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Not being selected in the NFL draft does not decrease a player’s chances of making an NFL roster.
At times, undrafted college players will be able to catch on with a team as undrafted free agents. And, on some occasions, not being drafted in the later rounds can be better for a player than being drafted at all.
“The difference between a fifth, sixth, seventh rounder and a free agent really is not that great,” Fresno State head coach Pat Hill said, who spent five seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. “When you get drafted you have no choice. When you’re a free agent you can make some choices.”
Before signing with a team as a free agent, Hill teaches his players to do their due diligence before committing to a contract. He advises them check out a team’s roster, a team’s players’ salaries and at what positions did the teams actually draft a player at.
“Find yourself the right fit,” Hill said. “It’s all about making a team. Put yourself on a team that gives you a better opportunity to play.”
Also, an undrafted free agent’s chances of making a team is dashed when they sign with a team that drafted a player at the same position high in the draft, like in the first, second and third rounds.
“Your chances are pretty minimal,” Hill said. “You want to go to a team that didn’t draft, that drafted low at that position and maybe has a couple older players that are big salary guys that are coming to the end of their contract.”
Matt Weir/Collegian File Photo
By doing so, a player might increase his odds of making an NFL roster. But selecting the right team with the right need won’t guarantee that a player will earn a spot on the 53-man roster or a spot on the practice squad.
Most undrafted free agents will have much more to prove than the guy that an NFL team selected. So, often times, players who go undrafted will have to work harder than the next guy to prove their worth.
“When you get your chances, you got to take advantage of them,” Hill said. “You don’t really count your opportunities, you make your opportunities count.”