NFL Dynasty Watch: Top 2024 UDFA Signings After the NFL Draft

This article is part of our Dynasty Strategy series.

This may be a quicker exercise than in past years, mostly because the UDFA class contains fewer interesting names than usual. As strong as the 2024 NFL Draft was at the very top, it looked like one of the shallower classes in recent years by the time we got to Rounds 6 and 7, with many of the Day 3 prospects having profiles that scream 'UDFA'.

Even so, there are some good college players that ended up going undrafted and might be able to break through in the NFL. In fantasy terms, we're typically talking about running backs when surveying the UDFAs with a shot to make an impact, though we'll also look at other fantasy positions (QB/WR/TE). Last year, the UDFA class included Keaton Mitchell, Jaleel McLaughlin, Emari Demercado and Xavier Gipson.

• QB Sam Hartman

Hartman was a five-year starter in college and even attempted 97 passes during his "redshirt" 2019. He had 7,929 passing yards and 89 total TDs over his final two seasons at Wake Forest, before transferring to Notre Dame in 2023 and throwing for 2,689 yards and 24 TDs in his final campaign. Hartman improved his completion percentage with each subsequent season and averaged more than 8.0 YPA every year besides his freshman campaign, plus he had 978 career yards and 20 TDs on the ground. He'll be 25 before Week 1 but nonetheless offers potential to become a solid backup in the NFL.

• QB Kedon Slovis

Slovis had first-round hype back in 2019 when he threw for 3,502 yards and 30 TDs as a freshman at USC. His performance dipped during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and he was then even worse in three subsequent seasons. In 2021, Slovis ended up losing snaps to Jaxson Dart. In 2022, he transferred to Pitt and completed only 58.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 10 TDs. In 2023, he moved to BYU and completed 57.5 percent of throws with 12 TDs. 

Now Slovis lands in Indianapolis, where he'll compete for the No. 3 QB job behind Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco. It's a long shot, but the Colts hope they can help Slovis recapture the success from his age-18 season. Granted, a lot of that success stemmed from throwing passes to future NFL WR1s Michael Pittman, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Drake London.

• QB Austin Reed

Reed threw for 8,086 yards and 71 TDs at Western Kentucky the past two seasons, adding 12 TDs on the ground for good measure. He's not fast enough (4.82 40) to be a major rushing threat in the NFL, but he does have a shot to win the No. 2 QB job for a Bears team that had 2023 UDFA Tyson Bagent in the role last year. Brett Rypien is the only veteran QB that Chicago brought in this offseason, so it'll likely be either Reed or Bagent behind Caleb Williams.

• RB Dillon Johnson

Johnson's draft stock tanked after a 4.68 40 at the combine, and it didn't help that his other workout numbers also were poor. He did have a solid college career, however, rushing for 1,198 yards in three years at Miss St. and then 1,195 yards and 16 TDs last season at Washington. The more encouraging part is that he caught 173 passes in four seasons, suggesting he may be able to stick as a passing-down specialist even though he clearly lacks lead-back athleticism.

• RB George Holani

Solani is 24 years old and about average in terms of size (5-10, 208) and speed (4.52 40), but there are some solid indicators from his four-plus seasons at Boise State, including two years with more than 100 yards for scrimmage per game and two others with more than 80. He ran for 1,014 yards as a true freshman in 2019, and finished his career with 3,596 rushing yards, 777 receiving yards and 34 total TDs. I won't be surprised if he beats out Kenny McIntosh for the No. 3 RB job in Seattle, after DeeJay Dallas left for Arizona this offseason.

• RB Cody Schrader

Most analysts had Schrader as a Day 3 pick after he ran for 2,371 yards and 23 TDs over the past two seasons at Missouri, where he was the SEC's leading rushing in 2023. On the other hand, he'll turn 25 in September and ran a 4.61 40 at the 2024 Combine, so his NFL potential is probably limited to a backup role and special teams.

• RB Frank Gore

Gore led Southern Miss in rushing during each of his four seasons, tallying 4,022 yards and 26 TDs in all. His junior season was his best, featuring 1,382 rushing yards and a 6.1 YPC average. Gore isn't built quite as densely as his father, and is also a step slower, but you might say there's a similar toughness. Buffalo is a good landing spot to stick around, with James Cook and fourth-round pick Ray Davis probably the only lock for spots at RB. Not that I'd bet on Gore unseating Ty Johnson, but it's at least within the realm of possibility.

