The NFL can find everyone in its draft. There have been many gems that have not been chosen only to go on to stellar careers in the league.
Atlanta Falcons: Jessie Tuggle
There isn’t going to be a player to top Jessie Tuggle, who was a five-time Pro Bowler after going undrafted out of Valdosta State in 1987. Tuggle also is contributing to the Falcons today as one of his sons is Grady Jarrett, a top defensive lineman.
Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner will appear twice on this list. His story has been told and told but is nonetheless still remarkable. From stocking shelves to winning a Super Bowl and almost winning one for the Cardinals.
Baltimore Ravens: Justin Tucker
The most accurate kicker in the game. Justin Tucker has quite the leg for the Baltimore Ravens and he also has a strong voice … as in able to sing opera like few others.
Buffalo Bills: Kent Hull
Kent Hull went from Mississippi State to the USFL, where he blocked for Herschel Walker as a New Jersey General. He then moved on to the Bills, for whom he played from 1986-1996. Overall, he started every game but one in his career.
Carolina Panthers: Sam Mills
The classic example of not judging a player by his size is Sam Mills. After bouncing from the NFL to the CFL to the USFL, Mills found a home as a Saint and then Panther. The 5-foot-9, 232-pounder could have been on this list for either of those teams.
Chicago Bears: Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould entered the NFL out of Penn State. He started kicking field goals and has continued since 2005. He has hit 350 of 400 attempts in a career that has seen him make the Pro Bowl once.
Cincinnati Bengals: Vontaze Burfict
This is tricky. Vontaze Burfict would have been a high draft pick. However, he had tons of baggage coming out of college and it led to him not being drafted. That’s the quality players on this list have to have so he fits.
Cleveland Browns: Lou Groza
When your nickname is “The Toe” and you are a kicker that says pretty much everything about the role you played for your team and the NFL. Lou Groza went straight from serving his country to the Browns and wound up a nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time NFL champion.
Dallas Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson was a Super Bowl champ, member of the All-’70s decade team and three-time Pro Bowler. Oh, and he also was on the receiving end of the pass that gave birth to the term “Hail Mary.”
Detroit Lions Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane
“Night Train” Lane was one of the hardest hitters the NFL has seen. Talk about making a splash in your debut. Lane intercepted 14 passes as a Los Angeles Rams rookie in 1952. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler in a 14-year career.
Denver Broncos: Rod Smith
A two-time Super Bowl champ after going undrafted out of Missouri Southern State, Rod Smith made 849 catches in his career. Case closed.
Green Bay Packers: Willie Wood
Willie Wood has 48 interceptions in his career as a Green Bay Packer from 1960-71. Hard to believe he was not drafted out of USC. He wound up making the Pro Bowl eight times and was a two-time Super Bowl champ.
Houston Texans: Arian Foster
Arian Foster played college ball at Tennesee, which makes him going undrafted quite surprising. Once he got to the NFL he made opponents pay for their decision to ignore him. He rushed for and caught passes for almost 9,000 yards and scored 68 touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts: Jeff Saturday
Jeff Saturday made sure the ball was safely into Peyton Manning’s hands for many years with the Colts. He was part of one Super Bowl winner and a six-time Pro Bowler.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Allen Hurns
Allen Hurns is one of the good guys in the league. He came out of Miami to the Jaguars. Hurns has 209 catches in his career. He scores major points for changing his number to 17, paying tribute to the victims of the Parkland High School shooting.
Kansas City Chiefs: Emmitt Thomas
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Emmitt Thomas out of Bishop in 1966 and he remained with them for his entire career. A five-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer, Thomas led both the AFL and NFL in interceptions.
Los Angeles Chargers: Antonio Gates
A basketball player who turned into a fantastic football player. Antonio Gates has been on the receiving end of so many passes from Philip Rivers as a Charger. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler and needs 45 more receptions to reach the 1,000-catch mark.
Los Angeles Rams: Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner is on the list twice. He was mentioned as a Cardinal. While he came up short for Arizona in pursuit of a Super Bowl, he delivered for the Rams. The maestro of “The Greatest Show on Turf.”
Miami Dolphins: Larry Little
A two-time Super Bowl champ and five-time Pro Bowler, Larry Little was the heart of the great Miami Dolphins’ offensive line in the ’70s. He played college ball at Bethune Cookman, went undrafted, signed with the Chargers before moving to Miami, where he starred.
Minnesota Vikings: John Randle
John Randle was one of the most vocal players in his NFL career that saw him register 137 1/2 sacks as a Viking and Seahawk. Randle was a seven-time Pro Bowler and led the league in sacks in 1997 with 15 1/2.
New England Patriots: Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri keeps on ticking and keeps on kicking. A remarkable career for the South Dakota State product who went undrafted in 1996. He has been on more Super Bowl winning teams (four) than Pro Bowl appearances (three).
New Orleans Saints: Tom Dempsey
There may have been players who contributed more to the Saints. However, no one overcame more than Tom Dempsey. He seals his spot here with the then-record 63-yard field goal that sank the Detroit Lions.
New York Giants: Emlen Tunnell
Nicknamed “The Gremlin,” Emlen Tunnell overcame a broken neck in college to become one of the NFL’s great defensive backs. A nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL champ, Tunnell had 79 career interceptions.
New York Jets: Wayne Chrebet
Out of Hofstra, in the Jets’ backyard, Wayne Chrebet fell to Gang Green after being passed on by everyone in 1995. All he did was catch 580 passes for 7,300 yards and score 41 TDs.
Oakland Raiders: Willie Brown
A Hall of Fame cornerback, Willie Brown played college ball at Grambling State. He went on to become one of the best in the secondary the NFL has seen. The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champ had 54 picks in his storied career.
Pittsburgh Steelers: James Harrison
James Harrison went to Kent State and was not chosen in the draft. All he has done in the NFL is rack up 84 1/2 sacks, become a two-timer Super Bowl champ and five-time Pro Bowler.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Peters
Hard to believe when you are 6-foot-4 and 328 pounds and play at Arkansas the NFL could miss you. The league did and Jason Peters has gone on to be a Super Bowl champ and nine-time Pro Bowler.
San Francisco 49ers: Joe Perry
From Compton Junior College, Joe Perry rocked NFL foes to the tune of 8,300 yards in a career that wound up with a spot in Canton. He was the first African-American to be named NFL MVP. Perry was a key part of the Niners’ “Million Dollar Backfield.”
Seattle Seahawks:Dave Krieg
Dave Krieg edges fellow undrafted Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn. A three-time Pro Bowler, Krieg came from Milton College to the NFL and threw 261 TD passes and for 38,000 yards.
Tampa Bay Bucs: Michael Bennett
Talk about a miss. How could teams have passed on Michael Bennett out of Texas A&M? He has 63 sacks in his career, is a Super Bowl champ and a three-time Pro Bowler. He recorded 41 tackes, forced three fumbles and had nine sacks as a Buc in 2012.
Tennessee Titans: Warren Moon
Warren Moon wasn’t drafted out of Washington. So, he went to the CFL and lit that league up. Then, he came to the Houston Oilers and proceeded to produce pinball numbers in the NFL. Combined, Moon threw for 70,000 yards and 435 touchdowns.
Washington Redskins: London Fletcher
London Fletcher was as durable as they come. At 5-foot-10, he didn’t have prototypical linebacker size. He made up for that in heart and energy. Fletcher came out of John Carroll in 1998 and built a career that saw him earn 39 sacks, make 23 picks and force 20 fumbles. A four-time Pro Bowler.
