Which undrafted free agents will make an impact in the NFL in 2022?
Even though 262 college prospects have been selected in the NFL draft, there were still several talented young athletes left, and we see it every year, where those guys make a significant impact and, at worst, are key to filling out rosters around the league, with very little investment being needed. About 30 percent of the league is made up of these UDFAs, and while it may take a lot of them longer to earn playing time, this article will identify those players who may be able to make a name for themselves early on.
For this exercise, all the signings that were made once the draft wrapped up were examined. They were, then, compared to my personal grades/rankings and looked at how these guys may fit into the roster they’re not a part of. So we will discuss why these ten players did go undrafted, give a quick scouting report of these players and break down their path to playing time or role they may inherit.
Two players were not included – former Arizona State and now 49ers center Dohnovan West, who I had as a top-100 overall prospect and Nevada and now Eagles quarterback Carson Strong, who was actually my QB3 purely based on tape. Both can be long-time starters in this league, but have players in front of them that won’t allow them to make an impact right away.
At the end, one (more) UDFA to keep your eyes on for all 32 teams was added.
Here’s the list:
Running back – D’Vonte Price, FIU (Indianapolis Colts)
Considering the depth of this RB class, Price going undrafted wasn’t shocking, but he’s better than a couple of guys who did get a call. He obviously won’t cut a whole lot into the workload of the league’s reigning rushing leader in Jonathan Taylor, but you look at the rest of the roster and the only two veterans they have right now are Nyheim Hines, who is their designated receiving back and return specialist, and Deon Jackson, who was a UDFA for them last year, started the year on the practice squad and ended up touching the ball 13 total times. The only other competition in his way are two other undrafted guys in Oregon’s C.J. Verdell and Washington State’s Max Borghi, who are kind of one-trick ponies. So, at worst, there should be a role for a secondary early down back, which the Panthers' standout could fill nicely and take, at least, a little bit of the load off Taylor. At 6’1”, 210 pounds, Price patiently approaches the line of scrimmage and displays excellent vision, particularly in the zone run game. He may be unproven as a pass-catcher and will have to avoid putting the ball on the ground – similar to JT’s issue coming out of Wisconsin – but he’s not afraid to stick his face in the fan in pass-pro and played on every special teams coverage his first three years at FIU. So if he impresses the coaching staff in those areas, that’s the way he can eventually earn himself touches on offense. Then you combine his 4.38 speed with the fact he runs hard, and he could end up carrying the ball five times a game.