NFL Draft, three of whom play along the front-five and excelled to a degree in college.
Byers stands out for his consistency across six seasons of college action. He surrendered only seven sacks in that span, four coming in his 2021 campaign, and posted 70.0-plus PFF pass-blocking grades in his final two seasons at Florida State.
All but three of Byers’ 3,328 snaps in college were at right tackle, where Jonah Williams slots in for the Cardinals ahead of a contract year. Byers, if he makes the roster, wouldn’t have to wait long to get a shot at playing time.
Atlanta Falcons: WR Nick Nash, San Jose State
The Falcons put together a stacked UDFA class, featuring five players on PFF’s big board. Cornerback Cobee Bryant is the highest-rated of the bunch, coming in at No. 118 before inexplicably falling out of the draft.
But Bryant may have a hard time cracking the lineup at only 180 pounds, whereas wide receiver Nick Nash brings size and a ton of college production to the table. Nash led college football in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2024 while ranking ninth in PFF overall grade (85.0) among 405 qualifiers.
Slot receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is coming off his most productive NFL campaign (686 receiving yards) but has never scored more than one touchdown in a season. Nash could factor in from the slot.
Baltimore Ravens: LB Jay Higgins, Iowa
The Ravens’ linebacker depth chart behind Roquan Smith is a mix of unproven talent and rookie hopefuls. Trenton Simpson has yet to show he deserves the starting nod (58.7 PFF overall grade in 2024), perhaps opening the door for Higgins, fourth-round draft pick Teddye Buchanan or free-agent signing Jake Hummel to win the job.
Higgins was the fourth-most-valuable Power Five linebacker this past season, per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. He was also the FBS’ second-highest-graded linebacker in coverage (91.5), a potential boon to a Baltimore linebacker corps that allowed the sixth-highest passer rating in coverage in 2024 (111.6).
Buffalo Bills: WR Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State
Much has been made of the Bills’ wide receiver room, which lacks star power for quarterback Josh Allen to lean on. There always seems to be room for someone unexpected to step up, whether it be a younger receiver or a veteran. Akharaiyi has the skillset to do so in 2025.
He didn’t excel in his lone season at Mississippi State, averaging just 1.51 yards per route run, but his career body of work shows he’s capable of producing. He was one of only 47 FBS receivers in 2023 to top 1,000 receiving yards, and his 3.8% drop rate in 2024 was a marked improvement over his 12%-plus clips in 2022 and 2023.
In addition to Akharaiyi, box defenders Keonta Jenkins and Wande Owens have opportunities to make an impact after each earning 70.0-plus PFF grades in coverage, run defense and tackling this past season.
Carolina Panthers: DB Jack Henderson, Minnesota
Henderson was a core special teamer and defensive chess piece at Minnesota over the past two seasons after transferring from Southeastern Louisiana. His defensive snaps in 2024 were mostly split across outside linebacker (132), inside linebacker/box safety (124) and slot cornerback (231).
The Panthers’ defensive back rotation lacks proven playmakers aside from Jaycee Horn, so Henderson has a real shot to earn a roster spot, and snaps, as a UDFA. Carolina can take advantage of his versatility one way or another, as his seven sacks and 16 pressures in 2024 were both top-three marks among FBS safeties.
Chicago Bears: EDGE Xavier Carlton, California
The Bears need more pass-rushing production out of their rotational edge defenders after getting very little from Dominique Robinson and Austin Booker, among others, last season.
Carlton’s 115 quarterback pressures over the past three seasons tied for the 28th most among all FBS edge defenders, although only Green Bay Packers rookie Barryn Sorrell racked up more clean-up pressures in that span. Still, that speaks to Carlton’s motor and potential ability to crack Chicago's roster in a reserve role.
Linebacker Power Echols, a three-year starter at North Carolina, is another solid player in the Bears' undrafted free-agent haul — having earned a 71.5 PFF overall grade in 2024 — although he faces stiff competition from the team's many linebackers.
Cincinnati Bengals: DI Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
Cross is a perfect fit to make the Bengals’ 53-man roster. New defensive coordinator Al Golden is well accustomed to Cross, having coached him at Notre Dame over the past three years, and the Bengals have a dire need for interior defensive linemen.
While Cincinnati signed T.J. Slaton in free agency, his 43.0 PFF overall grade and 13.5% missed tackle rate this past season won’t cut it. Cross, meanwhile, missed just one tackle in 2024. His 29 run stops over the past two seasons tied for the second most among Power Five interior defenders.
