By Cooper Girolamo
Every year there are 257 college football players selected to a team via the NFL Draft. Despite so many getting selected, every year there are many players who go undrafted and then sign as undrafted free agents (UDFA) with a team after the draft. Many of these plyaers end up having very productive and successful NFL careers. Here are the three best UDFA’s from this past draft cycle.
WR Andrew Armstrong, Miami Dolphins
A former receiver for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Armstrong was picked up by the Miami Dolphins after the draft. With how many teams were in need of receiver help it was shocking to me that Armstrong did not get selected.
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The 6-foot-4 receiver was first-team All-SEC, led the conference in receptions with 78, receiving yards with 1,140 and receiving yards per game with 103.6. He out-produced top draft prospects in the same conference such as Matthew Golden, Tre Harris and Luther Burden III. While Armstrong has great stats and great jump-ball-winning ability he has major character concerns, not good separation skills and struggled significantly against press coverage.
Despite all that, the numbers he put up this past season are nothing to turn your head at and Mike McDaniel knows how to use his weapons. If Armstrong can fill some of the holes in his game he could be a great compliment to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the Dolphins’ passing attack for years to come.
WR Xavier Restrepo, Tennessee Titans
Restrepo landed with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA. The perfect fit for him as he was able to team up with his college quarterback, first overall pick Cam Ward. At only 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, there are major concerns that Restrepo will not be able to produce at the next level. That along with his sub-par speed and lack of separation skills had him very low on many teams’ draft boards.
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Despite that he put up fantastic numbers his senior season with 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns as for Miami and was Ward’s No. 1 option. While Restrepo has a lot to work on, the No. 1 overall pick begging his team to sign you holds major weight. With an already elite connection having the chance to grow, Restrepo may be able to be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL for the Titans.
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DL Jared Ivey, Seattle Seahawks
The former Ole Miss defensive linemen was picked up as a UDFA by the Seattle Seahawks. I thought he was a late day two, early day three prospect and was shocked when he went undrafted.
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In his final season with the Rebles, he had seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He was a big part of that stout defensive line. Ivey had a poor NFL combine performance and was on the slower end in terms of his overall speed and explosiveness which caused him to fall off draft boards and go undrafted.
Despite that, he is great against the run and a force inside the tackles so can be a very beneficial piece to the Seahawks’ interior defense. Especially with coach Mike McDonald’s defensive expertise, I am sure he sees Ivey as someone who could potentially contribute to the defense from day one.
