10 undrafted free agents who could make an impact in the NFL

Carving out a spot on an NFL roster filled with veterans, free agent acquisitions and new draft selections is a lot for undrafted free agents to overcome. But every year players are able to pull it off.

In 2015, there were 56 undrafted rookies who snagged a spot on a 53-man roster after preseason. The year before that, the New England Patriots mined the field of free agents not selected in the 2014 NFL Draft and found defensive back Malcolm Butler, who became a Super Bowl hero less than a year later.

Looking for a Super Bowl contributor in the pack of players not taken in the 2016 NFL Draft is probably an unrealistic search, but the NFL already has plenty of solid players like Butler who didn’t hear their name called on draft day. For example, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns finished with 1,031 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his second season after he didn’t get picked in the 2014 NFL Draft.

This year should be no different. There are several players from the 2016 class who have a strong chance at earning a spot and possibly contributing early in their NFL careers, even if they didn’t get drafted:

Why you should know about him:

Barring a complete disaster for the Seahawks, Boykin won’t be starting in Seattle any time soon -- or ever. But developing an undersized and athletic quarterback to be the backup for Russell Wilson, an undersized and athletic quarterback, just makes sense. Especially when Jake Heaps is the only other passer on the roster.

The knocks on Boykin as a draft prospect were never his physical abilities. His running abilities put him in contention for the Heisman Trophy, but he has plenty of arm strength to work with, too. Boykin struggled with consistency though, both with his accuracy as a passer and with his decision-making.

How he fits with the Seahawks:

Despite criticisms of his decision-making, Boykin still threw 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a senior, and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions as a junior. Given time to develop, Boykin could eventually become a reliable backup to Wilson. He maybe even earn the role as a rookie.

“His versatility and his style of play is so similar to Russell’s,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia. “He’s got a big arm. He’s a very creative athlete. He’s got great instincts and great vision. His ability to run and make people miss and get out of trouble is very similar to what Russell does. I thought that the opportunity to have both those guys in the same offense, it gives us a chance -- if it works out, and we’ve got a long way to go -- if it works out, to maintain continuity with one of the backups.”

By adding a player similar to Wilson in terms of skill set, the Seahawks can build an offense that caters to that particular style of play. If forced to go to Boykin, the Seattle offense won’t have to worry about reinventing itself to adjust for the loss of Wilson.

Why you should know about him:

Foster was quietly one of the most productive players in college football history at Arizona State. Only four other players have ever finished a collegiate career with at least 2,000 rushing yards and 2,000 receiving yards, and he caught a pass in all 53 games he played in four years with the Sun Devils.

He’s also exceptionally easy to root for.

But a move to play wide receiver full-time as a senior made for a forgettable end to his otherwise spectacular time at ASU, and raised more questions about his fit in the NFL than answers. Even if he showed elite change-of-direction ability at the NFL Combine with top marks in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, Foster is just 5’10, 193 pounds and without a defined role.

How he fits with the Patriots:

It’s difficult to imagine that there’s any team better suited to find a role for Foster than the Patriots, though. Dion Lewis was in the middle of a breakout season for New England in 2015 before suffering a torn ACL, taking over Shane Vereen’s role as the undersized rusher making plays out of the backfield.

The Patriots aren’t shy about giving undrafted and overlooked players a legitimate chance to contribute. Foster could have a strong chance at being a playmaker for the team, especially if he shows value on special teams as well.

Why you should know about him:

Garrett passes the eye test at 6’3, 220 pounds and during his senior year in Tulsa, he finished with the most receiving yards in the FBS.

He’s big, strong, prolific and showed speed at the NFL Combine that many thought he lacked. The concern is that he didn’t show that speed on the field and he benefited from a system that asked him to run only a handful of routes.

How he fits with the Panthers:

The lack of wide receivers was a serious concern for the Panthers entering the 2015 season, and it was compounded by an ACL tear for Kelvin Benjamin. But the team did just fine with Ted Ginn Jr., Jerricho Cotchery and Co. en route to Super Bowl 50.

But the Panthers still raised eyebrows when the team didn’t upgrade the wide receiver corps in free agency or the 2016 NFL Draft. Carolina feels like they might as well have by signing Garrett as an undrafted free agent, though.

“We got a draft pick in the free agent market,” Panthers wide receiver coach Ricky Proehl told Max Henson of Panthers.com. “He takes pride in what he does. He wants to be really good. I feel like with the tools he has, he’s just going to get better. He mirrors Kelvin (Benjamin) and (Devin) Funchess --€” a big receiver who can make plays. We can develop him and he can be a guy that can step in and contribute.”

