Undrafted Rookies Making the Most Noise so Far This Offseason

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For undrafted rookies hoping to land spots on NFL rosters, every day on the field becomes an open audition. Though opportunities are limited during the offseason, teams often find gems after April’s selection process.

Some players who didn’t hear their names called during the draft had options with multiple clubs vying to sign them as free agents. Others waited for tryout invites to rookie minicamp.

Regardless of their pathways, the most talented athletes shine in short glimpses, which leads to chances at careers in the league.

During organized team activities, there are no padded practices. As a result, raw speed, arm talent, pass-catching ability and coverage skills stand out.

Last year, New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson rose from an undrafted unknown to a decent contributor in 13 games, including five starts, on a Super Bowl-winning squad. He finished the year with 22 solo tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups. 

Going into the second week of OTAs, several undrafted rookies deserve some attention because of their early flashes on the practice field.

      

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While Baker Mayfield leads the Cleveland Browns’ hype train going into the 2019 season, the coaching staff must have a reliable backup quarterback in case of emergency. Though the front office signed Drew Stanton, who hasn’t thrown a pass since the 2017 campaign, he could feel a push for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.

Garrett Gilbert is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the roster, but David Blough put himself on head coach Freddie Kitchens’ radar. The Browns’ lead skipper praised the Purdue product after the team’s second rookie minicamp practice.

“He is accurate,” Kitchens said. “He is relentless. Some of the characteristics you would like in quarterbacks. I don’t know how much you can teach accuracy. You can fool with it a little bit, but if they are accurate in college, they are usually going to be accurate in the NFL. He is competitive.” 

Blough made significant improvements in accuracy between his sophomore and junior collegiate terms, jumping from a 57.1 to 65.0 percent completion rate. He connected on 61.0 percent of his passes through four seasons.

Typically, an accurate signal-caller has a solid chance at earning a roster spot.

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Without pads, offensive skill players can outrun their defenders and put their athleticism on full display. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Antoine Wesley didn’t pass up a chance to show off his raw ability during an OTA session.

At 6’4″, 206 pounds, Wesley would probably stand out on a normal day, but he made sure to garner attention with circus grabs and chunk plays, per PennLive.com’s Aaron Kasinitz.

“Antoine Wesley, a 6-foot-4 undrafted receiver out of Texas Tech, stood out from the pack of young wideouts Thursday,” Kasinitz wrote. “He made a one-handed catch in individual drills and burned past the second-team secondary at one point to haul in a long touchdown pass from Robert Griffin III.”

Wesley put together a breakout junior campaign at Texas Tech, hauling in 88 catches for 1,410 yards and nine touchdowns. Barring injury, he could’ve boosted his draft stock with another year at the collegiate level. Nonetheless, his size and ability to come down with difficult catches could help him earn traction within the Ravens’ transitioning wideout group. 

After the 2018 term, Baltimore released Michael Crabtree, and John Brown’s contract expired. General manager Eric DeCosta selected Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin in the first and third rounds, respectively. Still, Wesley could carve out a role behind Willie Snead IV and the two rookies for the upcoming season.

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Once wide receiver Amari Cooper arrived in Dallas, we saw Dak Prescott’s passing numbers rise a bit. The Cowboys signal-caller eclipsed 300 yards through the air and tossed three or more touchdowns twice after the midseason transaction brought in the three-time Pro Bowl wideout.

The Cowboys may have another dynamic wide receiver capable of elevating the aerial attack. Jon’Vea Johnson has generated buzz because of his physical attributes and understanding of the playbook. Wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal seemed a bit surprised about the rookie’s early flashes, per Inside The Star’s Brian Martin:

“Not a surprise, because we loved his film, but Jon’Vea the last two days, his speed and athleticism and how smooth he is has shown up here—almost a little bit earlier than we thought it would. Because we think he’s going to process. Most young guys are thinking a lot, but he’s done a good job of learning his plays and coming out and showing what he can do.”

Johnson knows how to stretch defenses and extend plays. He averaged 18.1 yards per reception at Toledo. The 5’10”, 191-pound wideout must refine his route running to gain separation in the pros, but defenders cannot allow him to break free off the line of scrimmage. 

Last year, Tavon Austin battled a groin injury and only appeared in seven games, registering 195 yards from scrimmage and two receiving touchdowns. He didn’t have a major role in the offense when healthy. Wideout Allen Hurns may go through a long recovery following a dislocated ankle.

There’s room for a rookie keeper, and Johnson’s early shine may help him blossom into an early contributor.

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Doug Baldwin’s decision to retire creates competition at wide receiver. While we can project Tyler Lockett as the No. 1 playmaker at the position, the spots behind him will go up for grabs through the preseason. 

