While draft picks grab the headlines, these three versatile sleepers possess the special teams prowess and collegiate production necessary to defy the odds and crack Jacksonville’s final roster.
Rookie minicamp is underway, and a lot of focus will be on the 10 players the Jacksonville Jaguars selected in last month’s draft.
But those aren’t the only players who are participating.
28 total rookies are in attendance, meaning that less than half of the participants will be draft picks.
The other 18 will be un-drafted free agents.
A harsh reality of the NFL is that most undrafted free agents won’t make it to the Week 1 roster. But there’s always a chance that a few of them end up surprising, or even become key contributors.
Here are three that could be those guys for the Jaguars.
Devin Neal, Safety, Virginia
If a UDFA beats the odds and turns in a quality NFL career, there’s a good chance he’s a defensive back. A good DB can double as a special teams contributor, which is one thing that would give a guy like Neal a shot to make the team.
Another thing that would give Neal a shot is his experience. He played more than 2,000 snaps in his college career, and almost 500 of them came on special teams per Pro Football Focus.
At 6-feet and 214 pounds, Neal has been lauded for his ability to play both near the line of scrimmage and deep in the secondary, and that type of versatility could be useful for any team.
Michael Wortham, WR, Montana
Not every UDFA WR is going to become Rod Smith or Wes Welker, but Wortham is a guy to watch.
His production at Montana jumps off the page.
This past season at Montana, Wortham went for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns on 85 catches. Had he put up those numbers at, say, Tennessee, he probably wouldn’t have been a UDFA.
As with anybody in his position, there are question marks surrounding Wortham. He didn’t get a chance to prove himself against college football’s best competition, and his 5-foot-9, 177-pound build isn’t ideal for an NFL player.
But Wortham’s versatility, which allowed him to pick up more than 2,500 return yards and 927 rushing yards (plus 17 touchdowns) in his college career make him a guy that could surprise some people.
Devon Marshall, CB, NC State
Marshall is a fundamentally sound player.
Per PFF, he converted on 47 of his 50 cycle attempts, and PFF also had him as the 22nd-best defensive back in the country out of 896. Marshall’s 11 pass breakups ranked third in the country, and his run defense grade of 80.4 was well above average.
At 5-foot—11, Marshall had to scrap to become a key contributor in the ACC, and he’ll have to do the same to make it in the NFL.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!