Another year and another draft is in the books. While everyone is looking at the drafted players and how they fit on their new teams, those that went undrafted can slip through the cracks. Sure, their road to stardom is a tougher one, but if you can find the right diamond in the rough you’ll be laughing all the way to your championship. Here are the top 12 UDFA rookies that I would want to draft onto my team now that the dust has settled.

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UDFA Mock Draft

1.01 – Sean Tucker (RB – TB)

The clearcut first pick in this year’s UDFA draft has to be Sean Tucker. Tucker was expected to go in the 4th or 5th round but wasn’t selected at all in the draft. The rumors are that he had an undisclosed medical condition at the combine, but who’s to say exactly what happened there? The fact is that he fell out of favor with the NFL scouts and that sent his future into uncertainty.

Instead, Tucker went undrafted and signed with the Bucs who have a very thin depth chart at the running back position. The rookie now has a chance to fight for a roster spot with Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Given that competition or lack thereof, I’d say he has a real chance to produce this year. This alone makes me excited to get him on my fantasy roster.

1.02 – Rakim Jarrett (WR – TB)

The Bucs are doing work after the draft, signing Rakim Jarrett along with Tucker. Jarrett could be the perfect fit for this team as they look to move on from aging veterans in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Behind them, the roster is bleak from a fantasy standpoint, and Jarrett’s got the skills and attitude to make the final 53 in my opinion. If he sees the field, he might never see the bench again, so look for him in deeper leagues in your own rookie drafts.

1.03 – Xazavian Valladay (RB – HOU)

Incumbent Texans’ RB Dameon Pierce dodged every RB bullet in the draft but could still have an uphill battle to workhorse status this year. Not only did the Texans acquire Devin Singletary, but they signed Xazavian Valladay after the draft ended. Valladay didn’t have a lot of draft potential, but this is a landing spot that I’m excited about. He scored 16 touchdowns in 2022 at Arizona State and I fully expect him to get a chance to shine in camp this summer.

1.04 – Keaton Mitchell (RB – BAL)

The Ravens are loading up their offense now that they’ve signed QB Lamar Jackson to a long-term contract. They signed free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted speedster WR Zay Flowers in the first round before signing Keaton Mitchell after the draft ended. Mitchell has a rough road to the field, but the main RBs ahead of him, JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill, have all shown how fragile they can be. Even if this offense runs the ball less, Mitchell has a chance to be on their final 53 and light up the field at some point this season.

1.05 – Bryce Ford-Wheaton (WR – NYG)

Sometimes I like a player based solely on his upside, and that’s exactly what Bryce Ford-Wheaton is. Not only does he have a lot of warts, hence why he went undrafted, but he also ended up signing with the Giants who could have the deepest wide receiver room in the NFL. All that aside, if Ford-Wheaton can show what he’s made of at camp, perhaps the Giants and HC Brian Daboll give him a shot on the roster. If not, maybe another team will like what they see and give him a chance in the fall. Either way, the upside shot alone is worth a chance for me to keep an eye on him as we head through the summer.

1.06 – Camerun Peoples (RB – CAR)

It’s a whole new world in Carolina as they head into 2023. They traded a lot of picks to move up and select QB Bryce Young. Before the draft even happened, they went out and acquired a number of veteran free agents to surround him, including RB Miles Sanders. behind him, however, the RB room is a little light. It’s entirely possible that Camerun Peoples becomes the next Philip Lindsay here if he can just see the field. I liked what I saw of him leading up to the draft and really think he’s got the potential to make a name for himself if Sanders were to go down. If nothing else the offseason training program should be fun to watch and see how Peoples reacts.

1.07 –Keytaon Thompson (WR – DET)

The Lions stunned just about everyone when they selected RB Jahmyr Gibbs at 12th overall. Clearly, HC Dan Campbell has a type and he gets the guys he wants. This is also true for their UDFA signings, including Keytaon Thompson. I was shocked that Thompson didn’t get drafted, but I love him landing in Detroit with their smaller WR room. With WR Jameson Williams set to miss the first six games, Thompson has a better chance to see the field to start the year and show what he’s made of. Again, that upside intrigues me, so I’m in on Thompson for now.

1.08 – Malik Cunningham (QB – NE)

My sole QB on this list is Louisville standout, Malik Cunningham. The Patriots have drafted QBs the last two years, current starter Mac Jones in 2021 and current backup Bailey Zappe in 2022. Heading into the draft there were rumors that the team was looking to move on from Jones, but do they trust Zappe enough to do that? Well, maybe not. As soon as they could, the team signed Cunningham to their largest UDFA contract ever: $200,000. I’m not sure what this means other than I want Cunningham on every SuperFlex roster I can get on the off chance that he’s Belichick’s guy going forward. Crazier things have happened, right?

1.09 – Joseph Ngata (WR – PHI)

UDFA WR Joseph Ngata was another player I expected to have their name called on Saturday of the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but the Clemson receiver was signed as a UDFA to the Eagles shortly thereafter. Given his talent and the Eagles’ need for talented WR depth, I loved this signing. My only hesitation is that he’s got a rough road to seeing the field. The team traded for RB D’Andre Swift and QB Jalen Hurts likes to run a lot himself, leaving fewer targets than most teams. Hopefully, Ngata can ball out in the spring and summer and earn a roster spot because I really like what I’ve seen from him in the scouting process.

1.10 – Joel Wilson (TE – NO)

The tight end position at the draft was the deepest I’ve seen in years, but there were still some talented options that went undrafted. Joel Wilson, from Central Michigan, wasn’t a name I expected to hear at the draft myself, but after the Saints signed him I got curious. The Saints were expected to go after one of the bigger tight end names in the draft but missed out entirely, leaving Wilson as their sole addition. Given how shallow their TE room is, Wilson has a chance to stand out and earn a roster spot this fall. In TEP or 2TE leagues, I’m throwing a bench spot his way where possible just in case he takes off on this new-look Saints team.

1.11 – Jalen Moreno-Cropper (WR – DAL)

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys sure do love offensive playmakers. However, in this draft, they loaded up on defense more. They selected fantasy-relevant players TE Luke Schoonmaker and RB Deuce Vaughn but that was about it. However, they also signed four UDFA receivers to the roster. This says to me that they are looking for some depth, and Jalen Moreno-Cropper could be that guy for them. Some are saying that he could see the field early and often for the Cowboys which is enough for me to look his way late on this list. He’s talented, he just needs the opportunity.

1.12 – Tiyon Evans (RB – LAR)

Last but not least is someone I’ve been watching in devy leagues for a year or two now: Tiyon Evans. I like his talent, I like his skills, but I don’t like his landing spot. The Rams waited until the 6th round to draft Zach Evans, who was a steal at that range, before adding their second Evans RB after the draft. I expect Zach to get a much bigger portion of attention in camp but it’s not impossible that Tiyon either finds a way to the field behind Zach or shows off enough that he gets cut and signs elsewhere. That uncertainty makes him the last player I’m drafting in this UDFA mock draft.

Honorable mentions

Mohamed Ibrahim (DET – RB), Jake Bobo (WR – SEA), C.J. Johnson (WR – SEA), Blake Whiteheart (TE – ARI), Christopher Brooks (RB – MIA)

Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his profile and follow him @AndrewHallFF.