Being drafted is not a prerequisite for greatness in the NFL. While the three days of the NFL draft are when many NFL players take their first step into the league, many never hear their names called. Depending on the year, roughly 30% of the players making up 53-man rosters are undrafted free agents – or UDFA for short. When people think of UDFA, they usually think of Kurt Warner, James Harrison, and Antonio Gates. In today’s NFL, a lot of key producers were once UDFAs.
Shaquil Barrett, Austin Ekeler, JC Jackson, Kenny Moore, and Justin Tucker are all elite NFL talents that never heard their names called on draft day. So, which UDFA from the 2023 NFL draft should we be looking at to become impact players that outperform their draft status? Let’s take a look at each team’s best signings to identify those who might be players that make people scratch their heads at the thought of how they went undrafted.
Check out my picks for the best UDFA signing for all NFC West teams here.
Green Bay Packers
Former UAB OT Kadeem Telfort (75) – Luke Stampini/247sports
The Packers brought in two UDFAs that I think can possibly make an impact on the team in the coming years. The first is Ole Miss WR Malik Heath. The team already has their field stretcher in Christian Watson. Plus, they have another WR in Romeo Doubs who has flashed the ability to be a playmaker. Jayden Reed will likely fill out their starting unit in the slot. However, their WR room should be wide open to other newcomers too.
If Doubs cannot become a more consistent performer, rookies Dontayvion Wicks, Grant DuBose, and Malik Heath should all be able to compete for their own shares of targets. Heath and Wicks are both taller receivers that have shown the ability to win jump balls at promising rates. I think Heath should have a decent shot at seeing solid reps in this Packers offense early in his career.
The Packers’ best UDFA selection, however, has to be someone that came in tied for my highest rating out of all 2023 UDFA signings. That man is OT Kadeem Telfort of UAB. Telfort was a highly-rated recruit that initially signed to play at Florida before being dismissed from the team for being involved in a credit card fraud scheme. After his dismissal, he bounced around a few different community colleges and almost quit football before being offered a second chance by the UAB coaching staff that acknowledged what he could be with his latent talent.
While at UAB, he proved his growth in both his character and football ability. Kadeem was not only a first-team All-Conference USA selection and a critical factor in paving the way for the nation’s leading rusher, but he also developed himself into a true leader and a player-voted team captain during his redshirt senior season. Telfort described his typical leadership style at the Shrine Bowl as someone that leads by actions over words. However, just like he’s constantly motivated to be his best to inspire his six younger sisters, Kadeem realized that he had to step up as a leader for the underclassmen that began to look to him for guidance as well.
Telfort shows the self-awareness of someone who has overcome adversity and made his fair share of mistakes. I think that Telfort will improve exponentially as he continues to mature and develop as a student of the game. Kadeem Telfort has the prototypical size, strength, and athleticism for his position and a history of overcoming the odds. He has a legitimate chance to be the long-term blindside protector of Jordan Love.
Detroit Lions
Former Notre Dame S Brandon Joseph (16) – Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Lions certainly had themselves an interesting draft, to say the least. While their draft selections were epicenters of debate among the draft community, their UDFA class is much more reasonable and understated. Mo Ibrahim is a very safe and understandable pick. Ibrahim was very productive in college, and his game happens to remind me a lot of another new Lion in David Montgomery. I think he could be a practice squad player or depth player if the Lions were to roster four RBs. Craig Reynolds would realistically be the backup to Jahmyr Gibbs with Ibrahim being the backup for the role expected of Montgomery to be more for short-yardage and goal-line situations.
Ryan Swoboda is another player that just makes sense for the Lions. Detroit already has great tackles in Decker and Sewell. However, you can never have enough talented OL in the NFL. Swoboda is a massive prospect towering over most defensive linemen at 6’10. Swoboda’s consistency suffers from his high center of gravity and poor hand usage, but his natural size and strength make him a good fit for the brand of football the Lions play.
The Lions did take one player that I think could be a huge hit rather than just a serviceable depth piece, however. Safety Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame, originally Northwester, is that potential big hit for Detroit. Joseph reminds me somewhat of another safety of the same last name that I was also high on in last year’s class. Also coincidentally, both of these Josephs will be suiting up for the Detroit Lions. I’m not as high on Brandon as I was on Kerby last year. However, Brandon Joseph is an elite coverage safety with great ball skills. If you can get past the fact that he provides very little support to the run game, he’s worthy of a lot of excitement from Lions fans everywhere. I can certainly see a future where Kerby and Brandon Joseph patrol the deep zones and Brian Branch plays in the box creating a great secondary in Detroit.
Chicago Bears
Former Shepherd QB Tyson Bagent (7) – Butch Dill/AP
Chicago’s UDFA class was a little bit light on players I was familiar with. However, Shepherd QB Tyson Bagent and LSU LB Micah Baskerville are two names that Bears fans should probably get acquainted with. Micah Baskerville’s game isn’t one that relies on elite athleticism. He plays slower but with a lot of intelligence and awareness. He’s very instinctual and is almost always where he’s supposed to be. He should have the ability to fill in early for this Chicago defense if either Jack Sanborn or TJ Edwards were to go down with an injury. QB Tyson Bagent is someone that I was shocked to see go unselected in the draft. He was one of my biggest risers from the Senior Bowl when I was down in Mobile, AL.
His father is a world-champion arm wrestler, so you know he has the arm strength to be a QB in his genes. He also stayed at his local D-II college when he could have transferred to D-I and has a lot of poise even in do-or-die scenarios. His throwing mechanics are also very clean and indicative of someone that will succeed in the NFL. I think Bagent is at worst a very strong backup QB and at best a future starter if Justin Fields were to suffer injuries or struggle to the point of being benched. Bagent isn’t a household name, but he is the best UDFA the Bears have made this year.
Minnesota Vikings
Former Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. (0) – Jeff Dean/AP
The Vikings didn’t have my favorite draft class of 2023. However, I am a huge fan of some of the UDFA signings they made. I’ll start by saying that Ben Sims could be a very solid blocking TE behind Hockinson that should fit KOC’s system well. Outside of that, the Vikings added two potential studs on defense that could have been day two picks in my opinion. EDGE Andre Carter II has a nearly unlimited ceiling as a player. He is an athletic beast that came into Army as a WR and TE that converted to the other side of the ball.
He has an athletic profile that would suggest he could be an elite pass rusher with the ability to drop into coverage as well, not dissimilar to a Chandler Jones type of player. However, while he flashed one tantalizing season in 2021, his overall body of work shows someone that is very raw and has a lot of room to grow. He had 14.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in that 2021 campaign but saw only 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2022. Carter may never reach the ceiling that anyone watching his film can envision for him, but with his athletic traits, it should be apparent that we should be able to trust an NFL coaching staff to develop him into a talented NFL pass rusher someday.
Despite my praises of Carter, he is not my favorite UDFA signing of the Vikings this year. That honor belongs to LB Ivan Pace Jr out of Cincinnati. Pace Jr was one of the fastest players recorded in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He plays like a heat-seeking missile that can completely smash apart an O-line and result in explosive hits on ball carriers.
Pace Jr is on the smaller side and can be overpowered at times by O-linemen. However, he plays intelligently and dips low enough to outmaneuver a lot of blockers and get around them. He’s a very quick and talented pass rusher. If nothing else, he is someone that should quickly earn a spot in sub packages to be sent on blitzes either inside or off the edge. He’s been productive whether at Miami (OH) or Cincinnati, and I think he will continue to be a productive player for the Vikings.
