Building a 53-man roster from 2025 NFL Draft undrafted free agents

It's time for the fourth version of my annual UDFA roster

This is the latest edition in an annual series where I examine the best undrafted free agents and use them to build a full 53-man roster. This exercise aims to highlight some of the top UDFAs and drive home the depth of the 2025 NFL Draft class. Plus, you’ll probably see a few of these guys on Sunday. UDFAs earn roster spots every year, and I’m sure we’ll get a few great success stories from this year’s class.

2022 Version l 2023 Version l 2024 Version

The 2025 All-UDFA roster is sturdier top-to-bottom than the 2024 version, although last year’s class had several more impactful free agents along the defensive line. A couple notable players from the 2024 team who saw action in the regular season include Evan Anderson, Jalen Coker, Ethan Driskell, Dwight McGlothern, Braiden McGregor, Gabriel Murphy, Tyler Owens, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Leonard Taylor, Blake Watson, and Eric Watts.

However, no group I’ve examined comes close to the top talents on the 2023 UDFA team, which was headlined by Tyson Bagent, Keaton Mitchell, and Sean Tucker on offense and Brenton Cox Jr., Ivan Pace Jr., and Starling Thomas V on defense. The 2025 class’ best shots at having that same level of impact seem to be the tight end, offensive tackle, center, defensive tackle, and cornerback pools.

If you’re interested in learning more about this draft’s prospects, I have a series of 30 short 1-3 minute interviews from the Senior Bowl on my YouTube channel.

*Indicates starter

^Indicates “My Guy” Selection

Offense

Quarterback: Max Brosmer, Minnesota*^

Quarterback: Seth Henigan, Memphis

Quarterback: Collin Schlee, Virginia Tech

Brosmer never brought the magic he experienced at New Hampshire to the FBS level outside of an incredible performance against Maryland. Two knee injuries don’t help his case. However, he brings better accuracy and ball placement to the table than several quarterbacks who heard their names called, including Riley Leonard, Graham Mertz, and Cam Miller.

Regarding Schlee, I thought he had a ton of physical potential transferring into UCLA from Kent State in 2023, but an injury and waning coaching staff derailed him. I’d be interested to see if he can get some of the magic back.

Running Back: Raheim Sanders, South Carolina*

Running Back: Marcus Yarns, Delaware

Running Back: Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida

Sanders produced more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage at two separate SEC programs. He might run a little soft behind his pads for a player with his size, but his build up speed exposes poor safety angles. He’s got a viable jump cut and enough burst to run off-tackle and quickly threaten the second level. Sanders shrugs off defensive backs who try to tackle him high and offers some value creating after the catch.

Check out Sanders’ highlights against Texas A&M this past year.

Fullback/LS: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina

It was never going to happen. Lampkin could’ve levitated across the field at the Senior Bowl and still not been drafted. A 5'10 3/8", 270 lb. lineman is considered too extreme of an outlier by the NFL to be a viable selection in the modern game. However, Lampkin’s technical polish ranks among the best in this entire class. He’s fantastic and plays with a tone-setting mentality.

Lampkin will see snaps on the UDFA team as the long snapper with the chance to play in subpackages on offense. Can’t go wrong with a bowling ball of knives leading the way.

Tight End: Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech*^

Tight End: Joshua Simon, South Carolina

Tight End: Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss

Conyers had some maturity questions dating back to his time at Arizona State, but he’s a crazy athlete with long arms and good density (6'3 1/2", 260 lb.). He made several impressive plays after the catch with the Sun Devils and should make an NFL roster if he’s fully bought in. Simon is also explosive, but he’s more of a catch-and-run H-back. Prieskorn is older and slower but has the broad build and bulk to offer more in-line.

Jake Briningstool was my highest-graded UDFA tight end, but his lack of versatility made it hard to carve out a position for him while constructing this roster (which is probably why he’s a UDFA).

Wide Receiver: Elijhah Badger, Florida*^

Wide Receiver: Samuel Brown Jr., Miami*^

Wide Receiver: Isaiah Neyor, Nebraska

Wide Receiver: Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas

Wide Receiver: Zakhari Franklin, Illinois

We’re winning with physicality baby because some of these guys aren’t going to separate in a straight line. That might not apply to the speedy Neyor, who had a promising college career derailed by a torn ACL while at Texas in 2022, and Badger. Neyor’s physical potential never quite translated to technical development. Badger can win at all three levels and is excellent after the catch, but he dealt with a significant back injury at the end of the 2024 season and comes with maturity questions from his Arizona State days.

