The draft is important, but sometime undrafted players make a difference

[Draconator]

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Draconator

[Orlando Buffalo]

Right now almost 1/3 of nfl players are undrafted. Our best player during the drought might be Jason Peters, who was undrafted. They can make a season certainly.

[mushypeaches]

Pat Williams, Brian Moorman, and Fred Jackson were top 10 drought All-Stars too

[HOUSE]

London Fletcher was pretty good

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by HOUSE

[BADOLBILZ]

13 minutes ago, Draconator said:

 

 

 

He wasn't so much a football player that was passed up in the draft as a guy who didn't play college football.

 

 

[Saxum]

There are a bunch who were not drafted who went to CFL or other leagues first.

 

Here is list from NFL.com.  

https://www.nfl.com/photos/top-30-undrafted-players-in-nfl-history-0ap3000000663921

 

Lou "The Toe" Groza was a OT and a kicker.  What a combination.  9 pro bowls. 

And not just an emergency kicker for he kicked a FG as far as 52 yards.

 

And other lists.

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/25-best-undrafted-nfl-players-all-time

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/who_are_the_greatest_undrafted_players_in_nfl_history/s1__28745575

 

 

 

 

[hondo in seattle]

On 5/4/2021 at 3:54 PM, Buffalo Timmy said:

Right now almost 1/3 of nfl players are undrafted. Our best player during the drought might be Jason Peters, who was undrafted. They can make a season certainly.

 

Is this true?  If so, it shows what an inexact science talent evaluation is.  

 

If I was an agent, I would remind all my undrafted clients of this.

[RyanC883]

45 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Is this true?  If so, it shows what an inexact science talent evaluation is.  

 

If I was an agent, I would remind all my undrafted clients of this.

 

def an inexact science, plus late bloomers, etc when evaluating such young people.  

[IslandBillsFan]

The draft is important but rarely does a draft make or break a team.  I always find it funny how when you talk to almost all fans after the draft they are very positive.  This is obviously due to the initial appearance of being able to fill in some weak spots.  However, these players all don't work out and many needs years to become serviceable.  

 

 

[Orlando Buffalo]

1 hour ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Is this true?  If so, it shows what an inexact science talent evaluation is.  

 

If I was an agent, I would remind all my undrafted clients of this.

It is a google number but it said 550 of the 1700 are undrafted, and this article is a couple years old but you can see the quality of player the NFL misses initially.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2019/05/08/nfl-all-undrafted-team-nick-mullens-phillip-lindsay-adam-thielen-chris-harris

[RobbRiddick]

2 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Is this true?  If so, it shows what an inexact science talent evaluation is.  

 

If I was an agent, I would remind all my undrafted clients of this.

Yeah, you can watch film and interview guys as much as you want but you can never see inside his head and get a look at how committed he is to the game. Plus, would ALL those undrafted successes been as good if they'd been drafted at all? You have to think the chip on their shoulder at not being picked at all really adds to the drive they have to prove people wrong.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

On 5/4/2021 at 6:54 PM, Buffalo Timmy said:

Right now almost 1/3 of nfl players are undrafted. Our best player during the drought might be Jason Peters, who was undrafted. They can make a season certainly.

The biggest obstacle for undrafted players is the biases and stubbornness of NFL coaching staffs and front offices. 
 

There have been so many obviously great undrafted players and they have shined in camp, preseason, and even limited regular season snaps— but oftentimes they still never get a chance or they get their chance much later. I chalk it up to the biases in favor of playing higher draft picks. 
 

For example, there is no reason why Cameron Wake had to bounce around the CFL for 5 years before getting his chance with Miami. Kurt Warner probably would never have seen the field had Trent Green not ripped up his knee late in the preseason. Fred Jackson looked great for us as early as 2006, but really didn’t get meaningful carries until 2009.

 

if more teams trusted their eyes, we would see more UDFA’s play and more high draft picks being benched or cut.  

 

[Don Otreply]

The NFL hype machine and the buy in to it by talent evaluators and coaches blinds a fair number to viable players in every single draft.

[NewEra]

He has his work cut out for him, but Trey Walker is a helluva WR imo.  He might lack the physical attributes to play the position in the nfl, but he knows how to play the position imo.