Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Six undrafted free agents are emerging as serious contenders for NFL roster spots this summer, including Jaydn Ott, Le'Veon Moss and more.
- Each player lands on a team with a specific need — from depth at tight end to offensive line insurance and wide receiver competition.
- The battle for final roster spots will test adaptability and special teams value over the next three months.
You play college football. You attend your school's pro day. You stay at home for the NFL Draft because you know you aren't a Day 1 pick, and probably not a Day 2 pick either, but Day 3? You're a Day 3 pick. You know it. You feel it. And as the rounds tick by, as the remaining picks dwindle, you start to realize you aren't going to see your name on that ESPN scroll, you aren't going to get a call from a GM.
But don't worry. This doesn't mean it's over. Plenty of great players have slipped through the cracks before, including names as big as Kurt Warner and Antonio Gates. This year's UDFA class might not be host to any future Hall of Famers, but there are players who have a good shot to make the final roster.
Michael Trigg, TE, Dallas Cowboys
While the Dallas Cowboys know Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker are their top two tight ends, there's really no guarantee that any particular player on the current roster has the inside edge for the No. 3 job, which should be music to Michael Trigg's ears.
Trigg was slow to get going in stops at USC and Ole Miss, but his move to Baylor for the final two seasons of his career was the perfect move to unlock the versatile tight end.
Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | |
|---|---|---|---|
Ole Miss (2022 & 2023) | 21 | 221 | 4 |
Baylor (2024 & 2025) | 80 | 1089 | 9 |
The 6-foot-4 Trigg has to improve as a blocker still, but when you watch him make receptions, it feels like you're watching someone who is ready to do that at the next level. He has the size and athleticism to play outside, and his ability to leap sets him up to make some plays down in the red zone. Dallas can use Trigg to make the passing attack even more dangerous.
Le'Veon Moss, RB, Miami Dolphins
De'Von Achane is a very good running back, and the Miami Dolphins would be best off leveraging that for trade value at this point. Will they? I don't know, but if they did, it would give Le'Veon Moss a path to a real role in Miami this year.
But even if the Dolphins keep Achane, Moss could be fighting for a spot on this roster, as the situation behind Achane is unsettled. Essentially, he'd need to beat one of the following names out for a roster spot: Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II and Donovan Edwards. Shouldn't be hard, right?
Moss wasn't as productive in college as you might have wanted from a former 4-star recruit, though we would have seen more if his final season wasn't limited by injury. Moss has the skillset to play in any situation, including on passing downs.
Isaiah World, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
Protecting Justin Herbert was an important goal this offseason for the Los Angeles Chargers, and the addition of Jake Slaughter, Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange to the interior of the line this offseason really helped shore things up there, but the team could still use additional depth on the exterior of the line. While the starting tackles are great when healthy, we saw in 2025 what happens when injuries happen to those key pieces, and it's not good.
Oregon offensive tackle Isaiah World might be the answer to that need. World has the physical talent to be a starting tackle in the NFL, but has shown issues with consistency, brought on largely by mistakes, something that can be cleared up at the next level.
I'm not saying World is going to be a star in the NFL, but if I'm the Chargers, I want to keep him around the building and see if I coach the mistakes out of his game. Because if the team can do that, World can be a very solid piece for Los Angeles.
Caullin Lacy, WR, New York Jets
The New York Jets have a solid top three at wide receiver with Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and rookie first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr., but beyond that...yikes. 2025 fourth-round pick Arian Smith will make the team barring a disaster this offseason, but the other non-rookies battling for spots include Irvin Charles, Isaiah Williams, Quentin Skinner and Jamaal Pritchett. Suffice it to say, the fifth receiver role is wide open, and it wouldn't be a shock at all to see UDFA Caullin Lacy earn the role.
Lacy was extremely productive at South Alabama, including a 91-catch, 1,316-yard season in 2023. That production didn't necessarily follow him to Louisville, though he had a strong final season, catching 60 balls for 635 yards and two touchdowns.
While his skillset kind of pigeonholes him into the slot, his speed can be useful on special teams, increasing the as a potential return man for the Jets, a role that seems open for the taking at the moment.
Jaydn Ott, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The running back position behind Kenneth Walker remains a question mark in Kansas City. Last season's seventh-round pick Brashard Smith is expected to compete with this year's fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson and free agent Emari Demercado for roster spots, but I really wouldn't count out Jaydn Ott, especially if we get to the end of the preseason and Smith hasn't shown he can handle the No. 2 role. Remember: Smith is a former college receiver with limited playing time at running back under his belt, and he wasn't nearly as electric as the Chiefs likely hoped he'd be as a rookie.
Ott is a great player for the Chiefs to take a chance on. In 2023, he led the Pac-12 in rushing yards with 1,315 and found the end zone 12 times, but he fell off over the past two seasons, and his one year at Oklahoma was a disaster, with Ott seeing just 21 carries all season.
The athleticism is there, though, and if the Chiefs want a reclamation project, Ott is an interesting one, even if he's coming off a very weird, disappointing season with the Sooners.
Thaddeus Dixon, CB, New York Giants
Corner is a huge need for the New York Giants and even the selection of Tennessee's Colton Hood in the second round doesn't fix it fully. There is room for a surprise player to make the roster as a rotational defensive back and special teams player, and I think Thaddeus Dixon can be that guy.
The North Carolina corner opened the 2025 season strong, but injury forced him to miss time, and Dixon was unable to replicate his early success once he was back. He also suffered a hamstring injury this spring, hampering his ability to fully showcase himself ahead of the draft.
Lot of questions here, but the talent itself isn't one of those questions. If he's willing to put the work in, the Giants should have a spot for him.
More NFL news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google