Even with Garrett’s huge production, he’s still a green receiver who likely needs time to learn an NFL route tree. But given Carolina’s receiver depth, he could be another red zone target for Newton sooner rather than later.

Why you should know about him:

Cajuste is another player who slipped out of the draft because there’s a lack of a true position for the Stanford alum. While he was very productive for the Cardinal, he’s not quite as athletic as you’d want a wide receiver to be, but not quite as big as you’d want a tight end to be.

Instead, he’s somewhere in between. But the 49ers have a coach who can take advantage of that conundrum.

How he fits with the 49ers:

“He’s outstanding,” 49ers head coach Chip Kelly said of Cajuste after the draft. “I obviously have a great relationship with David [Shaw], I went to their pro day he came down to our pro day. He’s a tough matchup as a receiver, he’s so big, he’s strong, he’s physical, he’s got a great catch radius.”

After trading Vernon Davis to the Denver Broncos during the 2015 season and staying pat at the tight end position in free agency and the draft, Cajuste could fill the void for the 49ers and be used creatively as a hybrid between wide receiver and tight end.

Why you should know about him:

Allen was a finalist for the inaugural Piesman Trophy, recognizing the best play by a lineman with the ball in their hands. Although he didn’t win the award, Allen’s touchdown was even more remarkable in that he really didn’t look all that out of place carrying the football, even throwing a stiff arm to keep a Penn State linebacker off of him.

The touchdown was a testament to the former wrestler’s athleticism, which he showed in the Michigan State spring game, too, but also highlighted some of the concerns that led to him going undrafted: his size.

There are only a handful of starting offensive lineman in the NFL under 300 pounds, and unless the 294-pound Allen adds some weight, he faces the challenge of overcoming his size by using tenacity and wrestling pedigree to win with leverage like he did as a two-time All-American at Michigan State.

How he fits with the Saints:

The Saints got an upgrade at center a year ago when trading away Jimmy Graham netted them a first-round pick and Max Unger. But the 30-year-old center is in the last year of his five-year, $25.5 million contract and the Saints have struggled with cap room for what seems like forever.

The amount of cap room available to re-sign players like Unger and Cameron Jordan will depend on how the team handles the contract of Drew Brees, but it sure would be nice for the Saints if Allen shows he can be a capable replacement for Unger after a year of development.

If Allen gets stronger and a little bigger in his rookie year, the Saints may have lucked into a center of the future in undrafted free agency.

Why you should know about him:

Even as one of the 30 players who declared early for the 2016 NFL Draft and didn’t get selected, Thompson might be better off for parting ways with Syracuse. A former tight end and basketball player, Thompson never really settled in at one position at Syracuse and was likely in for some more transition after a head coaching change.

Thompson joined the Orange as a four-star tight end, but moved to the defensive side of the ball after redshirting in 2012. He played as an undersized defensive tackle for two seasons, then moved to defensive end in 2015.

That’s a lot of change for one player, who hasn’t been able to settle in and really learn his craft at one spot. Just three years ago, Thompson was still on offense.

Still, he showed potential as an instinctive edge rusher, finishing his junior year with a team-leading seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss

How he fits with the Colts:

While many projected Thompson to be a 3-4 outside linebacker or an undersized 4-3 defensive end, the Colts have him listed as a linebacker, without specifying inside or outside.

Moving Thompson to inside linebacker would be another huge transition, but it’s not a bad idea either, considering the 6’3, 253-pounder wasn’t too impressive in NFL Combine workouts.

Playing inside linebacker in a 3-4 is one way to disguise the 4.92 speed that’s likely to blame for Thompson going undrafted in the first place. If Thompson can show an ability to contribute on special teams, he could be a player the Colts develop into a promising linebacker with flexibility to play in more than one spot.

Why you should know about him:

“Darius Latham the player probably would have been drafted if not for Darius Latham the character risk,” Marcus Allen Krause of Silver and Black Pride wrote about the former Indiana defensive tackle.

The 6’4, 311-pound defensive tackle had 10 tackles for loss in 2015 before electing to forgo his senior season to enter the 2016 NFL Draft. But he was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in March and was twice suspended during his three years with the Hoosiers, including one that kept him out of action for a 34-27 loss to No. 1 Ohio State.