Cleveland Browns: WR Gage Larvadain, South Carolina
Cleveland’s wide receiver corps is in shaky shape on paper. There is a clear path to snaps for any rookie or unproven player, with Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Diontae Johnson headlining the unit.
Larvadain flashed at three schools in his college career — Southeastern Louisiana, Miami (OH) and, most recently, South Carolina. His 2024 campaign with the Gamecocks yielded only a 58.6 PFF receiving grade and 223 receiving yards, but in his previous three seasons, he combined for 135 catches, 1,904 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns while improving his PFF receiving grade each year, topping out at 79.6 in 2023.
Dallas Cowboys: LB Justin Barron, Syracuse
Barron garnered $234,000 in guaranteed money with a $20,000 signing bonus from Dallas, making him one of the team’s highest-paid undrafted free agents. It was warranted for the Syracuse product, who proved himself as a valuable coverage defender and run defender with the Orange.
Barron earned 70.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in each of the past three seasons, and his 263 tackles over the span formed one of the highest totals in college football among linebackers and box safeties. He also allowed just two touchdowns on 144 career targets in coverage while breaking up nine passes.
DeMarvion Overshown’s late-season injury and Kenneth Murray’s shaky reputation could create room for Barron in the Cowboys’ linebacker rotation.
Justin Barron's Career PFF Grades
Denver Broncos: G Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
The 285th-ranked player on PFF’s big board placed in the 85th percentile or higher in PFF run-blocking grade on gap and zone runs in 2024 and could help pave the way for new Broncos running back RJ Harvey.
Ben Powers earned 61.4 and 59.7 PFF run-blocking grades at left guard in 2023 and 2024, respectively, largely underwhelming after signing a four-year, $52 million deal with the Broncos. Perhaps Webb, who recorded 80.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of the past three seasons at Jacksonville State, can earn a roster spot and fill in if needed along Denver’s front-five.
Detroit Lions: WR Jackson Meeks, Syracuse
The Lions seemed destined to draft a wide receiver to complement Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and that came to fruition when the team traded up in the third round for Arkansas’ Isaac TeSlaa.
That doesn’t preclude Meeks from making the roster or practice squad. The Syracuse product was the second-highest-graded wide receiver in the ACC in 2024 (81.4) and hauled in 21 contested catches — the most of any FBS wideout.
Green Bay Packers: CB Johnathan Baldwin, UNLV
It’s hard to know the state of the Packers’ cornerback room without getting an official answer about Jaire Alexander’s uncertain future with the team. Either way, Green Bay didn’t draft a cornerback until the seventh round.
Although the Packers added slot cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency, Baldwin is an intriguing UDFA signing with solid potential at the position. Among the 50 FBS cornerbacks who faced 50 or more targets in slot coverage in 2024, Baldwin ranked first in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.93). He also secured three interceptions and broke up eight passes on his way to a career-high 74.2 PFF coverage grade.
Houston Texans: C Eli Cox, Kentucky
The Texans shed weight along their offensive line this offseason by trading Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders, sending Kenyon Green to the Eagles and releasing Shaq Mason. While the new-look unit appears to be in place following the draft selection of tackle Aireontae Ersery in the second round, Cox could give Houston another option to consider.
The Kentucky center didn’t allow a sack across 388 pass-blocking snaps in 2024 after honing his craft in four seasons as a starter. The Texans didn’t add many undrafted free agents, but Cox still stands out as one who could make an early impact if he proves his worth as a better blocker than Jarrett Patterson, who improved in 2024 but was still just the 23rd-ranked center in PFF overall grade (64.1).
Cornerback Alijah Huzzie is another player to watch, although Houston’s cornerback room is already chock-full of young, talented coverage defenders.
Indianapolis Colts: S Trey Washington, Ole Miss
Although the Colts are thin at linebacker, undrafted free agent Solomon DeShields played more than 300 snaps in only one of his four college seasons and might have a tough road to snaps in the NFL.
Instead, we’ll highlight Washington, whose 90.2 PFF tackling grade and 87.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 both ranked in the top 15 among FBS safeties. Indianapolis lacks proven depth behind Nick Cross and Cam Bynum, opening the door for Washington to earn a role.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Eli Pancol, Duke
Travis Hunter’s arrival completely changes the outlook of the Jaguars’ receiving corps. He will pair with Brian Thomas Jr. to form one of the league’s most exciting young receiving tandems. However, Jacksonville signed six undrafted free-agent wide receivers, signaling the team is looking for more behind that star pair.
Pancol broke out in 2024 with nine receiving touchdowns, 800 receiving yards and just two drops on 89 targets. He was particularly potent in the short area of the field (0-9 yards), racking up 349 of his receiving yards. Jacksonville’s wide receiver depth chart is wide open at the back end, and Pancol may be a worthy roster candidate.
