Everyone loves an underdog story, and you don’t get much more underdog than fighting your way onto an NFL roster without getting drafted. And, in these rare instances, undrafted legends have made their mark on the league’s history. Here, we’ll list off the 25 best undrafted players in NFL history (in no particular order), focusing on record-breakers, rings, and impact on their respective position.
1. Kurt Warner
It’s hard to discuss the quarterback position without providing Kurt Warner some shine. The undrafted signal caller was named the starter for the then-St. Louis Rams in 1999 due to injury, immediately leading “The Greatest Show on Turf” to a Super Bowl championship. He earned Super Bowl MVP in addition to league MVP honors that season.
He was the first quarterback to pass for at least three touchdowns in his first three games until Patrick Mahomes in 2018, and was the only player to earn the Super Bowl MVP and league MVP awards in the same year…until Mahomes did the same in 2022.
I think this Mahomes guy is pretty good.
Anyway, Warner finished his career as a two-time league MVP, a Super Bowl champion, and as the league-leader in most passing yards per game in the postseason with an average of 304 yards per game.
2. Wes Welker
Sometimes, third time’s the charm, and that was certainly the case for Wes Walker’s NFL career. After going undrafted in 2004, Welker landed with the then-San Diego Chargers, who dropped him after one game. He was then picked up by the Miami Dolphins, where he was a fairly understated piece of their offense.
Then, he was traded to the New England Patriots, and the floodgates opened for Welker. He posted five Pro Bowl selections while with the Patriots, and he led the league in receptions thrice with the team.
Welker never got a ring with the Patriots despite playing for them smack dab in the middle of their Tom Brady years, but his resume still speaks for itself: he’s a member of their All-Dynasty team, in addition to holding those multiple Pro Bowl appearances and being the holder of the longest reception in NFL history.
3. Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates remains one of the best tight ends in NFL history, all after leaving college having never played a snap of football. Gates had been a basketball star with Kent State prior to signing with the Chargers in 2003, but quickly became an obvious two-way phenom. With two 1,000-yard receiving years, eight Pro Bowl nods, and three First Team All-Pro selections, Gates is far and away the pinnacle of the position.
To add even more to his illustrious career, he still leads the league in touchdowns by a tight end with 116 through 16 seasons - all spent with the Chargers. The Hall of Famer was a truck of a player, with some of the best hands and coordination amongst receivers in the league. If you’re a tight end looking to model your game after anyone, Gates has to be top consideration.
4. Wayne Chrebet
As a Jets fan, it brings me a ton of joy to talk a bit about Hofstra legend Wayne Chrebet. I can’t look up any Jets receiving records without Chrebet’s name being painted all over those lists. With the team for 11 seasons, the undrafted star was a physical and reliable receiver for New York, defying his size limitations to achieve a Jets Ring of Honor spot. The team has also never used his number 80 since he retired in 2006.
He doesn’t have the accolades of some of his other contemporaries, but he’s certainly one of the best zero to hero stories related to undrafted players in the league that we’ve ever seen.
5. John Randle
John Randle was a classic bulldozer in the NFL, playing most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings after being undrafted back in 1990. Over his 13 year career, he posted a total of 137.5 sacks, and was the league’s sacks leader in 1997. He was hugely impactful on the field for Minnesota, and earned a spot in their Ring of Honor as a result.
In terms of individual accomplishments, Randle has six first-team All-Pro honors and seven Pro Bowl selections under his belt, and he’s a member of the NFL’s 1990s Decade Team. Brett Favre hated to see Randle coming, and Vikings fans adored having a great foil to Favre's story amid their already existent rivalry.
6. Warren Moon
Warren Moon deserves as much shine as Kurt Warner receives in conversations around elite undrafted quarterbacks impacting the NFL. He went undrafted in 1978, but created a market for himself by becoming one of the CFL’s greatest signal callers while with the Edmonton Eskimos in the late 1970s and early 1980s. There, he was a five-time Grey Cup champion, a two-time Grey Cup MVP, and named the league’s most outstanding player in 1983.
He was a lightning rod for the Oilers, as well, playing for 10 seasons with them and posting equal levels of elite passing and…elite fumbles. Fun fact, at the time of his retirement, he led the league all-time in fumbles. But, he certainly made up for it in his peak with the Oilers, and especially in 1990 - he had 4,689 passing yards and 33 touchdowns en route to being named the AP Offensive Player of the Year that season.
Moon’s number was rightfully retired by the Tennessee Titans, but he un-retired it to offer Cam Ward his jersey number. It remains to be seen if that was a good call, especially with how Moon conversely stormed the league in his debut.
