Best UDFA for every team 2023 NFL Draft: NFL South

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 could become an impact player and 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.

Best UDFA for every team 2023 NFL Draft: NFL South

Check out my picks for the best UDFA signings below:

NFC West

NFC North

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers had one of my favorite draft classes of 2023. They added a lot of players that I was very high on like Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, SirVocea Dennis, Payne Durham, and Jose Ramirez. They seem to be continuing that momentum with a solid UDFA group as well.  Safety Kaevon Merriweather out of Iowa should be able to compete for reps immediately in a safety group without a lot of depth.

Kade Warner, the son of NFL undrafted great Kurt Warner and Rakim Jarrett, won’t be able to challenge Evans, Godwin, or Gage. However, they both have the potential to be solid depth players that can play well if called upon, especially Jarrett. Ronnie Brown is also someone I want to mention here because most people won’t have him on their radars yet.

The RB from Shepherd University is someone that caught my eye a lot when I was watching film on Tyson Bagent and Joey Fisher, but I didn’t do a full evaluation on him as I was under the impression that he was going to be a part of the 2024 draft class. He had a quick burst as a runner that really impressed me.  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear good things about him come out over the summer in Tampa.

The last honorable mention I’d like to point out is Ryan Miller.  The Furman WR showed the ability to produce well.  He is someone that might surprise people and become a very productive NFL slot receiver.  He has very quick feet and a great ability to find open space with his crisp routes.  I think Miller may have an even better shot at making the final 53 in Tampa than Warner or Jarrett.

Although there are many talented players in Tampa’s UDFA group this season, there is no doubt about who is the one with the most upside and ability.  Syracuse RB Sean Tucker is an absolute stud.  He has track speed and displays great patience and vision behind the line. Tucker also showed off the ability to be utilized in the passing game in 2023.  Tucker not only had over 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit rushing touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, but he also saw 56 receptions during those two seasons. 

Tucker was talked about as a day two pick before doctors discovered that he had a rare congenital heart condition.  It’s unknown how or if this condition will affect or limit his ability to play in the NFL.  If Tucker is fully cleared, he might be able to challenge even starter Rachaad White for consistent reps in both running and passing downs.

 

New Orleans Saints

The Saints UDFA class was not overly impressive to me.  I do, however, have a few players I would like to acknowledge in this group.  One is Virginia CB Anthony Johnson (not to be confused with Iowa St safety Anthony Johnson Jr like ESPN’s website mistakenly lists on the Saints’ depth chart).

Johnson is a physical zone corner with phenomenal ball skills.  He won’t impress with his speed or agility, but he should provide depth and value to New Orleans so long as he can avoid getting flagged for his physical style of play. The other player worth noting and, in my opinion, the best signing of the Saints’ group of UDFAs is SaRodorick Thompson.

The running back out of Texas Tech is someone that I think can be a productive pro. He was an unknown player to me when he was brought in for the injured Roschon Johnson during Senior Bowl week down in Mobile. While there, he really impressed me.  He made a lot of eye-catching grabs over a couple of days of practice he was around for. 

When I went back to watch the film on him after the Senior Bowl, I was impressed with his balance as a runner. He’s also overall balanced in his skill set as a runner. He’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades but not in a bad way.  He should be a serviceable NFL runner that can provide extra value in the passing game. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him getting work on third downs, at least while Kamara serves his suspension if he is indeed suspended.  

 

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons did not have many UDFA signings of players that I evaluated heavily. However, the one player on my radar that they did sign is one with a lot of promise. Ikenna Enechukwu is an EDGE that played his college ball at Rice. Enechukwu is a very unrefined player that is more about traits and projection than someone that looks like a finished product. He did not produce at a level that you would like to see at his level of competition.

However, his upper body strength and grip strength are elite. His tape also shows a lot of positives to draw on. He doesn’t show up a lot right now in the box score, but find his film vs. USC and try to tell me he isn’t an absolute force of nature on the football field. He was against a lot of tough competition and drew a lot of attention from blockers, and handled it very well. I could see him having to sit immediately behind the Falcons’ very talented and experienced D-line. However, he could become a very disruptive force that’s able to play on the inside or outside of the line for a long time.

 

Carolina Panthers

Carolina picked up a couple of interesting players in their UDFA class this season. Jalen Redmond has the potential to be a disruptor inside on third down, and Eku Leota is a developmental pass rusher with a very quick first step. Camerun Peoples is someone that I don’t fully understand the interest in.

He has a big, physical frame, but he doesn’t run with the power of Chris Rodriguez Jr or other physical backs.  His best trait is his ability as a pass blocker, but he showed abysmal hands while down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. So, I wouldn’t expect him to have much value on third downs. I would not expect Peoples to have a lot of impact. His only real chance of making roster cuts would be if Carolina keeps four RBs and he beats out Spencer Brown.

The best signing out of this group, however, is Rejzohn Wright.  Wright is a 6’2” CB out of Oregon St.  He played JUCO ball for two seasons before joining the Beavers.  Playing corner is in his blood.  His older brother plays CB for the Cowboys, and his cousin was a fellow CB at Oregon St while Rejzohn was there.

Wright can highpoint the ball like a talented WR and plays a physical brand of football.  He more than held his own this season when lined up against Jordan Addison.  He lacks elite long speed, which can lead to occasionally getting burnt deep, and he can be a little grabby at times.  However, Rejzohn Wright is someone that can succeed in man and zone at the NFL level.  In combination with his size, physicality, and ball skills, his coverage ability should lead him to become a successful eventual starting CB in the league.