Kansas City Chiefs: T Esa Pole, Washington State
The Chiefs’ offensive line woes in recent years have been well documented, and anyone who watched Super Bowl 59 is in the know. PFF’s 327th-ranked prospect, while not a candidate to fix Kansas City’s blocking issues right out of the gate, is an undrafted free agent to watch for the team.
Pole didn’t allow a sack in 2024 and was called for just five penalties across the past two seasons — two areas where the Chiefs need to be better up front. His run blocking is lacking, but at the very least, he could help fill out the depth chart with a big body at 6-foot-7 and 319 pounds.
Las Vegas Raiders: CB Mello Dotson, Kansas
Fourth-round picks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson have each yet to crack a season-long 60.0 PFF overall grade in their young NFL careers, so the Raiders’ secondary may need to continue to hunt for aid.
That’s where Kansas’ Mello Dotson comes in. He surprisingly fell out of the draft after being ranked 126th on PFF’s big board. Dotson combined for 11 interceptions over the past three years (Bennett and Richardson are still searching for their first NFL interceptions) and allowed a sub-70.0 passer rating into his coverage in 2023 and 2024. Dotson will have to shore up his tackling, but he has a good shot at making Las Vegas’ roster.
Wide receiver Zakhari Franklin is another name to monitor, having flashed big-play ability at UTSA in 2021 and 2022 (1,000-plus receiving yards and 10-plus touchdowns), before a less prolific, but still solid, 2024 season at Illinois.
Los Angeles Chargers: RB Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
This isn’t as much about a player who can soar up the depth chart as it is about a talented back who belongs on an NFL roster in some capacity. The Chargers’ running back pecking order is messy, led by first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton and free-agent signing Najee Harris.
The team is flush with options behind them, too, but Sanders is still a UDFA to watch. His shiftiness as a pass catcher may set him apart. The South Carolina product ranked in the 100th percentile in forced missed tackles per reception in 2024 while posting a 72nd-percentile yards after contact per rushing attempt average.
Los Angeles Rams: IOL Willie Lampkin, North Carolina
Size concerns likely pushed Lampkin out of the 2025 NFL Draft, although he proved at the Senior Bowl that he could hold his own against players such as first-rounder Walter Nolen.
Lampkin ranked first in PFF overall grade (84.8) and PFF pass-blocking grade (88.8) among Power Four guards in 2024, and while his NFL position is to be determined, the Rams have room for young players to step up behind their starting offensive linemen.
Miami Dolphins: WR Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
Armstrong, the No. 179 prospect on PFF’s big board, led the SEC in receiving yards in 2024 (1,140) but didn’t find a home during the draft. He still landed with an ideal team in the Dolphins, whose wide receiver depth chart behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leaves a lot to be desired.
The Arkansas product was the Power Four’s highest-graded receiver on short targets (0-9 yards) this past season, and although he found the endzone just once, he notched 18 receiving touchdowns in the two years prior.
Minnesota Vikings: EDGE Tyler Batty, BYU
The Vikings appear flush with defensive line talent and drafted edge defender Dallas Turner in the first round a year ago. There still may be room for a talented UDFA such as Batty to crack the roster or practice squad, though.
Batty posted a solid 13.5% pass-rush win rate and earned a 76th-percentile PFF run-defense grade in 2024. His undrafted status was surprising, considering he ranked 116th on PFF’s big board and racked up 143 quarterback pressures during his college career.
New England Patriots: TE CJ Dippre, Alabama
The Patriots signed a host of talented undrafted free agents, including Dippre, wide receiver Efton Chism III and edge defender Elijah Ponder.
But Dippre stands out from his peers due to New England’s older tight end room and his blocking ability. His 64.8 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked 24th among Power Four tight ends, and he played an impressive 989 run-blocking snaps across his four college seasons.
New Orleans Saints: RB Marcus Yarns, Delaware
Alvin Kamara isn’t getting any younger, and the Saints may have to rely on their backfield even more in 2025 following quarterback Derek Carr’s retirement.
Yarns has the juice and after-contact ability to carve out a roster spot — and carries — in New Orleans’ backfield. The Delaware product produced 4.22 yards after contact per attempt in 2024, a top-35 mark in college football, and didn’t fumble once across 155 carries. Yarns also earned an elite 90.6 PFF overall grade in 2023.
Marcus Yarns' Career PFF Grades
New York Giants: CB O'Donnell Fortune, South Carolina
The Giants could use more cornerback assets behind former first-rounder Deonte Banks and free-agent signing Paulson Adebo, and their only draft pick at the position was seventh-rounder Korie Black.