Brown flashed top 100 potential while at Houston but became an afterthought at Miami. He could be the best of this group (although beating Badger will be tough) if he refocuses and refines his route running. Armstrong is a possession receiver, and Franklin is a contested catch vertical option with A+ ball skills.

Slot Receiver: Isaiah Bond, Texas*

Slot Receiver: Xavier Restrepo, Miami

Bond’s character concerns and Restrepo’s athletic limitations caused them both to go undrafted. Bond still has a ton of physical potential, but he needs to get his head on straight. Restrepo is a long-shot to make an NFL roster, but signing with Cam Ward and the Titans certainly increased his chances. His former Miami teammate, Jacolby George, might actually have the better chance at sticking around.

Offensive Tackle: Logan Brown, Kansas*

Offensive Tackle: Esa Pole, Washington State*

Offensive Tackle: Hollin Pierce, Rutgers

Offensive Tackle: Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida

Offensive Tackle: Trey Wedig, Indiana

I’d start Brown at right tackle since that’s his usual position, but ideally he ends up on the left side instead of Pole and Crenshaw-Dickson takes over at right tackle. Brown is a top 100 talent who fell out of the draft because he’s a Type 1 diabetic who lost most of two collegiate seasons to injuries and got dismissed from Wisconsin. There’s a lot of baggage there, but Brown has the physical tools to stick on a roster. His work in pass pro is unpolished, but he’s a mean run blocker.

Pole is up there with Brown as the smoothest athletes in this collection. Pierce (left tackle) and Crenshaw-Dickson (right tackle) are big bodies with limited range but un-teachable tools.

Guard: Xavier Truss, Georgia*

Guard: Marcus Tate, Clemson*

Guard: Sal Wormley, Penn State

Guard: Luke Kandra, Cincinnati

Truss had draft-able guard tape in 2022, but the Bulldogs primarily played him at tackle in 2023 and 2024 because it allowed them to field their best possible starting five. Truss isn’t a tackle. Not even close. He offers nice size and movement skills along the interior but needs to add more sand to his pants.

The other guards here are underwhelming with less-than-ideal measurements. Kandra has the accolades, but Tate offers better size and had success against more NFL-caliber competition.

Center: Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State*^

Center: Joshua Gray, Oregon State

McLaughlin’s Alabama tape painted him as an undraft-able prospect, but then he had an All-American-caliber season at Ohio State before suffering a devastating Achilles injury. When healthy, McLaughlin is easily the second-best true center in the 2025 class. He’s a quick processor who anchors better than expected and excels at reach blocks and blocking in space in the run game.

Defense

Defensive Tackle: Payton Page, Clemson*^

Defensive Tackle: Cam Horsley, Boston College*

Defensive Tackle: Junior Tafuna, Utah

Nose Tackle: Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia

Page lacks ideal arm length and density but explodes off the line and occasionally flashes some power through his hands. Horsley is a little less athletic but has better length and combativeness with his hands. Page brings the pass rush potential and Horsley and Tafuna set the tone in run defense.

There were a lot of names in contention here, including undersized penetrating 3-techs Howard Cross III and Jared Harrison-Hunte, more traditionally sized 3-tech Eric Gregory, nose tackle Nash Hutmacher, and longer-limbed Penn State linemen Coziah Izzard and Dvon J-Thomas.

Edge Rusher: Jared Ivey, Ole Miss*

Edge Rusher: Jah Joyner, Minnesota*

Edge Rusher: Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina

Edge Rusher: Tyler Batty, BYU

Edge Rusher: Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly

Ivey and Joyner are heavier edge rushers who lack the bend to provide consistent pressure off the edge. That’s why Ponder had to make the roster. This is a very limited pass rush group compared to last year, but surely one or two of them will make a roster.

Rucker has the best pass rush plan but comes with short arms and missed a significant chunk of 2024 with injuries. He might have the best floor as a designated pass rusher. He has sub-33-inch arms, but his tape is much better than a UDFA’s. Rucker has violent hands and a full pass rush plan. He’s not a starter on this team because of his size, but he’ll be out there on passing downs.

It breaks my heart to not include Amin Vanover on the final roster, but it was a cluttered group that also included Johnny Walker Jr., who I had in the same general bucket as Batty.

Linebacker: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky*

Linebacker: Bam Martin-Scott, South Carolina*

Linebacker: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo

Linebacker: Chandler Martin, Memphis

There are a lot of see-ball, get-ball guys in this room. Dumas-Johnson’s play took a step back over the past two years, but he plays downhill, showcases some closing explosiveness, and delivers big hits. Dumas-Johnson has some coverage limitations, but I’d love to take a lottery ticket in the hope that he gets back to his 2022 form.

