Successful undrafted players... (1 Viewer)

[phillzphan]

Drafting players like Willie Parker and Sam Gado will make me nervous because simply they were undrafted free agents. I feel like eventually that team will be able to replace that talent.

Is there a track record for UFAs being successful for a long period of time?

 

[The Jerk]

Drafting players like Willie Parker and Sam Gado will make me nervous because simply they were undrafted free agents. I feel like eventually that team will be able to replace that talent.Is there a track record for UFAs being successful for a long period of time?

You might have heard of Priest Holmes, no?

 

[David Yudkin]

Rod Smith

 

[phillzphan]

Drafting players like Willie Parker and Sam Gado will make me nervous because simply they were undrafted free agents. I feel like eventually that team will be able to replace that talent.Is there a track record for UFAs being successful for a long period of time?

You might have heard of Priest Holmes, no?

Rod Smith

Yes I have. That doesn't really answer anything though. I'm wondering if it has always been happening. I know people get caught up with how high a player was drafted, but to a degree it must matter. right...? I guess I'm trying to find out exactly why these players go unnoticed. Or if they are actually not that talented; just had their chance, lucked out and became products of the system.

 

[wannabee]

Kurt Warner was undrafted and Trent Green was round 8 -> now only 7 rounds in NFL Draft.

 

[David Yudkin]

To answer the question, not many undrafted players turn into superstars, but just like other guys drafted in later rounds, there will always be a handful that have solid careers.

 

[wannabee]

And Houshmandzadeh was drafted in 7th round.

 

[harrycarey]

And Houshmandzadeh was drafted in 7th round.

"round 7 is not undrafted" down?

 

[wannabee]

And Houshmandzadeh was drafted in 7th round.

"round 7 is not undrafted" down?

thanks for the insight. the point of the original poster was more of the coming out of no whaere guys, imo. As David suggested, there are players each year who are drafted very late or undrafted that become starters -> but usually not in first year. Few rookies make an impact in first year anyway.

 

[SproutDaddy]

Was Antonio Gates drafted?

 

[David Yudkin]

Was Antonio Gates drafted?

No

 

[Bri]

To answer the question, not many undrafted players turn into superstars, but just like other guys drafted in later rounds, there will always be a handful that have solid careers.

trueWith small school guys a team will try and wow them in their visit predraft and figure to hit them up with an invite to camp, planning/hoping no one else takes them. At a point, the reknowned big time college coach putting a good word in for a player holds more weight. Previously the NFL draft was much longer so I guess it was less likely mathematically.A guy like Wayne Chrebet, he went to Hofstra where the Jets practice and used to watch them and the Jets probably knew they could get him to come

 

[The Jerk]

I don't think it's more recent. If anything, it's decreased as scouting becomes more and more systematized. Yet identifying talented players is still an inexact science. Off the top of my head, three of the reasons undrafted free agents can be highly successful in the NFL is:

1. College situation -- coaches misjudged their ability or they were stuck behind another (usually better) player

2. NFL is a different game than college football.

3. Some people are late bloomers physically and/or mentally, i.e., they don't "get it" until later.

From Gil Brandt's column at nfl.com

Twelve players elected to the Hall of Fame were undrafted free agents out of college, including Warren Moon, one of this year's enshrines. Two of the twelve (Willie Brown and Jim Langer) were cut as rookies in training camp but still ended up being selected.

 

[wannabee]

I don't think it's more recent. If anything, it's decreased as scouting becomes more and more systematized. Yet identifying talented players is still an inexact science. Off the top of my head, three of the reasons undrafted free agents can be highly successful in the NFL is:

1. College situation -- coaches misjudged their ability or they were stuck behind another (usually better) player

2. NFL is a different game than college football.

3. Some people are late bloomers physically and/or mentally, i.e., they don't "get it" until later.

From Gil Brandt's column at nfl.com

Twelve players elected to the Hall of Fame were undrafted free agents out of college, including Warren Moon, one of this year's enshrines. Two of the twelve (Willie Brown and Jim Langer) were cut as rookies in training camp but still ended up being selected.

Good post. I would also add players whose "measurables" do not seem up to the NFL standard but the player is still a very good player.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

I'm not sure it's a trend that you can count on continuing, but I do think that you can see that most of these players that went undrafted, came from small schools or non-football powers. Parker from UNC, Gado from Liberty, Green from Indiana, etc. So I would guess that if a player from a big, known football power slips way down the board, or goes undrafted (like Shaznor from Michigan in 2005), it probably means that there is really a problem with them. I'd write off someone like that ever contributing before I wrote off Andre Hall, for example.

 

[The Jerk]

Previously the NFL draft was much longer so I guess it was less likely mathematically.

I was thinking alone these lines at first, but then I realized how many more teams there are now and all the supplemental picks via free agency. It's really more like 8 rounds once those extra picks are factored in, and the 32 teams now instead of 28 essentially makes it equivalent to 9+ rounds circa 1994. So there's not been a huge dropoff in the total number of players being drafted.1992 draft: 12 x 28 = 304 players2003 draft: 262 playersSo that's a dropoff of 42 players. Other years it might be closer to 50. So still some increased probability based on numbers, but scouting continues to be more and more systematized so perhaps that makes it close to a push.

 

[The Jerk]

I would also add players whose "measurables" do not seem up to the NFL standard but the player is still a very good player.

Good point bringing up the "combine mentality" of scouts. I try to give them credit as being more sophisticated, but some people are players and not workout warriors. "That Joe Montana doesn't have a strong arm. I'm going to drop him down several spots among QBs."

 

[wannabee]

I would also add players whose "measurables" do not seem up to the NFL standard but the player is still a very good player.

Good point bringing up the "combine mentality" of scouts. I try to give them credit as being more sophisticated, but some people are players and not workout warriors. "That Joe Montana doesn't have a strong arm. I'm going to drop him down several spots among QBs."

Exactly, plus not all players are the "ideal" size or speed for their position but still play at a very high level.

 

[diesel7982]

Didnt bother to read the posts, so forgive me if this has been written:

Id be surprised if the number of UDFAs making an impact now is any greater than the number of 8thround and later picks who made an impact before the draft was shortened.