After every draft there is a scramble as NFL teams look to scoop up talent that slipped through the cracks and went undrafted. While teams may sign a few undrafted free agents (UDFA) or a dozen, each season sees some of these seemingly forgotten young men make the Week 1 53-man rosters of various NFL teams. Here we look at which UDFAs have the best chance to stick with opening day rosters of teams in the AFC West.
2016 AFC West Undrafted Free Agent Predicitons
San Diego Chargers
Carlos Wray: defensive end, Duke
The Chargers picked Joey Bosa with their top pick of the draft yet he projects as more of an outside linebacker than defensive end. This presents an opportunity for Wray as he comes to the Chargers undrafted. Never considered a pass rusher, Wray will have to show run stopping ability in addition to an ability to contribute on special teams to stick to the Chargers roster.
Tyler Johnstone: tackle, Oregon
Entering the NFL Draft, the Chargers need to address several positions, including the offensive line. They did so with several draft picks aimed at reinforcing the interior of the line. Johnstone enters San Diego camp with a chance to earn a reserve role given his experience at left tackle with the Ducks. He started every game he appeared in while at Oregon yet missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, likely contributing to his fall out of the draft. With a strong camp Johnstone could latch on as the fourth tackle.
Denver Broncos
Aaron Neary: guard, Eastern Washington
Denver returns one starter on the offensive line from their championship run. That’s a scary fact with a new starting quarterback on the horizon. The Broncos are going to need to be able to run the ball to take pressure off either Mark Sanchez or rookie Paxton Lynch this season. While they did draft a guard in Connor McGovern, they waited until the fifth round and could use as much fresh blood on the line as possible. This opens the door for Neary to carve out a spot on the roster if he can turn his solid pro day numbers into on field performance. Coming from a smaller program likely caused his fall. That being said, Neary has starting experience and could flash as a quick, athletic guard.
Lars Hanson: offensive tackle, Sacramento State
Continuing with the offensive line trend where Neary has an outside shot at a roster spot inside; Lars Hanson also has a shot at on outside roster spot. Tackle depth is thin at Mile High and Hanson was one of the longest prospects to come out this year. He certainly has the size, standing at 6’8″, and started 39 consecutive games for the Hornets. The question will be does his game translate to the pro level after coming from a smaller program.
Kansas City Chiefs
Mitch Mathews: wide receiver, BYU
Mathews brings size and high point ability with him to the NFL yet will need to show vast improvement with the fundamentals of the position. Standing 6’5″, he brings much needed size the receiving core of the Chiefs however a roster spot is not guaranteed. He lacks natural route running ability to be an immediate contributor but with a strong camp he could sneak onto the back end of the roster.
Terrance Smith: inside linebacker, Florida State
Kansas City can never seem to have enough depth in the linebacking corps. This opens up a potential opportunity for Smith. He brings good size despite what some consider a slight frame. The opportunity for Smith is to land a depth role in a defense that boasts a lot of talent. However,with a history of missed tackles and lack of instincts against the pass Smith will have to shine on special teams in addition to shore up his tackling technique to latch on to a talented Kansas City roster.
Oakland Raiders
Darius Latham: defensive tackle, Indiana
Latham comes to Oakland as a potentially talented player with character concerns, which should lead him to fit in just fine. The Raiders have a reputation through the ages for bringing in guys with off-the-field issues. If Latham can get his act together and stay out of trouble, the reward far outweighs the risk. This is a team that needs help all along the defensive line. And the former Indiana Hoosier could contribute to a rotation that needs a talent influx.
Max McCaffrey: wide receiver, Duke
Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are entrenched as the top options in the Raiders ariel attack going into 2016. What remains behind them raises questions marks, though. McCaffrey comes out of Duke standing 6’2″ and having started 38 games. He could sneak onto the rising roster as a fifth or sixth option. He will have to show special teams prowess in addition to skills as a receiver to latch on.
Check out 2016 AFC East Undrafted Free Agent Predictions
