I affectionately refer to the UDFA carousel – after the completion of the NFL Draft’s Day 3 on the last Saturday night of April – as the “Dessert draft.” In essence, the few hours immediately following the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant are where Rounds 8-20 take place at warp-speed behind closed doors.

This process has different rules than the draft, and it does not receive anywhere near the attention. But it is nonetheless crucially important for roster-building. Last season, undrafted free agents made up nearly one-fourth of the NFL’s Week 1 rosters.

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Historically, UDFA provide the NFL with more aggregate value and snaps-played than sixth- and seventh-round prospects combined. The list of UDFA Hall of Famers includes Kurt Warner, John Randle, Warren Moon and Dick “Night Train” Lane. Austin Ekeler, Adam Thielen, and La’el Collins are among a large list of UDFA-made-good stories currently in the NFL.

Earlier this week, we dropped our NFC UDFA class rankings. Today, let’s investigate how the AFC did in this year’s “Dessert Draft.”

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UDFA Rookie Signings & Class Rankings

Note: Ranking in parenthesis indicates how each team’s UDFA class ranked overall in the NFL.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (4)

The Chiefs, a traditional power player in the UDFA sweepstakes, bounced back with another top-5 showing in this column after atypically sinking to No. 19 in last year’s rankings.

My favorite of KC’s signings was Indiana LB Cam Jones. The Chiefs gave Jones a $15,000 signing bonus and $135,000 in guaranteed base salary. Jones was a super-productive collegiate linebacker who lacks measureables – last year, he was averaging 10.8 tackles per game prior to suffering a season-ending foot injury in October.

Jones’ instincts and physical style, however, led to a boatload of tackles and a highlight-reel full of big hits on campus. If nothing else, he’s going to be a strong special-teamer. Prospects like this typically go in R5-R6, because teams know the special-teams utility, at minimum, is locked-in. Unfortunately not the case for Jones, who was on the kick and punt return teams all five seasons he spent in Bloomington.

I think Jones makes the Week 1 roster. But he’s going to have to out-perform LB Isaiah Moore, who I had as KC’s second-highest rated UDFA, in camp. Moore is a thumper who piled up 341 tackles at NC State.

I thought Tulsa RB Deneric Prince was getting drafted following the pre-draft-testing show he put on, which included a 4.41 forty and 9.58 RAS at 220 pounds. His hopes for making the Week 1 roster rest on beating out La’Mical Perine in camp and then hoping KC carries four RB.

Interestingly, OL Jerome Carvin is reuniting in KC with former Tennessee linemates OG Trey Smith and third-round rookie OT Wanya Morris. Those three spent the 2019-2020 seasons together in Knoxville.

The Chiefs also brought in two prospects from Harvard who were inside my pre-draft top-405 – EDGE Truman Jones got a contract, while RB Aidan Borguet has to try out for his.

Jones was a Second-Team FCS All-American last year who has an ideal NFL frame and 8.36 RAS athleticism. The 5-foot-9, 207-pound Borguet led the Ivy League in total yards last fall. But he’s a so-so athlete who wasn’t used as a receiver on campus – he’s going to have to crush his tryout to convince the Chiefs he’s worth bringing to camp amid an RB room that is already teeming with numbers.

Lastly, strange circumstances gave the Chiefs unexpected access to top-5 UDFA CB Kahlef Hailassie last week – roughly a week later than every other top UDFA signs. On the Saturday night post-Day 3, Hailassie was widely reported to have signed a contract that included a six-figure signing bonus with the Jets.

But for reasons that have not been reported, Hailassie never actually joined the Jets. New York never, at any point, added him to the official roster. Hailassie was present but helmet-less for the Chiefs’ first few rookie minicamp practices last weekend upon signing his contact with the Chiefs. What that indicates, in the context it occurred, is that a potential pre-existing injury may have been flagged during his Jets physical that scuttled the initial handshake agreement.