7. Adam Vinatieri
Kickers deserve their day in the sun, too, and Adam Vinatieri - a four-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots - absolutely deserves a shout here. Much to my chagrin.
Vinatieri was undrafted back in 1995, but found his way onto the Patriots’ roster in 1996 after winning a kicking competition in camp. He went on to help New England win their first and second Super Bowl championships on two late-game field goals, becoming a clutch member of the squad. He had 18 game-winning field goals by the end of his tenure with the team.
He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, as well, adding even more hardware to his career. He remains one of the most reliable kickers in NFL history, and seen as one of the most durable. He might not have been able to get much over on Nick Foles in that one AFC Divisional game all those years ago but, hey, it takes a special team to take down the Jets.
8. Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes was undrafted in 1997, but signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a UDFA that year. He was the backup to the backup, not getting a real shot at field time until 1998. That season, he burst onto the scene with over 1,000 rushing yards. That was after being named their third-stringer yet again to begin the year, by the way.
He went on to really take off with the Kansas City Chiefs, posting a league-best 1,555 rushing yards. He was the first undrafted running back to have such an accolade. In 2003, he broke the record for most touchdowns scored in a season with 27. This was quite a golden age for running backs, though, and Shaun Alexander broke that record the following season, and then had his record broken the next year by LaDanian Tomlinson.
Injuries halted Holmes’ career, unfortunately, preventing what could’ve been quite a great career with Kansas City as their top running back. Still, he remains atop several Chiefs rankings - he’s second in franchise history in rushing yards (6,070) and first in rushing touchdowns scored (76).
9. Drew Pearson
The number 88 remains a sign of greatness for the Dallas Cowboys, and much of that has to do with Drew Pearson. The undrafted wide receiver out of The University of Tulsa played for Dallas for 11 seasons, winning Super Bowl XII with the team and helping them become the first franchise in NFL history to roster two wide receivers that hit over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
Pearson was an all-around excellent weapon for the Cowboys, acting as one of their best returners over his tenure with them in addition to one of their best down field targets, despite often not being considered their WR1. He’s still fifth all-time in receiving yards for the Cowboys, with two other number 88s above him - current Cowboy CeeDee Lamb, and franchise legend Michael Irvin.
10. Tony Romo
Another undrafted Cowboys star - albeit, one that never got to add “Super Bowl champion” to his resume - is Tony Romo. The quarterback is certainly in the club of majorly impressive undrafted players to make a name for themselves at quarterback, despite missing that hardware.
Romo’s journey to starting for the Cowboys was a bit slower than your typical “thrown to the wolves and thrived” story: he was signed by them in 2003, and didn’t start a Week 1 contest until 2007. He was turnover prone, especially in the postseason, but he was also tough as nails - in one game, he needed 13 stitches after a hit to his chin by a defender. In 2009, he was the first quarterback in franchise history to play every snap of the season.
The four-time Pro Bowler, and owner of the best passer rating and completion percentage in 2014, are just one part of Romo's story with the Cowboys. He’s definitely more of a fan favorite than one, like Pearson, who actually has the accolades to prove his stardom with the franchise.
11. Jason Peters
Jason Peters was undrafted in 2004, looking like a bit of a mismatch with almost every NFL roster given that he was a tight end and defensive lineman in college. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an offensive lineman, where he went on to build himself up into one of the league’s best offensive tackles.
After leaving the Bills following several Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles and became a first-team All-Pro tackle in 2011 and 2013, in addition to being a second-team All-Pro in 2014. He’s also a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, although he tore both his MCL and ACL prior to being able to participate in the big dance.
Peters’ name might not come up as often as it should when discussing great undrafted players in NFL history, but he was certainly one of the Bills’ best linemen in the mid to late-2000s, and a great mentor to tackles while with the Eagles and eventually the Dallas Cowboys.
12. Willie Brown
Willie Brown is a pioneer of the cornerback position, having been credited with using the “bump and run” method as a defender. Brown had numerous clutch plays throughout his career with the then-Oakland Raiders after being undrafted in 1963, with his most memorable being his interception returned for a touchdown against Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton in Super Bowl XI.
He had three total interceptions returned against Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the postseason - his one against Tarkenton, one against Terry Bradshaw in 1973, and one against Bob Griese in 1970.
“Old Man Willie” made his stamp on the game early, and he remains the Raiders’ leader in total interceptions with 39. The two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time first-team All-AFL star remains one of the best cornerbacks in NFL history, despite getting his start back in the 1970s.