• RB Emani Bailey  

Bailey is short and stout (5-7, 202) like a little teacup, though much stronger and not nearly as fragile. He was a timeshare back at Louisiana and then TCU in 2021-22, before exploding for 223-1,209-8 rushing and 25-184-1 receiving for the Horned Frogs last year. Poor workout numbers hurt his chances to get drafted -- 4.61 40, 33.5-inch vertical, 116-inch broad jump -- even though we wouldn't necessarily expect good results there for someone with his build. Bailey is younger (22) than a lot of the other guys listed here, and the Chiefs gave him a decent chunk of cash to sign, guaranteeing $210k.

• RB Blake Watson

The Broncos reportedly gave Watson a contract with $250,000 guaranteed, tied for second most among all UDFAs in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 NFL Draft. He's a small back (5-9, 189) who ran a 4.39 40 at his pro day, after exploding for a 192-1,152-14 rushing line and 53-480-3 receiving line at Memphis last year. The Broncos could still release Samaje Perine to clear up cap space, in which case the RB3 job behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin would be open for competition. Watson seems like a good fit given Sean Payton's love for targeting RBs in the pass game.

• RB Kendall Milton

The Eagles probably won't keep more than three RBs on the active roster, with those three being Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell and fourth-round pick Will Shipley. However, they seem to think Milton is an excellent candidate for the practice squad, as his contract includes $250,000 guaranteed. He caught just 12 passes in four seasons at Georgia but put up 790 yards and 14 TDs on only 121 carries in 2024. Milton's 4.62 40 time is adequate given his size (6-2, 225), though the profile suggests he's unlikely to be more than a short-yardage specialist and special teamer in the NFL.

• RB Michael Wiley

Wiley never topped 771 rushing yards as a five-year contributor at Arizona, but he finished out his career with three straight seasons of at least 28 catches, 297 receiving yards and three receiving TDs. That makes him a candidate to eventually earn a passing-down role in the pros, though in Washington that'll obviously be Austin Ekeler's domain in 2024. Wiley ran a 4.50 40 at 210 pounds, so he's not as athletically lacking as some of the other potential pass-down-specialist RBs mentioned above.

• WR Xavier Weaver

Weaver's $255,000 guarantee from Arizona is the largest that's been reported for any UDFA so far. He was Colorado's leading receiver last year (68-908-4), following back-to-back seasons with more than 700 yards at South Florida. Weaver is thin by NFL standards (6-0, 175), but he at least had a decent 40 time (4.47) at his pro day, where he also showed respectably in the vertical jump (37 in.) and broad jump (127 in.). The Cardinals have lousy depth at WR, giving Weaver a real shot at a spot on the Week 1 roster.

• WR Isaiah Williams

Williams had 2,295 receiving yards over his final three years at Illinois, including an 81-1,055-5 receiving line last season. Unfortunately for him, he ran a 4.63 40 at 5-9, 182, torpedoing his chances of being drafted. Williams will now try to earn a spot with the Lions as a backup slot receiver and/or punt return man. His $240,000 guarantee is one of the largest received by a UDFA this year.

• WR Isaiah Wooden

Wooden wasn't invited to the 2024 Combine but put up some truly remarkable numbers at his pro day, namely a 44.5-inch vertical and a 4.35 40 (with a 1.38 10-yard split split). Unfortunately, he's quite short for a football player (5-7, 176) and didn't face great competition at FCS Southern Utah, though he at least put up big numbers last season -- a 61-904-14 receiving line, plus 34 rushing yards, 178 kick return yards and 60 punt return yards.

It's also worth noting that he's short more so than thin, with a 27.6 BMI that's higher than numerous prospects who were drafted. I'd certainly take him over a lot of the RBs and WRs that were drafted Day 3, solely based on the ridiculous vertical jump and 10-yard split. In terms of eventual fantasy potential, I think his best chance to make noise would be as a passing-down or change-of-pace RB, though the Falcons are probably more in need of slot receivers and return specialists right now.

• TE Brevyn Spann-Ford

Spann-Ford was a three-year starter at Minnesota but never had more than 497 yards or two TDs in a year, and his 4.77 40 time suggests he's unlikely to be a major receiving threat in the NFL. On the other hand, he's 6-7, 260, so he doesn't necessarily need great athleticism to stick around the NFL for a while. Dallas gave Spann-Ford a $245,000 guarantee, the most among undrafted TEs this year.

• TE Dallin Holker

Holker had just 521 yards and three TD in three seasons at BYU before breaking out for 64-767-6 as a 23 year old at Colorado State last year. It might've been enough to get drafted, until he crashed and burned at the combine with a 4.78 40 at 231 pounds. He did well in the agility drills, at least, so perhaps he can eventually carve out a role in the NFL as a pure passing-down specialist. Juwan Johnson is locked into that role for the Saints this season, leaving Holker as a practice-squad guy at best.