Five undrafted rookie free agents who should make a 53-man NFL roster
Leonard Taylor.
Over 250 players heard their names called over the weekend during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Even more than that have signed free-agent deals in the near 48 hours after the draft concluded. Some UDFAs get lucky and make a team out of training camp, and others like Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, Antonio Gates and James Harrison have carved out nice careers for themselves after going undrafted.
Here are five of the top undrafted free-agent signees who should have a chance to break training camp on a 53-man roster.
Leonard Taylor III, DT, New York Jets
The Jets defensive line is already pretty stout with defensive ends Will McDonald IV and Solomon Thomas, plus defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Javon Kinlaw, but adding the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Taylor III makes them even more formidable.
Taylor III is a raw prospect but a talented one with loads of potential. Sure, he struggled with consistency at Miami, but he possesses a disruptive burst off the line, a great deal of upper-body strength and a solid swim move, and he can penetrate into the backfield if he gets off the snap quick enough.
New York has the luxury of sitting him behind Williams and Kinlaw and letting him develop.
Gabriel Murphy, Edge, Minnesota Vikings
At 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds, Murphy is a bit smaller than NFL teams would like their edge rushers to be, which is likely why he went undrafted.
However, he was a highly productive player his last three years (17 sacks, 32.5 tackles for loss), and his ability to stay low and move blockers back, coupled with his quick feet, give him a chance to latch on with the Vikings, a team that desperately needs all the pass-rush help it can get.
Murphy is more of an inside rusher, seeing most of his success come against guards and centers, and he is highly skilled at using his hands to manipulate his blocking matchups. If he can improve his burst, lateral quickness and cutback-lane awareness, he should develop into a solid pass rusher.
Beau Brade, S, Baltimore Ravens
Brade should be an immediate special teams contributor and provide a strong sense of leadership, confidence and athleticism. In coverage, he tracks the ball well, and he’s strong at playing the receiver and not the ball. His closing speed against downhill runners can also be an asset.
Baltimore’s safety group is young and inexperienced, and Brade has a solid chance to at least compete for the second safety spot opposite Kyle Hamilton. If he can work on allowing less separation and fine-tune his angles of pursuit near the perimeter, he could be a bargain signing.
Dallin Holker, TE, New Orleans Saints
The Saints got a combined 64 receptions, 600 yards and nine touchdowns from three tight ends last season, so adding Holker, who bested most of those numbers by himself in 2023 (64 catches, 767 yards, six touchdowns) to the group should only increase its productivity.
Holker does his best work from the slot, and he’s an underrated athlete. He’s got long arms and makes lots of catches in traffic, which is something none of New Orleans’ other three tight ends do much of. There’s no reason Holker shouldn’t be one of the Saints’ top two tight ends by the end of the preseason.
Gabe Hall, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
The middle of Philly’s defensive line is one of the best, young groups in the NFC with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. But adding a disruptive 6-foot-6, 290-pound Gabe Hall to the mix makes the Eagles defensive line that much more intimidating.
Hall is explosive, he’s strong, he generates power and push out of his break, he’s great at fighting the hands to shed blocks, and he knows how to get to the quarterback. The good news for the Eagles is they can bring him along at their leisure with zero pressure to start him as a rookie.
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