13. James Harrison
James Harrison had a bumpy ride to his first eventual start in the NFL. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002, but never managed to work his way onto their active roster consistently beyond just being a piece on their special teams unit. After his next sign and release from the Baltimore Ravens, he signed with the Steelers again. And, the rest is history.
Harrison became a bonafide starter with Pittsburgh in 2008, but had been a part of their Super Bowl championship team in 2006. But, he wasn’t a big fish, then. As a starter, he picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors thanks to a 101 tackle, 16 sack, and seven forced fumble campaign. This was also the year he did make his mark on a Super Bowl victory, intercepting Kurt Warner in Super Bowl for a 100-yard touchdown return.
Harrison, the first undrafted player to win DPOY honors, will go down as having one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history, and having had one of the greatest career comebacks in NFL history. From being cut four times to landing two rings and the biggest award for a defender in the league, Harrison is one of the greatest UDFA stories in the league.
14. Cliff Harris
Another pioneer of the game, Cliff Harris remains one of the quintessential safeties in NFL history. He is credited with using lighter pads as a means of maintaining his speed in the open field as a tackler and defender in coverage, something that had not been commonplace prior to his doing so in the 1970s. He and Charlie Waters created one of the best safety tandems in the NFL at the time, helping to lead Dallas to two Super Bowl championships.
He played in five Super Bowl games total, which makes him one of only 13 players to have done so, in addition to having earned four first-team All-Pro nods.
He remains ninth overall in total interceptions over his career with the Cowboys, and he’d likely be higher had he not retired at the age of 31 to go manage his oil business. Now, that might’ve been the most Texas-coded sentence I’ve ever written.
15. Dick Lane
Dick Lane — who has one of the coolest nicknames in NFL history, “Night Train” Lane — remains one of the most elite cornerbacks in NFL history. This, despite his tenure being from 1952-1965, makes it all the more impressive. As an undrafted rookie in 1952 with the Los Angeles Rams, he posted 14 interceptions. That’s still a rookie record, and an NFL record.
He was also so good that he was named to both the Arizona Cardinals’ and Detroit Lions’ Ring of Honor, thanks to excellent performances for both franchises following his work with the Rams. Lane remains one of the greatest tacklers in NFL history, and he’s fourth all-time in total interceptions with 68.
16. Willie Wood
Willie Wood, undrafted in 1960, went on to become one of the greatest safeties in Green Bay Packers history. He was an all-NFL star, having won five NFL Championships in addition to two Super Bowl championships. He was also the NFL’s interceptions leader in 1962.
He was also a solid punt returner for the team, having brought in five punts for 35 yards in Super Bowl II. And, he remains the most durable safety in NFL history, having played in 154 games straight.
Wood was also a coach for a few years after leaving the league, although he will forever be known more for his work as one of the Packers’ most reliable defenders during their championship runs.
17. Sam Mills
Sam Mills might not have the hardware that would make a defender stand out on a list like this, but he deserves some praise for having revived his career with a brand new franchise, the Carolina Panthers, to end his NFL tenure. The five-time Pro Bowler and three time first-team All-Pro was known for his speed and strength as a tackler, and he was a member of a vaunted New Orleans Saints defense in the 1990s.
In his final years with Carolina, he was a turnover machine. He posted five interceptions in his first season with them, along with five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. This helped land him a Pro Bowl invite in 1996. At the time, he was the oldest defender to participate in the Pro Bowl.
He was unbelievably consistent and reliable, which made him such a valuable pickup for all of the teams he played with considering he was undrafted.
18. London Fletcher
If you want to talk about reliability, you can’t have that conversation without mentioning London Fletcher. He still holds the record for most consecutive games played by a linebacker with 256 played, and the record for most consecutive starts with 215. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro is definitely underrated when it comes to ranking linebackers in NFL history generally, but he has to be atop folks’ list of best undrafted linebackers in the league.
Fletcher contributed three sacks and 90 combined tackles to the Super Bowl-winning St. Louis Rams back in 1999, followed by a career-high 5.5 sacks the following season. When he left the Rams, he landed with the Buffalo Bills and posted a career-high in deflections in his 2006 season (11). And, when he left there for Washington, he posted a career-high in total tackles with 166 for them. He just remained a hit throughout his long career.
19. Cameron Wake
Cameron Wake became a menace in the NFL after a stint with the Canadian Football League, in which he posted 16 sacks and 72 tackles his rookie season. He was the first player in CFL history to earn Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season, making him quite the underrated steal for the Miami Dolphins when they signed the undrafted defender in 2009.
