The draft ends. The TV cameras go dark. Analysts pack up their colored binders and head for the airport. But for a few hundred guys, the real chaos is just beginning. Honestly, the hour immediately following the final pick of the seventh round is some of the most frantic, high-stakes football business you’ll ever see. It's a gold rush in cleats.
Undrafted NFL players 2025 aren't just camp bodies. They are the roster backbone. Think about it. For every first-round superstar, there’s a guy who didn't hear his name called but ends up starting 10 games because of a Week 4 hamstring tear. This year, the undrafted pool is unusually deep, mostly because of how the college landscape has shifted. We're seeing more "super seniors" and guys with massive production who just didn't fit the rigid physical prototypes that scouts obsess over.
The Quarterback Lottery: Henigan and the Backup Quest
Quarterbacks usually get the most "undrafted" hype because, well, they're quarterbacks. The 2025 class had a clear tier at the top, but the guys left over are fascinating. Take Seth Henigan from Memphis. The guy basically re-wrote the AAC record books. He finished his college career as Memphis' all-time winningest QB with 14,000+ passing yards.
Why didn't he get drafted? Scouts worried about the "raw" arm strength. They saw a classic NFL backup—someone smart, fundamentally sound, but lacking that "wow" trait. He landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a smart move. He’s joining a room where he can sit behind Trevor Lawrence and compete with veterans like Nick Mullens. If Henigan sticks, he’s the type of player who survives in the league for a decade just by being the smartest guy in the film room.
Then you have Ethan Garbers out of UCLA, who signed with the Carolina Panthers. He’s another one of those "gamer" types. He might not have the 6'5" frame scouts drool over, but he showed serious grit under Sherrone Moore and Deshaun Foster. In Carolina, where the depth chart has been a revolving door, an undrafted guy with a high floor has a genuine path to the 53-man roster.
Why Some Big Names Slipped Through the Cracks
It’s always a shock when a "star" from a major program goes undrafted. We see it every year. This time, it was guys like Donovan Edwards from Michigan and Raheim "Rocket" Sanders from South Carolina.
Edwards was a household name. He scored two massive touchdowns in a National Championship game. Yet, the New York Jets scooped him up as a free agent. The NFL is cold. If your yards-per-carry dips or your medicals show a lingering issue, teams would rather gamble a 7th-round pick on a "project" with 4.3 speed than a proven producer with high mileage.
Sanders is a similar story. He was a First-Team All-SEC monster at Arkansas before transferring to South Carolina. Injuries hampered his final year, and suddenly, he’s a priority free agent for the Los Angeles Chargers. For Jim Harbaugh, getting a physical runner like Sanders without using a draft pick is basically a heist.
The Trench Warriors
Let's talk about the big guys. Nobody watches the offensive line tape except the coaches, but that's where the most value is found in the undrafted market.
- Josh Fryar (Ohio State): Landed with the Arizona Cardinals. A multi-year starter for the Buckeyes who just lacked the "elite" lateral agility scouts want.
- Eli Cox (Kentucky): Signed with the Houston Texans. He’s a center with high-level intelligence who can probably play three positions in a pinch.
- Luke Kandra (Cincinnati): Joined the Green Bay Packers. He put up 33 reps on the bench press. That’s pure power that didn't get a draft slot.
The Skill Position Sleepers to Watch
Wide receivers are the hardest to predict. You’ve got Xavier Restrepo from Miami going to the Tennessee Titans. Restrepo is the ultimate "slot machine." He’s undersized. He’s not the fastest. But he catches everything. In a Titans offense that’s trying to find an identity under Brian Callahan, a reliable chain-mover like Restrepo is a godsend.
Over in Atlanta, the Falcons snagged Nick Nash from San Jose State. Nash is a converted quarterback who turned into a receiving machine. He doesn't have the explosive separation, but he plays to his size (6'2"). It’s a classic "upside" signing.
And we can't ignore the tight ends. Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss) signed with the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton loves tight ends who can actually block and leak out for a 10-yard gain. Prieskorn was a massive part of Lane Kiffin’s offense, and seeing him go undrafted was one of the weekend's bigger surprises.
The Defensive Grinders: Production vs. Pedigree
The linebacker and defensive line groups are full of guys who "played too much college football." That sounds like a joke, but scouts actually count it against you. They want the 20-year-old with "traits," not the 23-year-old with 300 career tackles.
Jay Higgins from Iowa is the poster child for this. He had nearly 300 tackles over two seasons. That is insane production. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Of course he did. The Ravens have a type, and Higgins—a tough, gap-filling linebacker who understands leverage—fits that "Raven Way" perfectly.
Then there's Nazir Stackhouse from Georgia. He’s a 320-pound space-eater. He signed with the Green Bay Packers. He won't give you 10 sacks, but he'll occupy two blockers so the expensive edge rushers can get home. That’s a job that needs doing, even if it doesn't get you drafted.
How Undrafted Players Actually Make the Team
Making the roster as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) is a brutal math problem. Most teams carry 53 players. Usually, about 45-48 of those spots are locked by veterans and draft picks. That leaves maybe five spots for 20+ undrafted guys to fight over.
Basically, if you're a UDFA, you have to be a special teams demon. If you can’t cover a kickoff or block on a punt return, you’re getting cut. It doesn't matter how many touchdowns you scored in the MAC.
You also have to be "available." As the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. If a 4th-round pick gets a nagging groin injury in camp, the undrafted guy who never misses a snap is the one the coaches start to trust. By the second preseason game, that trust turns into reps with the second team. By the third game, you're looking at a roster spot.
Real Examples of UDFA Success
We’ve seen this movie before. Austin Ekeler was undrafted. Adam Thielen was undrafted. Even Tony Romo and Kurt Warner didn't hear their names called. The 2025 class of undrafted NFL players is just the latest batch of guys trying to prove that four days in April don't define a career.
What's Next for the 2025 UDFA Class?
The next few months are a blur. Rookie minicamps start almost immediately, followed by OTAs and the grueling heat of July training camps. For these players, every single rep is being filmed and graded. There are no "off" days when you're at the bottom of the depth chart.
If you’re following these players, keep an eye on the preseason box scores. Don't just look for the stars; look for the guys playing late into the fourth quarter who are making tackles on special teams. Those are the ones who will be playing on Sundays in September.
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Your Next Steps:
- Track the transactions: NFL teams will waive and re-sign these players multiple times before the final 53-man cutdown in late August. Use sites like Spotrac or the official NFL Communications feed to see who is actually sticking.
- Watch the preseason: Focus on the second half of games. This is where undrafted players like Seth Henigan or Raheim Sanders will get the bulk of their work to prove they belong.
- Monitor the Practice Squads: Even if a player is cut, they are often signed back to the 16-man practice squad. This is the "waiting room" where many future starters begin their journey.