NFL · 2 weeks ago

5 Undrafted Gems Eyeing NFL 53-Man Roster

Bo Marchionte

Host · Writer

Undrafted 53-Man, NFL Roster Candidates
Max Tomczak | WR | Bills

Another intriguing prospect with NFL bloodlines is Max Tomczak out of Youngstown State. His uncle, Mike Tomczak, also a Penguins alum, went undrafted in 1985 but carved out a 15-year career in the league. That path earned, not given feels fitting here.

There was always a strong possibility the younger Tomczak wouldn’t hear his name called among the 257 selections. But just as certain was this—he wouldn’t be waiting long once the draft ended. Players with his skill set tend to find a landing spot quickly.

With seven NFL teams in attendance at Youngstown State’s Pro Day, Tomczak made the most of his moment. His 6.70 three-cone drill would have ranked among the top times at the NFL Combine, flashing elite short-area quickness and change-of-direction ability.

And it shows up on tape.

His 4.4 speed, paired with that burst and fluidity in tight spaces, paints a clear picture of a player whose athletic profile translates. He’s sharp in and out of breaks, accelerates cleanly, and doesn’t waste movement. There’s an efficiency to how he plays that coaches tend to appreciate early.

More importantly, he carries himself like someone who understands the assignment. Urgency, awareness, and a willingness to handle the details those are the traits that separate roster players from camp bodies. Tomczak checks those boxes.

He may not have been drafted, but the path in front of him is familiar. And if he leans into what got him here production, athleticism, and consistency there’s a real chance he turns a tryout into something more.
Hall of Famer John Randle, Undrafted 1990
In 1990, Emmitt Smith was selected with the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Florida. Meanwhile, another player, far less heralded never heard his name called. John Randle wasn’t among the 322 selections that year.

Randle, who came out of tiny Texas A&I via Trinity College, started at the very bottom of the NFL ladder. Along the way, something changed. While Smith entered the league as a household name, Randle built his reputation from scratch, eventually becoming one of the most dominant players in football.

On August 7, 2010, both Smith and Randle were enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One was a first-round pick. The other was undrafted. That’s why I never dismiss any player going through the draft process.

You can debate the players I’ve chosen here and like NFL teams, I’ll miss on some. There are always hidden gems who grind their way up the depth chart, earn a second contract, and maybe, just maybe, follow a path like Randle’s to Canton.

For most, the journey to making a living in the NFL is anything but linear.

It might start with rookie camp in Denver, followed by a release and a quick signing in New Orleans. Then comes another cut at the end of training camp, a practice squad stint in New England, and another move maybe to Cincinnati. The cycle continues until, eventually, an opportunity appears. Sometimes that shot doesn’t come until year two.

Take Joique Bell, for example. The former Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) winner out of Wayne State went undrafted in 2010. That spring, he signed with Buffalo and bounced across five different rosters between 2010 and 2011. The Bills, Eagles, Colts, back to the Eagles, then the Saints, and finally the Lions. Bell eventually found stability in Detroit, where he spent four seasons (2011–2015) carving out a role in the run game. He later signed with Chicago in 2016 and even returned to Detroit before retiring.

That’s one heck of a journey to fulfill the dream of playing in the NFL.Here’s a look at five other undrafted players who have a real shot to make an NFL roster.
Undrafted 53-Man, NFL Roster Candidates
Cash Jones | RB | Falcons

Kevin Stefanski is an offensive minded play caller, and as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, you can imagine him already dialing up concepts that feature 4.3-speed Jones alongside Bijan Robinson.

The result? Offensive chaos for opposing defenses.

A former walk-on for the Bulldogs in 2021, Jones arrived after compiling more than 3,100 all-purpose yards in high school. He carved out a role through toughness and versatility, becoming a core special teams contributor while steadily earning trust within one of college football’s premier programs.

Jones is viewed by some NFL teams as more than just a special teams ace. His skill set projects as a potential slot receiver at the next level, where his quickness and feel for space can be utilized in multiple ways. Playing and developing at a powerhouse like Georgia only strengthens his profile, offering evaluators confidence in his ability to handle the jump.

Measuring in at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, he turned heads with a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, along with a 33-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. But it was his on-field drills that truly highlighted his value. Smooth, controlled, and instinctive, Jones showed he can do more than test well; he can play fast. For a player who has consistently had to earn everything, his trajectory suggests he may once again outperform where he’s selected.

In a draft where roles matter just as much as raw talent, Cash Jones feels like the type of prospect who finds a way to stick and eventually contribute in ways that go beyond the stat sheet.
Undrafted 53-Man, NFL Roster Candidates
Uso Seumalo | DT | Seahawks

Uso Seumalo’s introduction to football wasn’t driven by dreams of the NFL it was about being around his friends. Growing up in Hawaii, the game started as a social outlet, just 8-on-8 pickup runs and time spent with teammates.

“I wanted to go hang out with my friends,” Seumalo said on the NFL Draft Blast Podcast. “So yeah, I begged my parents and they finally let me go out. I was just out there trying to hang out with my buddies.”

What began as something casual eventually took hold. That early foundation turned into a JUCO opportunity at Garden City Community College in Kansas, where his size and raw ability started to separate him. At 6-foot-2, 330 pounds, Seumalo wasn’t just another body he was a presence.

That presence earned him a move to Kansas State, where he developed into a space-eating interior defensive lineman in the Big 12. He’s the type of tackle who commands attention immediately, forcing double teams and clogging rushing lanes before plays can even develop. His impact doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it’s felt snap after snap.

