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 who 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.
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Buffalo Bills
Former Fresno St RB Jordan Mims (7) – Ashley Landis/AP Photo
I thought that the Bills brought in a very solid UDFA group overall. Florida OT Richard Gouraige won’t be an immediate impact player, but he might be someone the Bills find worth holding onto to develop. He has solid athleticism and size that could be molded into a solid starting OT someday. Alabama DT DJ Dale is another solid addition. Dale isn’t the strongest player you’ll find. However, he has a lightning-quick first step that can lead to quick pocket disruption.
He will, however, need to develop better secondary moves when he doesn’t win quickly if he wants to see consistent NFL reps. Southern Alabama WR Jalen Wayne, who, despite calling Reggie Wayne uncle, is actually a second cousin to the Colts’ legend, wasn’t really on my radar before the Senior Bowl. However, while I was in Mobile for the week of practice, he impressed me a lot.
Wayne has great size, dependable hands and really competes well for contested catches. However, Fresno St. RB Jordan Mims is my choice for their best UDFA signing. While the Bills have tons of depth at the RB position with James Cook, Damien Harris, Nyheim Hines, and Latavius Murray, none of these backs have proven to be needle-movers. Jordan Mims sometimes struggles to be patient enough behind the line, but when given an inch, he takes a mile.
He also displayed great hands when given the chance out of the backfield. I believe that Mims could be a surprise contributor in this backfield. I like his chances to make roster cuts over Latavius Murray or even possibly Hines as well. Mims’ quick cuts and rapid acceleration make him a major threat in the open field. Mims can return punts and play out of the backfield as a ball carrier and pass-catcher.
New York Jets
Former Florida S Trey Dean III – David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Jets picked up two players after the draft that I think deserve recognition here. The first is USC RB Travis Dye. Dye went down with a season-ending leg injury during this past season. Dye isn’t much of a big play threat, but he was the best back at USC under Lincoln Riley and brings a lot to the table. Dye is great in pass protection, has dependable hands, and is a very patient runner. Despite not being an elite athlete, Dye can be a consistent runner due to his superb vision and patience. I think that he can be a successful back behind a good line. At the very least, he should be a dependable third-down back.
Despite Dye’s potential utility, the most potentially impactful UDFA signing for the Jets is Florida safety Trey Dean III. I’ll be honest. I’ve always been a sucker for big defensive backs from Florida like Keanu Neal, Teez Tabor, etc. Dean, however, really looks like someone who can be an impactful player in the NFL. As a former CB, Dean is much more proficient in man coverage than your average safety. He also plays a physical brand of football and displays great pursuit of ball carriers. Trey Dean III has a chance to compete early for reps at strong safety for the Jets. I think he could be a future starter for the Jets at that position.
New England Patriots
Former Louisville QB Malik Cunningham – Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The Patriots brought in very few UDFA this season, and I don’t see an easy path for any of them to be impact players in New England during this upcoming or future seasons. However, the one player worth mentioning is Louisville QB Malik Cunningham. Cunningham is an explosive athlete who accounted for over 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground in 2021. However, 2022 was a struggle. Cunningham was hurt for parts of the season, and he struggled in the air, throwing only eight touchdowns to five interceptions.
At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, I was further locked into my belief that Cunningham may struggle to play QB in the NFL. His ball placement wasn’t great all week, and he continually struggled with making proper reads. I could see a role on the team where he came in during short-yardage situations or in the red zone to utilize his dynamic athleticism. However, I don’t see his skillset ever translating to success as an NFL QB.
Miami Dolphins
Former Kentucky CB Keidron Smith – Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Miami Dolphins have high hopes this season after adding CB Jalen Ramsey and hopefully having better luck keeping their young QB healthy going forward. The Dolphins added two UDFA that I think can really make an impact on this team. The first is Jackson St LB Aubrey Miller Jr. Miller is an athletic linebacker who is credited with being a fantastic leader in the locker room. However, the film I was able to watch on him showed a lot of flaws in diagnosing plays. It seems like his ability to make proper reads is lacking. He does, however, show a great work ethic. I think he can possibly be a core special teams player for the Dolphins.
CB Keidron “Keibo” Smith is the best UDFA signing by the Miami Dolphins this year. The Ole Miss and Kentucky cornerback has tons of experience. He has over 3,000 snaps playing for SEC teams and special teams experience on top of that. Smith is a taller corner, standing at 6’2, and is solid in both man and zone coverage. Smith is a dependable and reliable player who should be able to contribute early. The Dolphins clearly have been looking to add talent to their CB room to help compete against the likes of Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. They brought in Jalen Ramsey and drafted South Carolina CB Cam Smith with their first selection in this year’s draft.
I think Keidron Smith is another step to creating an elite CB room and overall secondary with Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, and Jevon Holland. Keidron Smith should, at the very minimum, be a helpful special teams player that should be able to step up and play early on the defensive side of the ball if needed.
