Dozens and dozens of players who didn't find homes in the NFL Draft have signed with teams in the hours after it ended. Most of these players will not have long or successful NFL careers, despite the annual reminders we get about how Kurt Warner, Wes Welker, or whoever else turned out to be a star after going unpicked in the draft.
But a handful of UDFAs every year turn into contributors for at least a little while. Maybe these players will be among them, and maybe not. But these are some of the most fun undrafted free-agent pickups in the league. If your team got one, you should feel happy.
Colts: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State QB
Bucs: Riley Ferguson, Memphis QB
Barrett was an incredible college quarterback. No one was ever under the illusion he'd be a high NFL pick, but it was a little surprising he didn't get taken at all. Say what you will about Urban Meyer quarterbacks not named Alex Smith and their almost total lack of NFL success, but a team that drew up an offense for Barrett might find more success than we think. Ferguson is lanky and from a mid-major conference but posted huge numbers in 2017.
Bengals: USF QB (or maybe RB) Quinton Flowers
Flowers is both tons of fun and easy to root for. He was an electric college quarterback, and everyone who worked with him at USF thinks he should get a shot there. Whether he does or not, Flowers has enough athleticism and heft that he has a chance.
Jets: Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma FB
Flowers is an athletic fullback who's used to playing in spread offenses and can swing out of the backfield to catch passes. He could be useful in plenty of ways.
Eagles: Josh Adams, Notre Dame RB
Adams ran for nearly 7 yards per carry last year. He had things pretty good, running behind an offensive line that included first-round guard Quenton Nelson and first-round tackle Mike McGlinchey. But he's a powerful runner who could absolutely turn out better than a lot of the running backs who went in the middle and late rounds.
Texans: Jester Weah, Pitt WR
Jaguars: Allen Lazard, Iowa State WR
Vikings: Jeff Badet, Oklahoma WR
Weah — the nephew of Liberia's president and one of the best soccer players ever — is a serious deep threat and was reportedly moving up boards before the draft. Lazard is monstrous in the red zone and seems like a prime sleeper candidate. Badet is fast as hell, and that makes him exciting. He ran a reported 4.27-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Seahawks: John Franklin III, FAU WR/RB/QB/KR
The backup quarterback from Netflix's Last Chance Uplayed for four different college programs after signing with Florida State in the class of 2013. Franklin never put up big numbers in college, and he never settled in fully at one position. He was a quarterback at his first couple of stops, FSU and junior college, and then jumped all around the field at Auburn and FAU. He's really fast, though, and he's a reality TV star. Seattle fans can now watch the show whenever they want and think to themselves, "We signed that guy!"
Vikings: Hercules Mata'afa, Washington State DT
Browns: Trenton Thompson, Georgia DT
Mata'afa was an All-American at Wazzu. Everyone loves his explosion and the way he can slither into the backfield. Fewer people love that he's 6'2 and 254 pounds, without the size for an NFL tackle or the pass-rushing chops for an NFL defensive end. It's possible that he gets a look at linebacker. The puzzle pieces might not fit together quite right for Mata'afa to have an NFL career, but he has enough talent to be worth eyeing up.
Thompson was the No. 1 recruit in all of college football in the class of 2015. He was a contributor for the Bulldogs and helped them go from some down years to the national championship game in 2017, but injuries kept slowing him down. He never developed into the first-rate player most analysts thought he'd be. Maybe there's still a chance?
Bills: Mat Boesen, TCU DE
Boesen had 11.5 sacks last year, fourth-most in FBS and more than anyone else from a Power 5 conference. He didn't get an NFL Combine invite and might not have the measureables required for a good NFL end, but it's easy to be intrigued by an agile, effective pass-rusher.
Broncos: Jeff Holland, Auburn OLB
Rams: Tegray Scales, Indiana OLB
Cowboys: Joel Lanning, Iowa State LB
Holland was the No. 8 outside backer recruit in college football in 2015. He was up and down once he got to Auburn, but he's awfully talented to have not gotten picked. Scales sometimes felt like he was the only defensive player on the field for the Hoosiers. Lanning used to play quarterback, so you can have fun and yell about how Jason Garrett should try him out there the second Dak Prescott starts to struggle.
Chargers: Tony Brown, Alabama CB
Vikings: Holton Hill, Texas CB
Patriots: J.C. Jackson, Maryland CB
Brown was a starter on the best defense in the country and ran a 4.35 40 time at the bombine. Hill probably would've been drafted if not for off-field issues that marred his Texas career. Jackson has significant talent but faced legal trouble years ago and hasn't put it together enough to make an NFL teams comfortable investing heavily in him.
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