The Seattle Seahawks won’t just hand rookie second-rounder DK Metcalf the starting role opposite Lockett. Terry Wright may have a case to start in the slot if he continues to show his best stuff through the offseason program. According to 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock Huard, the Purdue product jumped out to a good start at OTAs.

“I think one of the undrafted guys that shined a little bit—and the opportunity was there at wide receiver—was a slot receiver from Purdue named Terry Wright,” Huard said.

Wright spent two years at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before transferring to Purdue, where he logged 57 catches for 742 yards and five touchdowns over the last two years. Although those numbers shouldn’t excite you, the former Boilermaker could use offseason momentum to land a prominent role in Seattle.

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Wide receivers aren’t the only pass-catchers earning praise for impressive receptions. New York Giants tight end C.J. Conrad flashed his solid hands on multiple plays during rookie minicamp. 

According to Forbes’ Patricia Traina, Conrad adjusted to a low pass and contorted his body to come up with a pair of notable catches.

“It’s early, but an undrafted free agent who kept drawing my attention with his play was tight end C.J. Conrad out of Kentucky.” Traina wrote. “Conrad made one catch on a ball thrown at his knees and then made another on the perimeter after twisting his body into a weird position.” 

The Giants have a solid receiving tight end in Evan Engram, but the offense doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 3 option at wideout. Head coach Pat Shurmur may consider experimenting with more two-tight end sets if Conrad continues to flash in the passing game. He recorded 80 catches for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns at Kentucky.

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Defensive end Carl Granderson finished his collegiate career with 35.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and three interceptions. He’s an athletic defender who’s quick out of his stance with 34-inch arms used to initiate contact and win battles in the trenches.

However, Granderson has pending third-degree sexual assault and sexual battery charges; the trial is set for July 15. Per the Times-Picayune’s Josh Katzenstein, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton commented on why the team signed the Wyoming product: “We felt real comfortable with everything we knew, and so far he’s done a good job here.”

Barry Hirstius of Big Easy Magazine took a close look at the Saints’ rookie minicamp, and Granderson stood out. As he wrote, “He showed great explosion off the snap of the football on a handful of different passing plays at Saturday’s practice…” 

The Saints released defensive end Alex Okafor. As many would expect, 2018 first-rounder Marcus Davenport will take on a bigger role opposite Cameron Jordan on the defensive line. Granderson could become a situational pass-rusher behind the starters, but that may depend in part on the trial and its outcome.

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Without pads, it’s difficult to gauge a defensive player’s ability to reach the quarterback. Yet linebacker Tre’ Crawford consistently won over his coaches during pass-rush drills—in one particular case against a first-round draft pick, per Will McFadden of the Atlanta Falcons’ official website.

“When the offensive line squared up against defensive linemen and pass rusher for a period during Saturday’s minicamp practice, Crawford was a clear winner,” McFadden wrote. “Showcasing his great burst off the ball, Crawford won both of his reps off of the edge, including a matchup against first-round pick Kaleb McGary.” 

It’s hard to trust Vic Beasley Jr. in pass-rushing scenarios on his side of the defensive line since he’s logged just 10 sacks over the last two seasons. The Falcons may focus on developing help defenders to supplement the pocket pressure. If so, Crawford may have a limited but important role within the front seven. 

As a stand-up pass-rusher at UAB last year, Crawford registered 12.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two fumbles recoveries. Perhaps that standout year showed just a glimpse of his full potential.

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The Kansas City Chiefs allowed cornerback Steven Nelson to hit free agency and opted not to re-sign Orlando Scandrick, who remains on the open market. They combined for 28 pass breakups and five interceptions last year.

New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo must fill out the cornerback position with upstart talent. Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller will likely hold the top two spots, but someone has to emerge and solidify the nickel package unless the coaching staff plans to use three safeties on a consistent basis. 

According to BJ Kissel of the team’s official website, Jalin Burrell has turned heads with his sticky coverage downfield:

“Along with [Juan] Thornhill, Burrell was right there to break up a deep pass down the left sideline early in Sunday’s practice, and then he came back later and was stride-for-stride with the receiver along the left sideline on a wheel route. He didn’t bite on the onset of the route and then was able to high-point and deflect the pass out of bounds.

“For the second day in a row, a few of the defensive coaches ran over and gave him some love after he made the play—when he wasn’t holding back on celebrating the play he made as well. He’s showing a little fire and it’s standing out.”

Through two terms at New Mexico, Burrell only recorded one interception but broke up 16 passes. Typically, he’s around the football when it’s in the air.

The 6’0″, 195-pound cornerback could provide depth at the position or slot into the No. 3 spot with solid practices and strong exhibition performances in the coming months.

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