Top 10 Undrafted NFL Players

10. Adewale Ogunleye - Teams passed on Adewale Ogunleye in the 2000 draft because of a knee injury suffered while at Indiana University, but the Miami Dolphins took a shot on the defensive end. In 2003, he led the AFC with 15 sacks and earned Pro Bowl honors as a result.

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10. Adewale Ogunleye - Teams passed on Adewale Ogunleye in the 2000 draft because of a knee injury suffered while at Indiana University, but the Miami Dolphins took a shot on the defensive end. In 2003, he led the AFC with 15 sacks and earned Pro Bowl honors as a result.

9. Wes Welker - The 5-foot-9 Wes Welker (Texas Tech, ’04) hit the national scene after a career season with the New England Patriots in 2007. The wide receiver set the Patriots record for receptions with 112, finishing with 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns.

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9. Wes Welker - The 5-foot-9 Wes Welker (Texas Tech, ’04) hit the national scene after a career season with the New England Patriots in 2007. The wide receiver set the Patriots record for receptions with 112, finishing with 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns.

8. Adam Vinateri - “Automatic Adam” is the first kicker ever to play in five Super Bowls and win four Super Bowl championships. Vinateri (South Dakota State, ’96) would be just the second placekicker elected in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an honor that most experts expect to happen when his NFL career ends.

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8. Adam Vinateri - “Automatic Adam” is the first kicker ever to play in five Super Bowls and win four Super Bowl championships. Vinateri (South Dakota State, ’96) would be just the second placekicker elected in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an honor that most experts expect to happen when his NFL career ends.

7. Willie Parker - The running back from North Carolina came on the scene towards the end of Jerome Bettis career with Pittsburgh and holds the record for the longest rushing play (75 yards) in Super Bowl history. Parker should have gone in the late first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft based on his current numbers.

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7. Willie Parker - The running back from North Carolina came on the scene towards the end of Jerome Bettis career with Pittsburgh and holds the record for the longest rushing play (75 yards) in Super Bowl history. Parker should have gone in the late first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft based on his current numbers.

6. Tony Romo - Tony Romo went from third-string quarterback to star of the Dallas Cowboys. After setting records at Eastern Illinois, Romo went undrafted and was signed by the Cowboys in 2003. If it weren’t for Quincy Carter’s substance abuse problems, Romo might not be in the middle of a $67.5 million contract.

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6. Tony Romo - Tony Romo went from third-string quarterback to star of the Dallas Cowboys. After setting records at Eastern Illinois, Romo went undrafted and was signed by the Cowboys in 2003. If it weren’t for Quincy Carter’s substance abuse problems, Romo might not be in the middle of a $67.5 million contract.

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5. Antonio Gates - The two-sport star from Kent State, Antonio Gates decided to focus on football after NBA scouts labeled him a “tweener” at 6-foot-4. The four-time Pro Bowler has developed into one of the elite tight ends in the NFL. Gates would have challenged Kellen Winslow II looking back at the 2004 Draft.

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5. Antonio Gates - The two-sport star from Kent State, Antonio Gates decided to focus on football after NBA scouts labeled him a “tweener” at 6-foot-4. The four-time Pro Bowler has developed into one of the elite tight ends in the NFL. Gates would have challenged Kellen Winslow II looking back at the 2004 Draft.

4. Priest Holmes - Injuries prevented Priest Holmes from becoming an elite running back in the NFL. The University of Texas star was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 1997 but is best known for his six-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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4. Priest Holmes - Injuries prevented Priest Holmes from becoming an elite running back in the NFL. The University of Texas star was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 1997 but is best known for his six-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs.

3. Rod Smith - A Denver Bronco for his entire 13 seasons in the NFL, Rod Smith (Missouri Southern State, ’94) was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (’00, ’01, ’05). Smith is the only undrafted wide receiver in NFL history to eclipse 10,000 receiving yards.

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3. Rod Smith - A Denver Bronco for his entire 13 seasons in the NFL, Rod Smith (Missouri Southern State, ’94) was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (’00, ’01, ’05). Smith is the only undrafted wide receiver in NFL history to eclipse 10,000 receiving yards.

2. Kurt Warner - Originally signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, Kurt Warner would later become responsible for leading the high-powered St. Louis Rams offense, winning two NFL MVP awards (’99 and ’01) in the process. Hard to imagine that quarterback Heath Shuler was the first QB selected in ’94 and not Warner.

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2. Kurt Warner - Originally signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, Kurt Warner would later become responsible for leading the high-powered St. Louis Rams offense, winning two NFL MVP awards (’99 and ’01) in the process. Hard to imagine that quarterback Heath Shuler was the first QB selected in ’94 and not Warner.

1. Warren Moon - The greatest Black quarterback to play in the NFL, Warren Moon played five seasons in the Canadian Football League after going undrafted in 1978 from the University of Washington. He is the only player to be enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

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1. Warren Moon - The greatest Black quarterback to play in the NFL, Warren Moon played five seasons in the Canadian Football League after going undrafted in 1978 from the University of Washington. He is the only player to be enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canadian Football Hall of Fame.