With Miami, Wake would earn first-team All-Pro honors, in addition to three second-team All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl selections. He has the second-most sacks by an undrafted player in NFL history, behind John Randle, and the second-most sacks in Dolphins history, behind franchise legend Jason Taylor.
Obviously, Miami hasn’t won much in a long while, but they’ve produced some high-level defensive talent over the years - Wake is one of those talented guys.
20. Joe Jacoby
Another unsung hero of a tackle, Joe Jacoby had quite an illustrious career for an undrafted lineman. While with Washington, Jacoby won three Super Bowl championships, and earned three first-team All-Pro honors to boot. He was also a four time Pro Bowler.
While stats are not often how you measure the success of a tackle, Jacoby has a great Super Bowl clinching play to emphasize his greatness while with Washington. He was the lead blocker on John Riggins’ touchdown in Super Bowl XVII, which helped to secure that championship.
Despite being on the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade team, Jacoby has not been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Regardless, he deserves such an honor, and is at least a part of Washington’s Ring of Honor despite that poor oversight.
21. Jim Langer
Jim Langer is considered one of the greatest centers in NFL history. Not just greatest center amongst undrafted players in NFL history, but greatest generally. The lineman played 11 years in the NFL, bouncing from the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad to the Miami Dolphins in 1970. There is where he began his Hall of Fame career as a center, and was one of only five Dolphins players to ever be enshrined in the HoF on his first go.
He won two championships with the Dolphins, and was a part of the “Perfect Season” Dolphins in 1972. He played a big role in both wins, playing in every single snap in 1972 and helping Miami rush for 196 yards in their subsequent win in 1973.
He was named a three time first-team All-Pro, and a three time second-team All-Pro. He was also a six time Pro Bowler.
22. Larry Little
Yet another member of the Dolphins’ “Perfect Season” team in 1972, Larry Little etched himself in NFL history as one of the league’s best guards in history despite being undrafted. He was a five time first-team All-Pro, two time second-team All-Pro, and a five time Pro Bowler over his career between the San Diego Chargers and Dolphins.
Little was a huge part of Miami’s ability to rush for 2,960 yards over 14 games in their perfect year, and their ability to average 2,372 rushing yards per season in the 1970s. That was a league-best mark that decade, and again, in much thanks to Little’s work up front as a run blocker.
Another fun fact about Little: he was the first guard to be paid a $100,000 annual salary, which he earned in 1973. That’s about $758,000 per year in 2026, which is quite underpaid by today’s standards for elite linemen.
23. Joe Perry
Joe Perry was a trailblazer in the NFL, earning the first Most Valuable Player honor for a Black player in NFL history, and as he was considered one of the league’s first Black stars.
The fullback was a multi-time rushing leader in the league, and was the first player in league history to post back to back 1,000+ rushing yard seasons. He was unbelievably durable as a running back, playing in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s prior to retiring in 1963.
He never won a championship with the San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Colts, but he’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the 49ers Hall of Fame. His number, 34, was also retired by San Francisco.
For a player to overcome the hurdles associated with the racial discrimination levied at him on and off the field en route to becoming one of the NFL’s greatest running backs of the 1950s just adds to his legend, although it is an unfortunate part of his career.
24. Jeff Feagles
Jeff Feagles is another pioneer of his position on this list, but as a punter. The special teams star, who earned a Super Bowl championship with the New York Giants and multiple Pro Bowl selections, was known for his excellent usage of the “coffin punt” — a type of punt where you’re aiming for the corner of the field where you’re just about to touch the end zone.
This no man’s land makes it incredibly difficult for opposing offenses to get ideal field placement, which made Feagles all the more valuable for the Giants in their Super Bowl run with him.
Feagles holds the NFL record for most consecutive games played (352), most career punt yards (71,211), most career punts (1,713), and most career punts inside the 20 yard line (554).
He was a genuine iron man, and the kind of punter to prove how important it is to have success in all three phases of the game in order to actually contend for a championship.
25. Jessie Tuggle
When you’re a four-time combined tackles record holder in the NFL, you’ve got to be doing something right as a linebacker. The undrafted Jessie Tuggle, who was signed by the 1987, was a stalwart member of the Atlanta Falcons’ defense his entire career. In addition to that tackle record, he was also a five-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro member in 1998, and now, a Falcons Ring of Honor member.
Tuggle is still the leader in tackles in Falcons history, making him one of their greatest linebackers. He’s also third all-time in fumbles forced, and at the time of his retirement in 2001, he led the league in touchdowns scored off fumble recoveries with five.
Tuggle was a reliable member of Atlanta’s defense despite many years of them struggling, and one Super Bowl berth.
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