Landing with the Seahawks is no accident. General Manager John Schneider has built a reputation for identifying talent across all levels of the draft process and beyond it. Seumalo fits that mold. A player with traits worth investing in and developing.

There’s a foundation here. His short-area quickness, combined with his natural strength against the run, gives him a chance to compete early, especially in rotational or early-down situations. Like most undrafted defensive linemen, his path will begin by earning trust first in camp, then on the practice field, and eventually on Sundays.

Seumalo’s journey didn’t start with a grand plan. But somewhere along the way, the game stopped being about just hanging out and started becoming something he could build a future on.
Undrafted 53-Man, NFL Roster Candidates
Luke Wysong | WR | Vikings

Every draft cycle, there are a handful of guys you come across where you walk away thinking, “this guy’s got something.” Luke Wysong fits that mold.

Turn on the tape and you see it. Add in the 4.3 speed and the way he carries himself, and it’s not hard to understand why the Minnesota Vikings brought him in once the draft wrapped.

“I think the thing that stands out in my game is the overall energy that I play with,” Wysong said on the NFL Draft Blast Podcast. “I play with a certain type of energy that is contagious to other guys.”

That energy shows up in how he plays. Fast, active, and used in a variety of ways.

His college career didn’t follow a straight line, but there’s production when you piece it together. At New Mexico, he led the Lobos in receptions as both a freshman and sophomore, immediately carving out a role as a go-to option. Injuries slowed him in 2023, but when he returned in 2024, he delivered his most complete season—69 catches for 840 yards, including a 156-yard performance against Utah State along with 10 receptions.

Before that, he made his mark early:

2021 (Freshman): 24 receptions, 224 yards, plus impact as both a punt and kickoff returner including a 63-yard punt return touchdown

2022 (Sophomore): 34 receptions, second on the team in receiving yards and touchdowns

2023: Limited to four games due to injury

After transferring to Arizona, Wysong found ways to contribute in a different role jet sweeps, motion looks, and touches designed to get the ball in his hands quickly. That versatility matters. It shows he’s not just a straight-line speed guy he’s someone you can move around and use creatively.

That’s where the intrigue lies.

Wysong isn’t walking in as a finished product, but he brings traits you can work with speed that stresses defenses, quickness in space, and an edge to how he competes. Those are the types of players who can stick if they prove reliable.

For him, it starts the same place it does for most undrafted receivers' special teams, details, and consistency. But if that energy he talks about translates the way it has before, he’s got a shot to make people notice sooner than later.
Undrafted 53-Man, NFL Roster Candidates
Max Tomczak | WR | Bills

Another intriguing prospect with NFL bloodlines is Max Tomczak out of Youngstown State. His uncle, Mike Tomczak, also a Penguins alum, went undrafted in 1985 but carved out a 15-year career in the league. That path earned, not given feels fitting here.

There was always a strong possibility the younger Tomczak wouldn’t hear his name called among the 257 selections. But just as certain was this—he wouldn’t be waiting long once the draft ended. Players with his skill set tend to find a landing spot quickly.

With seven NFL teams in attendance at Youngstown State’s Pro Day, Tomczak made the most of his moment. His 6.70 three-cone drill would have ranked among the top times at the NFL Combine, flashing elite short-area quickness and change-of-direction ability.

And it shows up on tape.

His 4.4 speed, paired with that burst and fluidity in tight spaces, paints a clear picture of a player whose athletic profile translates. He’s sharp in and out of breaks, accelerates cleanly, and doesn’t waste movement. There’s an efficiency to how he plays that coaches tend to appreciate early.

More importantly, he carries himself like someone who understands the assignment. Urgency, awareness, and a willingness to handle the details those are the traits that separate roster players from camp bodies. Tomczak checks those boxes.

He may not have been drafted, but the path in front of him is familiar. And if he leans into what got him here production, athleticism, and consistency there’s a real chance he turns a tryout into something more.
Hall of Famer John Randle, Undrafted 1990
In 1990, Emmitt Smith was selected with the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Florida. Meanwhile, another player, far less heralded never heard his name called. John Randle wasn’t among the 322 selections that year.

Randle, who came out of tiny Texas A&I via Trinity College, started at the very bottom of the NFL ladder. Along the way, something changed. While Smith entered the league as a household name, Randle built his reputation from scratch, eventually becoming one of the most dominant players in football.

On August 7, 2010, both Smith and Randle were enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One was a first-round pick. The other was undrafted. That’s why I never dismiss any player going through the draft process.

You can debate the players I’ve chosen here and like NFL teams, I’ll miss on some. There are always hidden gems who grind their way up the depth chart, earn a second contract, and maybe, just maybe, follow a path like Randle’s to Canton.

For most, the journey to making a living in the NFL is anything but linear.

It might start with rookie camp in Denver, followed by a release and a quick signing in New Orleans. Then comes another cut at the end of training camp, a practice squad stint in New England, and another move maybe to Cincinnati. The cycle continues until, eventually, an opportunity appears. Sometimes that shot doesn’t come until year two.

Take Joique Bell, for example. The former Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) winner out of Wayne State went undrafted in 2010. That spring, he signed with Buffalo and bounced across five different rosters between 2010 and 2011. The Bills, Eagles, Colts, back to the Eagles, then the Saints, and finally the Lions. Bell eventually found stability in Detroit, where he spent four seasons (2011–2015) carving out a role in the run game. He later signed with Chicago in 2016 and even returned to Detroit before retiring.

That’s one heck of a journey to fulfill the dream of playing in the NFL.Here’s a look at five other undrafted players who have a real shot to make an NFL roster.

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5 Undrafted Gems Eyeing NFL 53-Man Roster

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