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Is it better to be picked in seventh round or sign as an undrafted free agent?
By Keith Farner
Published:
Former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly, Mr. Irrelevant, was the final player selected in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Kelly was the fourth SEC player taken in the seventh round. Plenty of other SEC standouts, from Trevor Knight to Travin Dural, never heard their name called. They’re chasing their NFL dreams as an undrafted free agent.
Both roads can lead to an NFL career, but which offers the smoother path?
RELATED: Where SEC’s undrafted free agents signed
Being picked in the seventh round, or signing following the draft as an undrafted free agent, means a whirlwind of transactions.
Many of the players move on and off the practice squad throughout the season, and some flip flop from one roster to another.
Of the 32 seventh-round picks in the 2016 NFL draft, 19 made a roster at least briefly during the season while most bounced between rosters, if not injured reserve.
Still, there were plenty who made an impact, starting with Oakland offensive lineman Vadal Alexander, an LSU product. Vanderbilt product Stephen Weatherly, a linebacker, appeared in two games and finished the season on the Vikings’ active roster.
Defensive end Alex McCalister, a Florida product, suffered a calf injury and was placed on the Eagles’ injured reserve. Running back Keith Marshall, a Georgia product, suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the third preseason game.
But none of the final round draft picks had quite the impact of LSU’s Jalen Mills, a safety for the Eagles, who appeared in 16 games and started two to produce 51 tackles and seven passes defended.
There were far more undrafted free agents who signed a year ago, including 69 from the SEC. Ultimately, the success of a signee comes down to the timing of an open spot on a given roster.
Like their drafted counterparts, plenty of UFAs struggled to find a dependable roster spot and didn’t make it out of the preseason. Others, ended their brief careers and went in another direction with their life. There was Arizona’s Jake Coker, the former Alabama quarterback, who following a knee injury moved on from football. Similarly, Geno Matias-Smith, a defensive back who briefly signed with Washington before he elected to join the coaching ranks and return to Tuscaloosa as an analyst.
On the flip side, there was Tampa Bay’s Peyton Barber, signed out of Auburn, who appeared in 15 games at running back with one start. He had 223 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Yet the best argument for the value of undrafted free agents lies with Brian Poole of the Falcons out of Florida. Poole landed the largest performance-based bonus of any rookie last season at $371,873.11, which was even more than Dallas’ Dak Prescott.
It’s a trend that plays out each season.
In 2015, South Carolina’s Patrick DiMarco made his first Pro Bowl playing fullback with the Atlanta Falcons as he set career highs with 13 receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He also helped Devonta Freeman top 1,000 yards and rush for 11 touchdowns. He later parlayed that into a reported four-year contract worth more than $2 million with the Buffalo Bills, with a $2 million signing bonus. Not bad for a 2012 UFA.
Of course, one of the more notable UFA success stories is Arian Foster, the Tennessee product who signed with the Texans in 2009, and produced four Pro Bowl seasons and led the NFL in rushing in 2010 with 1,616 yards. He had four 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,246 yards in 2014.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