Fortune ranked third in the FBS in PFF coverage grade in 2024 (90.2), behind only top draft picks Jahdae Barron and Travis Hunter. He surrendered just two touchdowns in coverage and combined for five interceptions over the past two seasons.
New York Jets: WR Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama
Garrett Wilson is far and away the Jets’ top wide receiver, and the pecking order behind him is unclear. That means fourth-rounder Arian Smith and several UDFAs could be vying for significant roles and/or roster spots. Pritchett’s resume is certainly worth a look, in that case.
His 88.1 PFF receiving grade in 2024 placed him seventh among FBS wide receivers, buoyed by a college football-leading 759 yards after the catch. Pritchett could easily stand out to the point where he takes over in the slot for Allen Lazard, who remains a solid contributor but has suffered from drop issues over the past two seasons in New York.
Philadelphia Eagles: T Hollin Pierce, Rutgers
There may not be any more room on the Eagles’ roster for offensive linemen. Howie Roseman and company traded for Kenyon Green, signed Kendall Lamm and Matt Pryor, and drafted Myles Hinton and Drew Kendall — all to back up the team’s entrenched starters.
Still, Pierce is a prospect to watch at Eagles training camp. He surrendered only two sacks across more than 800 pass-blocking snaps from 2023 to 2024 at 6-foot-8 and 341 pounds. Those measurements compare favorably to left tackle Jordan Mailata, whom the Eagles and coach Jeff Stoutland developed from a seventh-round draft pick into a second-team All-Pro.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DB Sebastian Castro, Iowa
The Steelers’ defensive cornerstones are locked in — T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick among them — but the unit still has room for younger players to step up in the secondary.
After posting the third-best PFF overall grade (91.2) among college football cornerbacks in 2023, Castro endured some regression in 2024. He allowed five touchdowns in coverage this past season after surrendering just three in the previous three years combined. But if Castro can do enough this offseason to make the roster, his ceiling would give the Steelers a valuable piece at box safety.
San Francisco 49ers: CB Jakob Robinson, BYU
The 49ers are set to field one of the shakiest cornerback groups on paper in the NFL, so perhaps the team has high hopes for Robinson, their lone UDFA signing at cornerback.
Robinson earned a 65.0-plus PFF coverage grade in all but one of his four seasons at BYU, and he didn’t allow a passer rating above 100.0 in coverage in any of those campaigns. In the Cougars’ bowl-game win over Colorado, he limited LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. to two catches for 3 yards. And Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, didn’t secure a catch when matched up with Robinson in BYU’s Week 7 win.
Seattle Seahawks: EDGE Jared Ivey, Ole Miss
Ivey was the biggest draft faller on PFF’s big board, going undrafted despite ranking as the No. 66 prospect. There is no questioning his production: 40 quarterback pressures (eight sacks), 21 stops and an elite 90.6 PFF overall grade.
The Ole Miss product produced 16 sacks over the past two seasons, tying for the 10th most among Power Five edge defenders. He could be a legitimate weapon in Seattle’s edge rotation.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C Jake Majors, Texas
A backup role is fully in the cards for Majors, who logged an impressive 3,749 snaps in his college career, while Graham Barton, whom the Buccaneers drafted in the first round last year, is locked in as their starting center for the foreseeable future.
Majors was the only Power Five center to play 750 or more pass-blocking snaps over the past two seasons and not allow any sacks. He has what it takes to slot in for Tampa Bay should Barton get moved around the line or suffer an injury.
Tennessee Titans: LB David Gbenda, Texas
The Titans’ starting inside linebacker corps will feature new faces after Jack Gibbens’ departure in free agency, Cody Barton‘s arrival and Otis Reese IV’s likely promotion to a starting job. Perhaps Gbenda, who posted 87th-percentile or better marks in PFF run-defense grade and run-stop rate in 2024, can sneak onto the roster and make an impact there.
Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who has chemistry with quarterback Cam Ward from their time at Miami and earned two straight 80.0-plus PFF overall grades to end his college career, is another potential option to highlight here.
Washington Commanders: G Timothy McKay, NC State
Sam Cosmi’s late-season ACL tear leaves snaps up for grabs at right guard, at least for part of the 2025 season. First-round rookie Josh Conerly Jr. could slot in there in the interim, or Washington may look elsewhere to fill the gap.
McKay played 726 snaps at right guard in 2024 and earned a career-high 70.5 PFF overall grade. He got better as the season progressed, allowing no sacks or quarterback hits in his final five games.
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