Shortly after the NFL Draft ended, six former BYU football players who didn't hear their names called quickly signed as undrafted free agents (UDFAs).
Three players signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in wide receiver Chase Roberts, tackle Isaiah Jatta, and safety Tanner Wall.
Three more signed with the New York Jets -- cornerback Mory Bamba, kicker Will Ferrin, and long snapper Garrison Grimes.
Life as a UDFA in the NFL is both exhilarating and perilous. The thrill, obviously, is that these six former Cougars will be given the opportunity this summer to prove they belong in the NFL. The Raiders and Jets signed each of these guys for a reason, and the teams will give them a chance to compete.
Now, the reality is very few UDFAs go on to have any semblance of an NFL career. Approximately 500 UDFAs were given invites to camps last year, so about 16 per team. The vast majority of these players are referred to as "camp bodies", giving teams enough guys over the summer to practice, scrimmage, and make it through the preseason while preserving the health of the players on the 53-man roster.
Very few UDFAs ever make a 53-man roster and play in an NFL game. The fortunate ones find homes on practice squads to hone their craft for a year or two before hopefully finding a roster spot.
While the odds are stacked against BYU's six UDFAs, here are the three most likely players to make a 53-man roster this year.
No. 1 - Will Ferrin, kicker
Ferrin was smart to sign with the New York Jets. They currently only have two kickers on their roster and neither of them are long-term, reliable NFL kickers. Cade York was a fourth round pick in 2022 but on his career has only made 58 of 71 (73.3%) of his field goal attempts. Will Ferrin, by comparison, made 81.7% of his career kicks in college. The Jets aren't married to Cade York, and it could be a 50-50 proposition between him and Will Ferrin.
The other kicker on the Jets roster is Lenny Krieg who joined the team as part of the NFL's International Player Pathways Program and has yet to attempt a field goal.
No. 2 - Tanner Wall, safety
As I've written before, I genuinely don't understand why people aren't higher on Tanner Wall as an NFL prospect. He's coming off an All-Big 12 First Team season, is a two-time Academic All-American, and is an incredible leader. He's everything an NFL team should want, both on and off the field.
His measurables are outstanding with a Relative Athletic Score of 8.81, putting him near the 90th percentile of athleticism among safeties. While I don't expect him to immediately become a fixture in the Raiders secondary, I can see him making the 53-man roster this year as a special teams ace. He has the speed, tackling ability, and mentality to excel on special teams. He could very well have a Zayne Anderson type career.
No. 3 - Mory Bamba, cornerback
While Mory Bamba might not have the college resume most NFL teams are looking for, his size and athleticism are going to be intriguing at the next level, whether it's the Jets or some other team. At 6-foot-3 he has the length that makes front offices drool. Combine that with his elite 4.29 40-yard dash and incredible 9.52 Relative Athletic Score, and some franchise is going to view him as a long-term prospect worthy of a long-term investment.
I'm pretty confident Mory Bamba will make a practice squad this year. He has enough tools that some team will be willing to put him on the practice squad, give him a season to learn and grow, then see if he can compete for a roster spot in 2027. And if that's the path Mory Bamba's career goes, that's a clear win for a UDFA.
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