The three best undrafted players in NFL history

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Kurt Warner

The main ‘cinderella tale' is not only in the NFL but in all American professional sports. After the 1994 draft, where no team showed interest in Warner, he ended up in Green Bay's training camp. However, like most undrafted quarterbacks, he failed to make it: the Packers released the Northern Iowa alumnus (a university with not the highest-ranked football program, but even there Warner was only able to rise from the depths of the reserves in his fourth year) with the conclusion that he had potential but was not ready to be an NFL quarterback at this point. The road to readiness was a long one, and included stages that players (especially quarterbacks) don't usually return from: working as a merchandiser in a grocery shop and playing in the Arena League (the American Indoor Football Championship).

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Rams were having a tough time: the 1997 season was the team's eighth consecutive season with a negative win-loss ratio. The 26-year-old little-known quarterback (the St. Louis Post Dispatch even listed the St. Louis Rams' quarterback as a “lost” quarterback) had been a “lost” quarterback. The St. Louis Post Dispatch even confused his university, saying he graduated from Northern Arizona) clearly didn't look like a savior capable of putting the team out of its misery. In his first year with his new team, Warner failed to prove himself (except for a good game for the Amsterdam Admirals in the offseason), sitting on the bench and making only 11 passes, only four of which were accurate. The Rams, meanwhile, had another dismal year.

But then came the 1999 season. What's more, Warner didn't stop at one successful season, spending several more outstanding years with the Rams. Later, after a disappointing period in the mid-2000s, he finished his career brightly in Arizona, nearly giving the Cardinals their first Lombardi Trophy. Warner was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, and his success story remains one of the most iconic in the world of football.

Priest Holmes

There have been many outstanding running backs in the history of the Chiefs, and the current running back is no exception. However, Holmes stands out among them for his unstoppability at the peak of his career. In the early 2000s, it was hard to find a better runner: he was named to the All-Pro first team three times and had terrific performances in the 2002 and 2003 seasons, racking up 48 rushing touchdowns (plus three on receptions) with just two fumbles in 30 games. Before joining Kansas City, Holmes spent four seasons in Baltimore, where he played the role of second running back, similar to how Ekeler is currently used. Things were going well for both Holmes and the Ravens, with Baltimore winning the Super Bowl in the 2000 season and Holmes showing great play.

However, neither the Ravens nor most other teams showed any desire to give him a bigger role. Holmes ended up signing a small contract with the Chiefs, and the team hardly regretted it: three great years and two more quality years made him one of the best running backs in franchise history.

Rod Smith

Smith holds multiple records for receptions, both among undrafted players (11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns) and for the Denver Broncos (he is the leader in receptions, yards per reception, touchdown catches, yards from the line of scrimmage, and more). Rod came to the Broncos as an undrafted rookie who had to fight for a spot on the final roster for the season, and left the team at the age of 37 as the best receiver in franchise history and a two-time Super Bowl trophy winner.