Signing an undrafted free agent is hardly any investment, so there isn’t much risk for the Raiders if Latham doesn’t get things straightened out. But there is some untapped potential that Oakland could take advantage of if Latham stays out of trouble.

How he fits with the Raiders:

Latham showed potential to fit at multiple spots along an NFL defensive line, which is perfect for a Raiders defense that has toyed with both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts.

Only four defensive tackles finished with a higher pass rushing grade in the 2016 Pro Football Focus draft guide and PFF gave Latham a third-round grade. That kind of potential makes Latham a strong contender for a roster spot in Oakland, as long as the team is comfortable with the defensive tackle’s off-field concerns.

Why you should know about him:

Cash’s new teammate, Keyarris Garrett, may be the only player who was a more surprising player to hit undrafted free agency. But even Garrett didn’t find himself in the second and third round of mock drafts like Cash did.

“Two things worked against Cash this draft season, though,” Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer wrote. “He’s a tweener --€” too big to play safety in the NFL but too small to be a linebacker. And he’s had a rash of injuries since December that scared teams.”

But there’s a reason Cash garnered so much attention in the first place. He was a three-time All-American at Duke, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and a finalist for both the Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award.

While his 6’0, 212-pound frame isn’t really too big for a safety, he was used as more of an enforcer in the box and doesn’t quite have the athleticism to stay with NFL receivers in the secondary.

How he fits with the Panthers:

The question for Cash will be whether his production at the collegiate level will translate to the NFL when there are better athletes and opposing offensive coordinators scheming to attack the weak link in the defense.

Carolina is moving Cash to linebacker to begin his NFL career, but he will be one of the smallest players in the NFL at the position unless he adds weight. However, Telvin Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars has thrived at weakside linebacker, despite weighing in at just 218 pounds.

Cash is strong and technically sound. It might take some time for him to adjust, put on some weight and spend time growing into the position, but he should have no problem contributing on special teams. Cash has as strong of a chance as any undrafted rookie to make a final roster.

Why you should know about him:

Despite measuring in at just 5’9, Poole was still the No. 3 safety in the nation as a high school recruit four years ago, and backed up the hype in the Under Armour All-America Game. He landed at Florida, but never played safety for the Gators, instead filling in as a nickel cornerback immediately as a true freshman and sticking at the position during his four years with the program.

As a nickel cornerback, Poole was kind of a forgotten member of a Florida secondary that also featured Vernon Hargreaves, Jalen Tabor and Poole’s Falcons teammate, first-rounder Keanu Neal.

There’s been an emphasis on length at cornerback, thanks largely to the success of the Seattle Seahawks defense, once coached by Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. But slot cornerbacks still have a role in the NFL, and Poole is well built for it at 210 pounds.

How he fits with the Falcons:

Poole isn’t a tremendous athlete and has to overcome his size, but he’s instinctive, smart and crafty. With Jalen Collins set to serve a four-game suspension, there’s room for the Falcons to add and encourage competition at slot cornerback and that could be where Poole eventually winds up, but for now Atlanta has him listed at safety.

It’s an interesting fit for Poole, who never showed what he could do at the position at Florida. With William Moore no longer on the team, it’s anyone’s guess who will make the roster at safety, although the presumptive starters are Ricardo Allen and Neal.

Poole’s size also isn’t much of a factor at safety. Allen is a smaller player than Poole, and most of the other players have comparable size.

Why you should know about him:

The main reason you should know about Hackett is because he’s hilarious. The Australia native once explained that he decided to pursue American football “because deep down I’m fat and I don’t like running very far.“ He also poured fuel on the fire that is the Holy War when he boasted at a Las Vegas Bowl pep rally that he’d “never lost to these bastards” as he pointed at a room full of BYU players.

A few days later, he burned BYU with a fake punt, running for a first down, even if he doesn’t like running:

Comedic timing aside, Hackett’s also a very good punter. At Utah, he was a two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award, recognizing the nation’s top punter, and a two-time consensus All-American. He finished his career with a 45.2-yard punt average, 68 career punts of 50 or more yards and four punts of 70 or more yards.

How he fits with the Jets:

Hackett’s collegiate résumé didn’t earn him a spot in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he has a one-on-one competition with another rookie to make the squad with the Jets. Lachlan Edwards, another Australian, was selected by the Jets in the seventh round.

The two Aussies will duke it out into training camp and preseason, but it’s entirely possible that both land NFL jobs.