2. Miami Dolphins (8)

The Dolphins only made four draft picks, a mere two of which came in the top-195. This allowed Miami to make a compelling pitch to NFL agents during the UDFA free-for-all that Week 1 roster spots were up for grabs. Just like last year.

In 2022, the Dolphins also only made four picks – Channing Tindall, Erik Ezukanma, Cameron Goode and Skylar Thompson – but made up for lost time after the draft. Interestingly, the Dolphins also finished No. 8 overall in last year’s UDFA rankings. That class featured one UDFA – CB Kader Kohou – who made 13 starts as a rookie and out-produced Miami’s entire 2022 draft class by himself.

Kohou is one of several recent Miami UDFA success stories. In the recent past, the Dolphins have also pulled Davone Bess, Chris McCain, Neville Hewitt, Jonathan Freeny, Jordan Kovacs, A.J. Francis, Preston Williams, Nik Needham and Robert Jones out of the UDFA process.

This year’s UDFA crop was led by three prospects I ranked inside my pre-draft top-300 – DB Keidron Smith, LB Aubrey Miller Jr., and LB Zeke Vandenburgh. Considering the lack of linebacker depth Miami had in its 3-4 base, the post-draft aggression in the linebacker market made sense.

It’s possible that Miller and Vandenburgh will now fight it out for a Week 1 roster spot. Miller was a four-star recruit who was on the verge of walking away from the sport after things didn’t work out during a three-year run at Missouri out of high school.

But Miller hooked up with HC Deion Sanders at Jackson State and turned his career around, posting 117 tackles, 6.5 sacks and five forced fumbles across 13 games last year. Vandenburgh is also making the leap up from the FCS, a level he dominated, with 14 sacks and 21 TFL in 2022.

The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Smith spent four seasons at Ole Miss prior to transferring to Kentucky last offseason. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2022. In the Florida game, Smith’s pick-6 of QB Anthony Richardson helped Kentucky stave off the Gators.

TE Julian Hill is a small-schooler with a shot to crack a thin TE room. He ran a 4.68 40-yard dash en route to a 7.96 RAS during the pre-draft process. I liked Oklahoma P Matt Turk, but this isn’t a good landing spot for him. The Dolphins guaranteed all of former Patriots Pro Bowl P Jake Bailey’s $1.1 million contract, which means he isn’t going anywhere barring disaster over the summer.

The Dolphins were also aggressive in acquiring USC DL Brandon Pili and Stanford CB Ethan Bonner. Bonner received $80,000 in guaranteed money, while Pili signed for $100,000 guaranteed.

3. New York Jets (9)

The Jets fell a few spots down the rankings after their previously-mentioned agreement with Western Kentucky DB Kahlef Hailassie mysteriously fell through. Hailassie was reportedly set to receive $167,500 guaranteed from the Jets.

Despite that defection, the Jets finished with a top-10 UDFA crop. New York is trying to continue the momentum from last year’s strong UDFA collection, which featured RB Zonovan Knight and S Tony Adams.

This year’s group was headlined by Southern Miss WR Jason Brownlee. Brownlee, in my opinion, should have been drafted. But circumstances conspired against him. Brownlee started at the JUCO level and then spent his last three years at USM, where he had 21 TD catches and consistent-if-not-eye-popping season yardage outputs of 610, 643, and 891, respectively.

The context of his situation makes those numbers even more impressive – the Golden Eagles’ QB situation was brutal over those three seasons. In 2020 and 2022, a combined eight players attempted at least 15 passes for USM. In 2021, due to a you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it confluence of injuries and unappealing QB options, an incredible 15 different players attempted a pass for the Golden Eagles.

Brownlee has NFL size all day at 6’2/198 with an 80 ⅜” wingspan. His 4.59 forty isn’t impressive, but he’s a strong overall athlete whose jumps were both 94th-percentile-or-higher. Quicker than fast, Brownlee’s 79th-percentile 10-yard split speaks to his acceleration. At USM, Brownlee ran a ton of fly routes (16.8 YPC in 2022). He’s a proven downfield winner who can make the contested catch. New York will now try to teach him the rest.

