During the 90th NFL Draft, the league\u2019s 32 teams added 257 players to their offseason rosters. But with 90 slots available on each team, they have room for more, and they\u2019re signing players passed over in the draft last week for NFL opportunities.<\/p>\n
Last season, 155 undrafted players made their NFL debuts, including 10 who had played at Alabama high schools and colleges. The players with Alabama football roots who reached the field in the NFL for the first time during the 2024 season without the benefit of being drafted were:<\/p>\n
Cleveland Browns guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City, Alabama<\/a>)Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end DJ Coleman (Jacksonville State<\/a>)Cleveland Browns safety Chris Edmonds (Samford<\/a>)New England Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy<\/a>)Buffalo Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (Alabama)Carolina Panthers\/Seattle Seahawks defensive end\/outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama<\/a>)Las Vegas Raiders tight end John Samuel Shenker (Auburn<\/a>)Chicago Bears cornerback Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy)Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB<\/a>)Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back D.J. Williams (Auburn)<\/p>\n Despite the difficult road, sometimes undrafted players go beyond hanging on to a final roster spot, including 13 players from Alabama high schools and colleges who went from undrafted to NFL careers that included 150 or more regular-season games: <\/p>\n Al Del Greco, Auburn<\/p>\n 248 games: The kicker caught on with the Green Bay Packers halfway through his rookie season in 1984 to start a 17-year career. Del Greco spent the final 10 of those seasons with the Houston Oilers\/Tennessee Titans, and he\u2019s the franchise\u2019s career leader in field goals, extra points and points.<\/p>\n Tony Richardson, Daleville High School and Auburn<\/p>\n 234 games: The fullback spent his first season in the NFL on the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 practice squad before making his debut with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1995. He played in 16 NFL seasons, led the Chiefs in rushing with 697 yards in 2000, went to the Pro Bowl three times and blocked for eight 1,000-yard rushing seasons.<\/p>\n Dwight Stone, Florala High School<\/p>\n 216 games: A wide receiver who spent his first two seasons at running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stone built his 14-year NFL career on his ability as a kick returner and a special-teamer. He caught 154 passes \u2013 107 from 1991 through 1993 with Pittsburgh, when he made 35 of his 52 career starts \u2013 and returned 186 kickoffs, including one for a 92-yard touchdown in the Steelers\u2019 37-34 victory over the Houston Oilers on Dec. 4, 1988.<\/p>\n Ed West, Colbert County High School and Auburn<\/p>\n 211 games: After catching two touchdown passes at Auburn, the tight end caught on with the Green Bay Packers in 1984. He had six receptions for 54 yards as a rookie, but four went for touchdowns. In 14 NFL seasons \u2013 the first 11 with Green Bay \u2013 West had 237 receptions for 2,665 yards and 27 touchdowns. <\/p>\n Josh Harris, Auburn<\/p>\n 207 games: The long snapper is still adding to his game total. After 10 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Harris joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022. He was the long snapper for the NFC Pro Bowl team in 2021.<\/p>\n Marcus Pollard, Valley High School<\/p>\n 192 games: There was a good reason that Pollard wasn\u2019t selected in the NFL Draft: He didn\u2019t play football in college at Bradley. He did play basketball, though, and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as a tight end in 1995. Pollard did not catch a pass in his rookie season. Over the next 12 seasons, he had 349 receptions for 4,280 yards and 40 touchdowns.<\/p>\n Dave Edwards, Abbeville High School and Auburn<\/p>\n 181 games: Edwards is like the answer to a trick question. He wasn\u2019t drafted \u2013 by the NFL. But Edwards did get picked by the Denver Broncos in the 25th round of the 1962 AFL Draft during the era when the leagues were competing for players. Edwards signed with the NFL\u2019s Dallas Cowboys instead and began work as receiver before converting to outside linebacker. He debuted in 1963, became a full-time starter in 1965 and stayed at weakside linebacker for Dallas through the 1975 season, holding down a spot in the Doomsday Defense. <\/p>\n Chris Martin, J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville and Auburn<\/p>\n 178 games: The linebacker made the New Orleans Saints\u2019 roster in 1983 and was a regular starter in six of his 12 NFL seasons \u2013 with the Minnesota Vikings in 1985 and 1986 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1989 through 1992. Martin returned three fumbles for touchdowns during his career, including one for 100 yards in the Chiefs\u2019 42-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 13.<\/p>\n Mario Addison, Tarrant High School and Troy<\/p>\n 170 games: It took the former high school quarterback a couple of seasons to find his footing in the NFL as a defensive end. Addison played for four teams across 2011 and 2012 before running off seven straight years with the Carolina Panthers, during which he recorded 54 sacks. <\/p>\n Woody Peoples, Ullman High School in Birmingham<\/p>\n 168 games: After playing for Eddie Robinson at Grambling State, Peoples spent a season with the semi-pro Richmond Rebels and two years in the U.S. Army before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 1968. In his second season, he became a starter at guard and kept that status until his retirement, with his last game coming for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. Peoples was a Pro Bowler in 1972 and 1973.<\/p>\n Steve McLendon, Carroll High School in Ozark and Troy<\/p>\n 165 games: After one year on the practice squad and three seasons as a backup with Pittsburgh, McLendon joined the Steelers\u2019 starting lineup at nose tackle in 2013. After seven seasons as starter that included a move in free agency to the New York Jets, McLendon was traded to Tampa Bay during 2020, and he helped the Buccaneers cap that campaign by winning Super Bowl LV.<\/p>\n Ronald McKinnon, Elba High School and North Alabama<\/a><\/p>\n 157 games: The linebacker played on three NCAA Division II national title teams and won the 1995 Harlon Hill Trophy as the division\u2019s best player, the only defensive winner in the award\u2019s history. That didn\u2019t get him drafted. McKinnon made the Cardinals, but he didn\u2019t start a game and totaled seven tackles as a rookie. Then McKinnon spent the next nine seasons as the team\u2019s starting middle linebacker, recording more than 1,000 tackles, including 157 in the 2000 campaign.<\/p>\n Zefross Moss, Holt High School in Tuscaloosa and Alabama State<\/a><\/p>\n 154 games: Moss\u2019 NFL career started by getting cut by the Dallas Cowboys. Later re-signed, he didn\u2019t play as a rookie and was traded during training camp in 1989 to the Indianapolis Colts for a 10th-round draft choice. Moss didn\u2019t start in his first season with Indianapolis, then started 137 games at offensive tackle over the following 10 seasons for the Colts, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.<\/p>\n FOR MORE OF AL.COM\u2019S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1<\/a>.<\/p>\n