Top 10 Undrafted Free Agents: Defense

James Harrison, Pat Williams, London Fletcher, and Adewale Ogunleye all have something in common. No, it’s not that they are all great players. None of the above players were chosen on their respective draft day. Despite that setback, each has gone on to have very good careers proving that draft status is not the final indication of talent and potential. With that being said, there were a slew of defensive players who were not drafted this year, but could easily be starters down the road.

Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina
Williams was projected as one of the top ranked safeties in the 2011 draft until he broke his leg at his bowl game. He had to have surgery to repair the damage and was unable to work out for any team. He is a very talented ball hawk and a hard worker who spends a lot of time watching tape. He will need to heal up and prove to a team that he will be fine, but he is a player to look out for. Look for a team like the Cowboys to look at him.

DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
This is the perfect example that past mistakes can and will come back to bite players in the butt. DeAndre McDaniel was ranked as one of the best strong safeties in the draft. He is an extremely hard hitter with some play making ability. So why wasn’t he drafted? A couple seasons ago, McDaniels was charged with high and aggravated assault on his girlfriend. He pleaded out to pre-trial intervention and community service, but it still apparently was an issue as he went undrafted. McDaniel is a talented hitter who can be an asset if he has his head on straight. Look for the Texans to take a look at him.

Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College
I’m sure that you have heard the story by now. After having a phenomenal 2008 year and being a predicted 1st round draft pick, Herzlich was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and was told he would never play football again. He overcame the odds, beat cancer, and played his senior year in 2010. It was the most disappointing thing when he went undrafted. However, I guarantee you that Mark Herzlich will make a pro bowl before the end of his career. He is an extremely smart, tough player with toughness that other men only dream of. He’s going to be one of the undrafted free agents who finds major success and teams look back and wonder why they didn’t pick him up.

Kendrick Burney, CB, North Carolina
Another guy who is just too short and too slow. On paper, Burney was not undraftable. However, he had a strong showing at the senior bowl showing great instincts and received rave reviews from the NFL Networks Mike Mayock. Burney comes in at 5 ft 9, 181 pounds while running a 4.71 40 yard dash. He is a smart player who can be a nice nickel or dime corner if he gets into the right system. He could florish in a zone heavy system. Detroit and New England could be interested.

Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska
Allen is a nice pass rush prospect with a decent amount of pass rush moves as well as high motor. Unfortunately for him, he had a strained right calf muscle which prohibited him from working out at the Combine. He also had an injured wrist which prevented him from doing the bench press. He comes in at 6 ft 4, 273 pounds with good strength and length. He is one of the better defensive players of the undrafted free agents and should hear a call pretty quickly. A team in need of a pass rusher will likely pick him up.

Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame
With the incredible Defensive Tackle depth in this draft, Ian Williams seems to have fallen through the cracks. The 6 ft 1, 311 pound defensive tackle is a versatile guy who can play as a 3-4 nose or a 4-3 DT. He had a very nice showing at the Senior Bowl totaling 4 tackles and 1 sack. There are many teams in need of Defensive Tackles. Look for a team like the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, or New Orleans Saints to make a run at him.

Martin Parker, DT, Richmond
Martin Parker is one of the players who was building a lot of hype during the draft process. He garnered defensive player of the game awards at the East-West Shrine game after getting 2 sacks and a forced fumble. He comes in at 6 ft 2, 303 pounds. He has nice upside as a 4-3 defensive tackle. He is a player that I liked a lot and thought had gotten his stock to a mid to late round grade. Like Ian Williams, look for the Broncos, Seahawks, Saints, and any other team in need of DT’s to give him a call.

Cedric Thornton, DT, Southern Arkansas
Are you starting to see a theme here? With the amount of defensive tackles available, 3 quality players slipped through the cracks. Thornton is a raw prospect, but impressed onlookers with his high motor at the Senior Bowl. He battled with Kris O’Dowd and Rodney Hudson throughout the day and gained a lot of fans in the scouting ranks in the process. He comes in at 6 ft 3, 309 pounds. He has upside as a developmental tackle. All teams with defensive tackle needs will give him a call.

Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers
I’m not quite sure why Lefeged was not drafted. He doesn’t come from an abnormally small school. He is a hard worker, a good athlete, and a special teams stud. He is the kind of player that teams usually love to pick up in the later rounds. Unfortunately for him, that was not the case this year. Nevertheless, he is a player that will have no problem getting on a team and being a special teams star. San Diego is a team who could use him in their terrible unit. Buffalo is another team to look out for.

Jeron Johnson, S, Boise St.
Johnson comes from Boise St who has gotten national attention in recent years. Despite the growing publicity for the program, Boise St players haven’t been drafted a lot over the past few years. Jeron Johnson has been a reliable starter with good stats, but it wasn’t enough to get him drafted. The 5 ft 10, 210 pound safety will have to work his way onto a team through Special Teams, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for him. He could be a nice back up. Teams with a need for safeties will give him a look.