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 out for to-be 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.
Arizona Cardinals
Former Arizona State LB Kyle Soelle – Rick Scuteri/AP
The Cardinals had two UDFAs that stood out to me. The first was TE Blake Whiteheart. Whiteheart played his college ball at Wake Forest and never accumulated significant stats. However, his film caught my eye just a bit during my 2023 NFL draft evaluations. He plays hard and has the strength to develop into a very solid blocking TE in the NFL. Also, he has solid hands and a decent catch radius. However, his limited athleticism will likely prevent him from becoming more than a solid TE2 or lower-end starter in his career.
The Cardinals’ best signing, however, was LB Kyle Soelle from Arizona St. Soelle racked up 198 total tackles between his two final seasons in college while being coached up by former NFL head coach Marvin Lewis. He isn’t an elite athlete, but he is very intelligent and diagnoses plays well in both the run game and in zone coverage.
He likely isn’t agile enough to handle man coverage assignments on RBs or athletic TEs, but he is someone that can be trusted. He was voted as a team captain multiple times while at ASU. Soelle will likely have to earn his way onto the field through special teams, but he is someone I could see being a dependable LB for Arizona. Fantasy football players may even want to keep an eye on him as a possible gem for IDP leagues as he’s shown himself to be a heavy tackle-producer.
Seattle Seahawks
Former Iowa State EDGE MJ Anderson (3) – KL6PHOTO LLC.
While CJ Johnson out of Eastern Carolina is someone I’d also keep an eye on, Jake Bobo and MJ Anderson were the two biggest standouts of the Seahawks’ UDFA group. Jake Bobo is a taller WR at 6 ‘5”, and his tape at UCLA was a joy to watch. The former Duke WR has fantastic and reliable hands and great route-running ability, highlighted by a phenomenal jab step that he uses to set up many of his breaks. Bobo also had solid production in college, with 57 receptions for 817 yards and 7 TDs in his lone season at UCLA.
I believe that Bobo wasn’t selected in the draft due to his less-than-elite athleticism. However, he has the necessary skills to make up for not having 4.40 speed. I don’t see Bobo surpassing Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, or JSN on the depth chart his rookie season. However, Bobo is someone I believe will be a productive and reliable pass catcher in the NFL when his name is called on to be out there.
As much as I love Bobo, the best signing for the Seahawks was MJ Anderson. MJ Anderson is a very quick EDGE player that does well in the run game. He played opposite of the first-round selection Will McDonald at Iowa St after transferring from Minnesota. Anderson showed good ability to get into the backfield on run plays, though not at an elite level like Nolan Smith or Will Anderson. MJ Anderson, however, was not as productive in the passing game.
I would not count out the possibility of exponential growth in this category, however. He has an elite level of bend and flexibility, along with an absurdly quick spin move already in his pass-rush toolbelt. He is someone that could become a very good EDGE player in the NFL if developed correctly. I had a higher grade on Bobo than Anderson in my player evaluations, but Anderson fills such a need for Seattle. I could see a future where in two or three seasons, MJ Anderson is playing opposite of Derick Hall with Cameron Young and another big DL in between, creating a harrowing front for any offense to have to face.
San Francisco 49ers
Former Marshall RB Khalon Laborn – G Fiume/GettyImages
While Shepherd OT Joey Fisher fills a position of need for the 49ers, their best UDFA pickup is Khalan Laborn. Laborn is a former highly-touted high school recruit that initially attended Florida St before being dismissed after facing discipline multiple times. He showed his raw talent well at Marshall. He had over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in 2022.
Laborn is an excellent addition for a team like the 49ers that relies on a potent rushing attack and carries multiple RBs with injury histories. Laborn would have been picked in this draft had he not been dismissed from FSU. Laborn could take a large carry load for San Francisco if CMC and Eli Mitchell were to both go down with injuries, which doesn’t seem completely unlikely given their histories.
Los Angeles Rams
Former Memphis S Quindell Johnson – Eric Christian Smith/AP
While Rashad Torrence II also has the opportunity to have an early impact, there are three UDFA signings for the Rams that I like far better than the rest. Tyler Hudson is an interesting signing for this LA Rams team. He seamlessly transitioned from FCS ball to playing for Louisville in 2022. He put up over 1,000 yards with less-than-ideal QB play throughout the season. He has an opportunity to truly compete for targets early on in a WR room that is very weak behind Cooper Kupp.
RB Tiyon Evans is someone I’d also like to touch on quickly. He is a very quick and explosive athlete that can change direction on a dime and accelerate very quickly. In his JUCO days, he was also known for having great hands and being a great return man. Zach Evans and Cam Akers likely have a grip on the carries on this team right now, but I would not be surprised at all if Tiyon is the Evans that eventually becomes a starting RB for the Rams.
Tiyon is someone that I believe will excel in the McVay offense. In fact, I pointed out in my evaluation of Tiyon Evans earlier this year that his injury tendencies and elite burst of quickness reminded me of a player that would fit right at home under McVay, given the types of players he seems to prefer.
At last, the best signing of all Rams UDFAs is S Quindell Johnson. If no more veteran safeties are added, I could see Johnson and fellow rookie Jason Taylor II being the starting safeties for the Rams by the end of the 2023 season. He’s had a lot of consistent production with 77 or more total tackles in each of the past three seasons for Memphis along with eight total interceptions during that time. Johnson, like many UDFAs, is a high-level producer that is overlooked for having less-than-elite athletic traits.
Johnson’s ball skills and tackle production, however, will be a huge help to a Rams defense that has a lot of holes in it. I don’t expect Johnson to bring home awards, but I think he will be a consistent and productive player for the Rams. I predicted in my player evaluation of Johnson that he would be a late selection or UDFA that would make his front office look rather smart. I hope for the Rams’ sake that I was correct in my evaluation.