In a fun bit of symmetry, EDGE Deslin Alexandre is reuniting with former Pitt teammates OL Carter Warren and RB Israel Abanikanda on the Jets. Alexandre is a well-rounded player with NFL-caliber measurables. Barring an enormous camp, I think he’s going to spend 2023 on New York’s practice squad.

RB Travis Dye is extremely polished. He has strong vision, and receiving is a part of his well-rounded skillset. But he’s a poor athlete with durability questions who faces an uphill climb to carve out an NFL career.

Lastly, I thought it was interesting that the Jets, who got size/athleticism king TE Zack Kuntz in Round 7, picked up WR/TE EJ Jenkins, who ran a 4.62 at 6’6/245. Jenkins has always been a better athlete than a football player. Can he show the Jets enough promise this summer to latch onto a practice squad spot for further development?

4. Baltimore Ravens (11)

For just the second time in my five years ranking UDFA classes, the Ravens miss the top-10. Just like in 2019, when they also finished No. 11, it was by the slimmest of margins. As an organization, Baltimore emphasizes the UDFA process.

Baltimore’s current roster will attest to that, featuring former UDFAs Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown, Gus Edwards, Pat Ricard, Patrick Mekar, Michael Pierce, Josh Ross, Kristian Welch and Ar’Darius Washington.

The Ravens won a frenzied post-draft bidding war for RB Keaton Mitchell, whose father, Anthony Mitchell, is a former Raven who earned a Super Bowl ring after originally signing as a UDFA.

Keaton reportedly received strong offers from the Cardinals, 49ers and Jets, as well. San Fran’s interest wasn’t surprising – If everything clicks, Mitchell is another Raheem Mostert. He is a homerun hitter who boasts 4.37 wheels. If the Ravens keep four RB, there’s a really strong chance that Mitchell is making the roster. But will they keep Mitchell over Justice Hill if they don’t?

WR Dontay Demus Jr. was Baltimore’s other UDFA signing within my pre-draft top-200. A local product out of Maryland, Demus boasts good size and a strong athletic profile. He has good feet for his size, and his hands are reliable, with a career single-digit drop-rate. Demus went undrafted because he regressed in 2022. But the door is open to steal Baltimore’s WR6 gig with a strong camp.

The 6-foot-4, 335-pound Manning’s lack of athleticism cost him a chance to hear his name called during Draft Weekend. But Baltimore wasn’t alone in their admiration for his game. I was told in the pre-draft process that Manning was a pet favorite of Lions HC Dan Campbell this class. That makes sense – Manning is a north-south phone booth scrapper who might gnaw a kneecap to stay attached.

The Ravens exited the draft with very little interior depth, especially since we know that late-round OG Andrew Vorhees will spend the campaign on IR. So it would appear likely that one of Manning or UDFA C Jake Guidone will make the 53. Guidone, a former tight end, is undersized but athletic.

5. Cleveland Browns (12)

The Browns’ UDFA crop was short on quantity. But it was stocked with quality, with two prospects in my top-170 and four in my top-240.

Cleveland may have gotten a pass-rushing specialist and special teams ace on the cheap when it signed EDGE Lonnie Phelps (cheap being a relative term – Phelps’ $250,000 in guarantees was near the top of this year’s UDFA class).

Across the last two years with Miami (OH) and Kansas, Phelps piled up 25 TFL and 15.5 sacks. He was never used in coverage in college and needs to be used in a similar situational role in the NFL. But he absolutely could develop into a quality NFL rotational player if you confine his usage to downhill mayhem.

The Browns did well to coax local product, Ohio State S Hickman, to stay home. It was a surprise to see Hickman go undrafted after last year’s breakthrough, where he allowed only a 43.3% reception rate and 39.2 NFL passer rating against on targets.

Hickman’s 88.9 PFF coverage grade in 2022 was near the tops of this safety class. He has good size and length, but questions about his tackling efficiency (16.7% missed tackle rate last year) and speed. Hickman electing not to do any testing during the pre-draft process raised the athleticism red flags even higher.

Georgia Tech RB Hassan Hall got $125,000 guaranteed from Cleveland. Hall got on the field early at Louisville, but he was phased out in 2020-2021, so he transferred to the Yellow Jackets for his final season. Hall ran for 521 yards and one TD in and caught 28 passes for 165 yards last year. He has good speed, as well as receiving and returning chops.

It’s also notable that Cleveland shelled out $250,000 guaranteed for Utah LB Mohamoud Diabate. I had a seventh-round grade on both Diabate and fellow UDFA signing LB Charlie Thomas pre-draft. There probably isn’t roster room for both, but there should be a 53-man spot for whichever of the two has the better camp.

6. Los Angeles Chargers (14)

The Chargers’ crown jewel from this crop was my No. 1 overall UDFA, Coastal Carolina NT Jerrod Clark. I’m confused why he wasn’t drafted. There weren’t many true space-eating nose tackles in this entire draft class. Certainly none who were over 330 pounds with 82-inch wingspans who move like Clark does.

Would you believe Clark started his collegiate career as a tight end? He wasn’t done growing, and he of course eventually would go on to become one of the country’s biggest defensive tackles. I had a Round 4-grade on Clark. And I wasn’t even the highest in the industry on him! The Draft Network had a Round 3 grade on Clark (and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave him a Round 5 evaluation).

CB Brown was converted by Ohio State from wide receiver to cornerback as a freshman. Brown’s career was slowed first by that transition, and thereafter by injuries. He needed a big pre-draft process and he didn’t get it, posting a 3.48 RAS. Still, he has good size, he’s a willing run defender, and his ball skills will play up if he can start snapping his head around to contest at the catch point, a work-in-progress area right now.

The other secondary addition I liked was Ole Miss S AJ Finley. Finley is an average athlete in a big package who had a strong collegiate career. He carried that into Shrine Game week, with an impressive showing in Las Vegas. The Chargers’ lack of secondary depth gives both Brown and Finley a fighting chance to make the 53.

7. Tennessee Titans (15)

The Titans are another one of those organizations who have had consistent success in the UDFA market. The current roster features UDFA Daniel Brunskill, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Azeez Al-Shaair, Denico Autry, Teair Tart, Aaron Brewer, Jack Gibbens and ​​Ryan Stonehouse.

This year’s UDFA crop was headlined by OT John Ojukwu. Ojukwu is a strong athlete (8.72 RAS) with outstanding length (83 ⅝” wingspan). The two-time All-MWC First-Teamer allowed no sacks and only one QB hit over 436 pass-pro snaps in 2022.

During Draft Weekend, the Titans failed to address their miserable WR corps outside of using a seventh-rounder on size/athleticism small-school project WR Colton Dowell. The rest of WR room has a projected starting trio of Treylon Burks/Nick Westbrook-Ikhine/Kyle Philips with Racey McMath/Reggie Roberson/Dowell/Chris Moore behind them.

So it was no surprise that Tennessee aggressively targeted WR Jacob Copeland and WR Kearis Jackson post-draft. The Titans lured Jackson with $78,000 guaranteed. Jackson returned kicks and punts in Athens. Jackson isn’t big, and he isn’t a burner (4.55 forty), but his mature approach and special-teams utility give him a shot.

Copeland has the higher ceiling of the two. The former Maryland Terrapin and Florida Gator ran a 4.42 forty at 201 pounds with an 8.19 RAS during the pre-draft process. But Copeland’s college career underwhelmed – his athleticism was apparent, but he remains a raw route runner with iffy downfield utility. Copeland struggles in contested situations, in large part because he’s always at a positioning disadvantage on account of awkwardness finding the ball while moving.