Martin-Scott offers nice linear burst. He needs to develop his coverage instincts at depth, but he, Dolac, and Martin have the mobility and speed to fly around and make plays. Jay Higgins was one of my highest-graded linebackers available, but his lack of athleticism and arm length didn’t make him an attractive fit.

Cornerback: Cobee Bryant, Kansas*

Cornerback: Zy Alexander, LSU*

Cornerback: Jermari Harris, Iowa^

Cornerback: Brandon Adams, UCF

The lack of speed in this cornerback room is concerning, but that’s a trend among the cornerbacks available for these spots. Harris ran a 4.65 40-yard dash at his pro day, Alexander didn’t run, and Bryant ran a 4.55 while weighing less than 180 pounds. Adams has the best combination of height and speed but carries some medical concerns.

There’s ball production and some scrappiness in this cornerback room, but the physical talent is below average.

Nickel: Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon^

Nickel: Alijah Huzzie, North Carolina

Muhammad was 5'9 1/8", 182 lbs. with 28 5/8" arms at the NFL Combine and ran a 4.50 40-yard dash at his pro day. That’s just not a size and speed combination that will play in the NFL, even though Muhammad is a high IQ and instinctual defender. He’s a great football player, just not a great athlete.

Huzzie tore his ACL at the East-West Shrine Bowl, which pretty much sealed the 5'9 1/4", 194 lb. corner’s fate. He offers decent twitch when healthy and was an excellent punt returner for the Tar Heels.

Safety: JJ Roberts, Marshall*

Safety: Maxen Hook, Toledo*^

Safety: Sebastian Castro, Iowa

Safety: Major Burns, LSU

Roberts is undersized, but he’s a heat-seeking missile with a 4.41 40-yard dash who plays fast and angry coming downhill. Roberts has good range and attacks the football at the catch point (even though his ball skills need work). He’s a good athlete with a chip on his shoulder.

Castro was the highest-ranked available safety left on my board, but his 4.70 40-yard dash matches the speed concerns he put on tape. Castro is a box add-on who will rotate in to contribute some physicality when needed.

Punter: Kai Kroeger, P, South Carolina*

Kicker: Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State*

Ball goes “bumphhh” off foot.

Alternative UDFAs Considered

*Positions are projected NFL roles

Brady Cook, QB Missouri

Donovan Smith, QB Houston

Mario Anderson Jr., RB Memphis

Donovan Edwards, RB Michigan

Jake Briningstool, TE Clemson^

Benjamin Yurosek, TE Georgia

Silas Bolden, WR Texas

Ja'Corey Brooks, WR Louisville

Da’Quan Felton, WR Virginia Tech

Jacolby George, WR Miami

Traeshon Holden, WR Oregon

Daniel Jackson, WR Minnesota^

Dymere Miller, WR Rutgers^

Nick Nash, WR San Jose State

Will Sheppard, WR Colorado

Quentin Skinner, WR Kansas^

Antwane Wells Jr., WR Ole Miss

Mario Williams, WR Tulane

Luke Felix-Fualalo, G Hawaii

Gareth Warren, G Lindenwood

Eli Cox, C Kentucky

Gus Hartwig, C Purdue

Joe Huber, C Wisconsin

Jake Majors, C Texas

Thomas Perry, C Middlebury^

Clay Webb, C Jacksonville State

Marcus Wehr, C Montana State

Simeon Barrow Jr., IDL Miami

Howard Cross III, IDL Notre Dame

Eric Gregory, IDL Arkansas

Jared Harrison-Hunte, IDL SMU

Nash Hutmacher, IDL Nebraska

Coziah Izzard, IDL Penn State

Dvon J-Thomas, IDL Penn State^

Octavious Oxendine, IDL Kentucky^

Xavier Carlton, Edge Cal

Jasheen Davis, Edge Wake Forest^

Ethan Downs, Edge Oklahoma

Steve Linton, Edge Baylor

Sean Martin, Edge West Virginia

Danny Striggow, Edge Minnesota

Amin Vanover, Edge Penn State^

Johnny Walker Jr., Edge Missouri

Jay Higgins, LB Iowa

Jailin Walker, LB Indiana

TaMuarion Wilson, LB Central Arkansas^

Jackson Woodard, LB UNLV

Mello Dotson, CB Kansas

O’Donnell Fortune, CB South Carolina

Melvin Smith Jr., NB Southern Arkansas

Zion Childress, S Kentucky

Jack Henderson, DB Minnesota^

Tommi Hill, S Nebraska

Caden Davis, K Ole Miss

Kai Kroeger, P South Carolina