Best Undrafted NFL Players: Top Legends Who Were Never Drafted

The greatest undrafted NFL players are the ones that demonstrate that talent is not always found in the NFL Draft. Teams spend a lot of money each year scouting and choosing young players in the draft. Nevertheless, despite all the preparation and analysis, there are still some fantastic players that fall through the cracks and do not hear their names being called.

However, the trip is not over. Free agents The undrafted players can also sign with a team as free agents. Despite the fact that the road gets very tough, most of these athletes struggle their way to rosters and may one day be stars.

Indeed, the undrafted NFL players have yielded some of the greatest players in history and memorable moments. A well-known case is that of Malcolm Butler, who made a game-winning interception in Super Bowl XLIX.

Best Undrafted NFL Players (Common Draft Era)

Rank	Player	Position	Teams Played For
1	Kurt Warner	Quarterback	Rams, Cardinals, Giants
2	Warren Moon	Quarterback	Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks
3	John Randle	Defensive Tackle	Vikings, Seahawks
4	Antonio Gates	Tight End	Chargers
5	James Harrison	Linebacker	Steelers
6	Adam Vinatieri	Kicker	Patriots, Colts
7	Jason Peters	Offensive Tackle	Eagles, Bills
8	Drew Pearson	Wide Receiver	Cowboys
9	Priest Holmes	Running Back	Ravens, Chiefs
10	Tony Romo	Quarterback	Cowboys

These athletes stand among the best undrafted NFL players ever, proving that determination and hard work can overcome the disappointment of draft day.

Honorable Mentions

Before we examine the top rankings, several outstanding players deserve recognition among the best undrafted NFL players.

Notable names include:

Wes Welker
Justin Tucker
Rod Smith
London Fletcher
Joe Jacoby
Dave Krieg

Each of these athletes built impressive careers despite going undrafted. However, the following ten players stand at the very top of the best undrafted NFL players rankings.

10. Tony Romo (Cowboys: 2003–2016)

Tony Romo is an example of most successful undrafted NFL players, who developed one of the most impressive journeys of quarterback in the history of football.

Romo had not been drafted, playing college football at Eastern Illinois. In actuality, he was not even asked to come to the NFL Scouting Combine. However, he was a free agent that was picked by the Dallas Cowboys.

In the first two seasons, Romo was a backup quarterback. That opportunity finally came to him though, in 2006 when he was brought in to replace Drew Bledsoe in the starter.

9. Priest Holmes (Ravens, Chiefs: 1997–2007)

Another player who happens to be one of the best undrafted players in the NFL is Priest Holmes.

Holmes has been working in NFL ever since he was signed by Baltimore Ravens in 1997 as an undrafted free agent. He was also not playing much at the start, but he played more prominently in the next season.

Soon thereafter, Holmes would score his first 1,000-yard-rushing game. His career was given a new dimension later when he combined Kansas City Chiefs.

8. Drew Pearson (Cowboys: 1973–1983)

The wide receiver Drew Pearson is one of the most great Cowboys of all time.

In 1973, Pearson was not drafted, but he proved his worth in a short time. It was just his second season in the first year that he was a First-Team All-Pro.

Pearson has been a prolific player in his career, since he was practically left as nearly as 8,000 receiving yards. He has also helped the Cowboys in winning Super Bowl XII.

7. Jason Peters (Bills, Eagles, Bears, Cowboys, Seahawks: 2004-2024)

Peters began his league career as a tight end, but converted to an offensive tackle. That action transformed his career.

Peters made nine Pro Bowl appearances, several All-Pro awards in his twenty plus years of NFL service. He was also involved in the season in which Philadelphia Eagles against all odds won Super Bowl LII.

6. Adam Vinatieri (Patriots, Colts: 1996–2019)

Adam Vinatieri is the legendary kicker and cannot be omitted when it comes to the best undrafted players in the NFL.

Vinatieri left a legend of the most known kicker in the history of NFL. With the Patriots, and with the Indianapolis Colts, he made countless game-winning kicks.

Among his career achievements are four Super Bowl winning and most points in NFL history.

5. James Harrison (Steelers, Balt, Bengals, Patriots: 2002-2017)

One such successful story endeavor is that of linebacker James Harrison in NFL history when it comes to defense.

Harrison was not drafted and spent a couple of seasons attempting to win a roster spot. However, when he received an initial contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his career shot up.

In 2008 Harrison won the Defensive Player of the Year. During Super Bowl XLIII, an interception that had a 100 yard runback that he turned into a touchdown was also one of the most memorable plays in the history of football and he made.

4. Antonio Gates (Chargers: 2003–2018)

Antonio Gates, a former NBA player, proved to be one of the greatest tight ends of the history of football.

Gates was signed by the San Diego Chargers, following a spectacular workout that made a splash on scouts. Soon enough he became one of the best targets of the quarterback, Philip Rivers.

In more than 16 years Gates had more than 11,000 receiving yards and 116 touchdowns. There was no wonder that he had a number of Pro Bowl selections and Hall of Fame.

3. John Randle (Vikings, Seahawks: 1990–2003)

In the 1990s, the king of offensive lines was a defensive tackle John Randle.

Randle eventually came to demonstrate himself as a powerful pass-rush after a trade with Minnesota Vikings.

At least ten seasons after that he has been sacked at least 10 times since 1992. He too was an All-Pro several times and even made it to the Hall of fame.

2. Warren Moon (Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks, Chiefs: 1984-1999)

Warren Moon, a quarterback, had an injuriously unique history in the field of football.

Moon would later create a phenomenal career in the Canadian Football league and would join Houston Oilers as an undrafted player.

Moon turned out to be a highly prolific quarter back of the time when he joined NFL. He was a winner of a number of Pro Bowls and retired with nearly half a hundred thousand passing yards.

1. Kurt Warner (Packers, Rams, Giants, Cardinals: 1994-2009)

There is no doubt that the largest story of the greatest undrafted NFL players is about Kurt Warner.

Warner was not drafted, and was briefly a member of the Green Bay Packers before being cut. He would later join the arena football and hope to get another opportunity by joining a grocery store as a job.

At one time, St. Louis Rams recruited Warner. This happened in 1999 when he was given an opportunity to play with the starting quarter back being injured.

Warner used this opportunity and distributed one of the best seasons in NFL history. He took the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV where he was crowned the league MVP.

Final Thoughts

The examples of the most successful undrafted players in the NFL demonstrate that there is nothing that can be stronger than motivation. Such athletes did not give up their dreams, even though they were not drafted.

As a result, this is a wonderful reminder to any fledgling prospects as they look forward to scribe new players in to the future, as the most talent is at times in a place that no one is even looking.