The Titans gave Minnesota OLB Thomas Rush $175,000 guaranteed. Rush was a team captain at Minnesota. He impressed at his Pro Day workout prior to the draft, submitting a 90th-percentile size-adjusted athletic composite.

8. Denver Broncos (17)

New HC Sean Payton was notoriously aggressive on the telephone lines during the late-rounds of the NFL Draft recruiting UDFAs – a non-enforced rule that every NFL team breaks – while he was with the Saints. Surely, joining the organization of UDFA legends WR Rod Smith and CB Chris Harris, he would continue his post-draft success.

But Payton’s first UDFA crop in Denver was middle-of-the-road, not the sort of fill-the-shopping-cart-at-the-thrift-store experience he grew accustomed to in New Orleans. Denver did sign two UDFA that I had draftable grades on in OT Alex Palczewski and EDGE Thomas Incoom.

You can’t get any more experiences than Palczewski, who tied the FBS record with 65 career starts (he had a medical redshirt year and used the NCAA’s 2020 exemption from the COVID season). Palczewski, who played 4,390 snaps at Illinois, earned All-Big Ten honors in four different seasons. His pass blocking has improved, including a strong showing against Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig. Palczewski has good size and length along with a 7.78 RAS.

Incoom, a Valdosta State transfer, is coming off a First-Team All-MAC season (he was also a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American). Incoom’s combination of size and athleticism (8.54 RAS) are worth betting on, and he’s already a solid run defender. But he racked up his 11.5 sacks last year mostly on athleticism and hustle, and is going to need to diversify his pass-rushing plan of attack at the next level.

9. Las Vegas Raiders (20)

The Raiders’ UDFA class was thin on overall numbers, but Las Vegas did well to sign a trio of UDFA prospects in my pre-draft top-275.

I graded Chatanooga OL McClendon Curtis as a fifth-rounder. The Raiders clearly liked the former high school hoopster as well, winning Curtis’ bidding with $210,000 in guaranteed money, of which $185,000 is guaranteed salary. Curtis was a Second-Team FCS All-American last year.

Curtis is facing a jump up in competition, but his versatility will bolster his argument for a 53-man spot. He has experience starting at both guard and tackle, and his strong combination of frame, length, and athleticism are a fit at either spot. He allowed only 20 pressures over 874 career pass-pro reps.

This is the perfect landing spot for him. The Raiders have a mediocre starting offensive line (ranked No. 18 in the NFL in a recent PFN column) and precious little depth behind it. Despite that, the Raiders didn’t draft an offensive linemen.

The same goes for OT Dalton Wagner, who chose the Raiders over several competitive offers. He’s an enormous presence at 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds with a 83-inch plus wingspan (Curtis’ wingspan is also 83-plus inches). Wagner is heavy-footed – 4.4 RAS – but he’s a pass-pro technician who only surrendered 31 pressures over 669 pass-pro snaps the past two seasons.

LB Drake Thomas had a wonky profile as an undersized (223 pounds) linebacker with average athleticism (6.3 RAS) who struggles in coverage. But he’s a really good run defender (top-5 PFF run-defense grade in the FBS last year) and a skilled blitzer. He also played 372 special-teams snaps in college. Thomas will have to prove his utility there to make the Week 1 roster.

10. Indianapolis Colts (22)

The Colts had one of my favorite draft classes in the NFL – earning one of my “A+” grades – but didn’t fare as well in the UDFA portion. Indianapolis signed only one prospect inside my pre-draft top-390.

But Indy managed to get up to No. 22 in my UDFA class rankings because of the quality of the one marquee UDFA they did sign: Alabama OG Emil Ekiyor Jr.

I understand the NFL’s reticence on Ekiyor Jr. I went through my own cycle of that over the spring – I struggled with him. Initially, I ranked Ekiyor Jr. lower, grading him as a seventh-rounder. He’s an unorthodox sub-6’3 guard who doesn’t have elite athleticism. Not my type.

