When the NFL Draft comes around every April every college football player that is eligible is hoping that they will get drafted somewhere in the 7 round draft. With over 1,500 eligible players and only 256 draft slots that can’t happen. After the NFL Draft teams will sign undrafted rookie free-agents and it gives them an opportunity to make the teams 53 man roster, some other teams 53 man roster or a practice squad. With the NFL season about to kickoff let look at the impact that undrafted rookie free-agents have on NFL rosters.
As of September 7, 2016 there is 478 players on a 53 man roster that where not drafted. So 28% of the 32 NFL teams 53 man rosters are made of undrafted free-agents. 61 of these players are rookies.
There are 240 undrafted players that are on practice squads. Teams are allowed a max of 10 players on a practice squad, so 75% of the NFL’s practice squads are made up of undrafted players.
NFL teams spend millions of dollars on scouting players for the draft but they are unable to be prefect in their selection of players. When the draft comes everyone has an opinion on what players will get drafted and who will make the 53 man roster but the NFL business is unpredictable and that is one reason why people love it.
A full breakdown of all 32 NFL teams and undrafted players:
