NFL Draft Notebook: Minnesota Vikings are big winners and much more
By John Blair
Top undrafted free agents
Dylan Moses
By far the highest-rated player who went undrafted is Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses who carried a second-round grade. The main reason he went undrafted is due to the condition of his knee that caused him to miss the entire 2019 season. After the draft, Moses signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and will be placed on the non-football injury list so that he can continue rehabbing his knee.
Olaijah Griffin
A player who was crushed after not hearing his named call on draft day is former USC cornerback Olaijah Griffin. During the past two seasons, Griffin has been one of the top players in the Trojans secondary leading the team in pass deflections in 2019 and finishing third in this area last year. He likely fell due to a lack of great measurables as he came in at only 175 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds. He will look to earn a spot in the Buffalo Bills secondary this fall.
Javian Hawkins
The Atlanta Falcons picked up a valuable undrafted free agent in running back Javian Hawkins. Hawkins has the vision, balance and explosiveness to earn carries in the team’s zone offense. He can also help out in the passing game as his game improved in this area last year having caught 16 passes for the Lousiville Cardinals in just seven games.
Charles Snowden
Former Virginia linebacker Charles Snowden likely went undrafted due to a season-ending ankle injury. However, he may have found an excellent situation for himself with the Chicago Bears. This is a good fit for him as his size and overall style of play make him the perfect fit for the Bears 3-4 defense.
Kenny Yeboah
Going into the 2021 NFL Draft, a position the New York Jets needed to address was tight end, and while the team didn’t draft anyone at this position they did sign one of the best undrafted free agents. With the signing of former Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah, New York gets one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the draft. Yeboah is someone who can make yards after the catch as well having gained 244 after the catch last season which was the fifth-most of any tight end in college football last year.