But Ekiyor grew on me as the process progressed. Ekiyor Jr. was a three-year starter under Nick Saban who has much better length than you’d expect from his height (82 ⅝” wingspan). He’s springy off the snap and always wins the leverage game. I do expect him to stick on the active roster.

Especially in lieu of the overall passive approach to this year’s UDFA stage, I was surprised that the Colts gave Houston LB Donavan Mutin $100,000 guaranteed. I didn’t rank Mutin in my top-70 linebackers.

But I am happy for him. In November 2021, against Memphis, Mutin was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a local hospital with an undisclosed head or neck injury. Mutin was having a fabulous season prior to that injury. Unfortunately, he didn’t bounce back to form in 2022. But here’s hoping that the Colts can return Mutin to his pre-injury trajectory.

11. Buffalo Bills (23)

The Bills’ UDFA class wasn’t deep, but it did feature two prospects in my pre-draft top-260 – WR Jalen Wayne and OT Richard Gouraige.

Wayne is the nephew of former Colts legend Reggie Wayne. He had 58 catches for 816 yards and nine TD last season for South Alabama. Wayne will turn 24 this weekend and he’s only an average athlete.

But he has good size, and better know-how. Route-running runs in the gene pool, and Wayne’s prowess in that area led to consistent separation in the G5. He also is experienced on special teams.

Gouraige reunites with 2022 teammate O’Cyrus Torrence in Buffalo. Gouraige’s versatility – with 25 starts at left tackle and 17 at left guard in his college career – is going to help his odds of making the 53-man roster.

Gouraige allowed only one sack in 343 pass-pro snaps last year. Poor athletic testing cost Gouraige a shot at getting drafted, but his polished technical acumen will likely punch his a ticket onto the practice squad.

DT Dale is a limited, sawed-off interior player with a relentless motor and plus-play strength. The ceiling is low, but the floor is high – he could ultimately be the same sort of trusted rotational cog in the NFL that he was under Nick Saban.

12. Houston Texans (26)

After spending a metric-ton of equity in this year’s NFL Draft, Houston apparently decided to play things more conservatively in the UDFA market.

The best of the bunch was LSU EDGE Ali Gaye. This is the classic type of UDFA you take a chance on. Gaye has a built-in-a-lab frame and length, he plays hard, and he flashed promise as a pass-rusher in Baton Rouge.

But his instincts are a work-in-progress – Gaye picked up the sport late after moving to the USA from Gambia at 12-years-old. He also plays high, an unfortunate habit for an edge defender who lacks play strength as is. Especially in Houston, he’s worth rostering next season on developmental potential alone. But there’s much work to be done.

I also like Arizona State RB Xazavian Valladay’s odds of making the team. I thought Valladay was underrated during the process. Houston agreed, giving him $175,000 in guarantees. Valladay rushed for 1,192 yards and 16 TD across 12 games for ASU last season. He’s also a strong athlete (9.46 RAS) and a skilled receiver. There’s a clear path to a roster spot here if Valladay flashes in camp – the Texans’ current RB3 is Mike Boone.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (27)

Uninspiring crop from the Bengals. But I did really like one of their signings – OL Jaxson Kirkland. Kirkland was the only prospect in Cincy’s UDFA class that I had a draftable grade on.

The 6-foot-7, 321-pound Kirkland was a five-year starter in the Pac-12. He’s experienced at both guard and tackle. Kirkland is a mediocre athlete and he’s always going to play too high, but he’s a good pass-blocker who plays with strong technique.

If Kirkland can stay healthy at the next level, he has a strong shot to stick around this roster for a while. The Bengals didn’t use any of their eight picks on the offensive line, and La’el Collins suffered a torn ACL in December. Orlando Brown Jr.’s signing helped solidify the starting unit, but there are jobs open behind it.

LB Hayward, who posted 93 tackles in 2022, ran a 4.53 forty at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds. He’s the cousin of Steelers teammates Cam and Connor Heyward, and the nephew of the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. Blessed with length (nearly an 81” wingspan) and athleticism (7.94 RAS), Heyward was also productive in college, logging 246 tackles and 26.5 TFL over 39 games.

Speaking of NFL legacies, WR Jackson is the nephew of Bo Jackson. His calling cards are 4.3 wheels and explosive acceleration into it. But Jackson only had more than 16 catches in a season once. That was in 2021, when he had 40 for 527 yards. His usage was slashed last year in a poor passing offense, with only 16 catches in 12 games. Can the Bengals polish him enough to make use of the track speed?

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (28)

Jacksonville was clearly concerned with its secondary depth. On Saturday of the NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected three late-round defensive backs. Once the draft concluded, they made BYU CB Kaleb Hayes the centerpiece of a meager UDFA haul.

Hayes spent his first three years of college at Oregon State before transferring to BYU for the final two. He broke up 19 passes over those latter-two campaigns with the Cougars. The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder blazed a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine along with a 40-inch vertical en route to a sparkling 9.75 RAS.

TE Leonard Taylor was never featured in the Cincinnati passing offense, but he’s got plenty of field experience along with an NFL frame. There’s also a spot available for whoever performs better in camp between UDFA WRs Jaray Jenkins and Elijah Cooks due to Jacksonville’s thin receiving room. Both profile as possessions receivers at the next level.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (31)

The Steelers celebrated their grand slam NFL Draft by taking Saturday night’s UDFA period off. Not exactly – but close.

This was a good landing spot for Iowa FB Monte Pottebaum. The Steelers’ 2022 starter at fullback, Derek Watt, remains a free agent. The reported plan is for Pottebaum to compete with Connor Heyward for the vacant spot. Pottebaum has already succeeded in becoming a Steeler fan favorite. “Monte the Mullet” was celebrated by the Steel City from the moment he signed for both his hairdo and for the fact that he grew up rooting for the Steelers.

The only two other signings of note were Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan and Iowa State OL Trevor Downing.

Morgan also made a good decision, signing with a team that only has QBs Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky on the roster. Morgan is accurate and experienced (9.454 yards and 65 TD), and he knows how to run an offense. But he lacks athleticism and arm strength, and has a long history of concussions. Luckily, a college coaching job is almost assuredly waiting for Morgan on the other side once the flame of his NFL dreams are extinguished.

Downing was a good collegiate interior lineman who is experienced at both guard and center. But can he overcome his undersized, 6-foot-3, 299-pound frame at the next level? My assumption would be that Downing gets stashed on the practice squad for a year spent in the weight room. But with not much depth behind C Mason Cole, the door is open for Downing to steal a spot if he impresses in camp.

16. New England Patriots (32)

The Patriots aren’t an organization that sustainably invests in the UDFA process. This year, they were typically non-aggressive. With one notable exception.

The Patriots gave Louisville QB Malik Cunningham $200,000 in total guarantees, with $170,000 coming in guaranteed salary. That would seem to indicate that New England is heading to camp with the intent of keeping Cunningham on the regular season roster.

Cunningham needs a lot of work in the pocket to become an NFL-viable passer. But he’s a tremendous athlete who posted a 97th-percentile 10-yard split and 95th-percentile 40-yard-dash among quarterbacks. The season before last, Cunningham ranked No. 1 among FBS QBs with 1,031 rushing yards.

Talking to the press after his signing, Cunningham suggested that he’s open to trying another position if it improves his odds of seeing the field (ie making the team). This opens the possibility of experimenting with him as a receiver. As a quarterback, Cunningham would ostensibly be duking it out with Trace McSorley for third-string duties behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Perhaps the Patriots’ plan is to roster Cunningham as exactly that while they develop his slash-skills in practice? Intriguing idea in theory. But New England seemed to have a similar one with D’Eriq King last UDFA process, which it soured on very quickly. Can Cunningham capitalize on his opportunity?

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