2025 NFL Draft Review Part Seven – UDFAs

Introduction

Now that we have been through and reviewed the Rams’ draft, it’s time to have a look over the undrafted free agents that the Rams have picked up since the draft ended. The Rams signed 17 UDFAs in total, and I’ll be writing a short overview about each player, including their main skillsets and outlining their key stats from their college football careers.

Rams sign 17 UDFAs

OL Wyatt Bowles – Utah State, 6”5, 306lbs

Bowles is a lesser known prospect that only played two seasons of college football, but still managed to rack up over 1400 snaps during those two years. He prides himself on his work ethic and believes he can work harder than anyone. Bowles takes inspiration from Brian Dawkins, former Eagles safety who called himself ‘Weapon X’, as he was able to be a kind soul off the field, but turn it on and become relentless when on the field. On the field, he is best when on the move. He is an impressive athlete for his size and can really move, especially in the run game when he has to reach the next level to create lanes for his running back. He needs to improve both his power and technique but he has the size and athleticism to show some potential.

OL Ben Dooley – Boise State, 6”5, 300lbs

Dooley was part of the record breaking O-line that helped Ashton Jeanty become a Heisman Trophy finalist. Boise State set a record 3,365 rushing yards in the 2024 season and Dooley was a big part of that, starting all 14 games. He was the highest rated run blocker for the team in four games and highest rated pass blocker in 5 games while allowing just one sack over 428 passing snaps. He has great power and a strong base which comes from his background in wrestling but he does really need to work on his technique, and he also has below par agility and athleticism. He is very coachable so it will be interesting to see how he can develop in camp and if he can impress enough to make the practice squad.

OL Willie Lampkin – North Carolina, 5”11, 279lbs

Lampkin is quite obviously small for an offensive lineman at just 5”11, but he has proved everyone who doubted him wrong so far. He even won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy which is given to the best offensive linemen in the ACC. Like Dooley, Lampkin also comes from a wrestling background which has given him the ability to set a really strong and powerful base. It has also helped him develop impressive hand skills to deliver a powerful punch against defenders and not allow them to slip past him easily. He also has a fiery level of competitiveness matched with a maturity and leadership that he has both on and off the field. However, he can occasionally have mental lapses and miss blitzers or misread a defence which can cause disruption and confusion for the offensive line.

OL Trey Wedig – Indiana, 6”7, 313lbs

Wedig is a huge offensive tackle who makes it 3 of the 4 offensive linemen picked up that competed in wrestling. Like the others, this has helped him be able to set a strong base and have powerful and skilful hand usage, especially in the run game. He’s also able to stay low rather than remaining upright as such a tall man, which helps him create leverage and maintain his power more easily. However, he lacks agility and struggles to get to the second level in time to make his block and effect the play. He has very choppy steps which leaves him very vulnerable to pash rushes using speed around the edge. Wedig has the build to make an impression in camp, but will need to improve his fluidness and agility if he’s to have a shot at making the roster at some point.

TE Mark Redman – Louisville, 6”5, 253lbs

Redman is primarily an in-line tight end that makes more of an impact blocking than receiving. He has impressive technique when run blocking and uses his frame well to be able to box defenders out. The Louisville tight end also has an impressive level of toughness to every aspect of his game. This comes to fruition in contested catches and in creating yards after the catch, showcasing strong hands and the strength to overpower defenders. Other than that though, he doesn’t offer much upside in the receiving game as he isn’t very athletic and his routes lack quickness and sharpness. His run blocking ability is very impressive though so he will be able to show that off during drills in preseason in the hope that he can make a positive impression.

TE Anthony Torres – Toledo, 6”6, 247lbs

Torres has great size and length that helps him overwhelm defenders in both the blocking and receiving game. He does lack athleticism so relies on his size to win a little too much but this helps him become a great weapon in the redzone. Despite his size, he isn’t very physical so can get bumped around during his routes, but if he can get a free release then he does have crisp breaks and cuts to beat defenders. He also has a business degree in leadership which is a quality that the Rams have always valued immensely. However, Torres is turning 26 in October and missed a lot of time in college due to a severe back injury which makes him a longshot to make the roster as he is very risky to take a shot on.

RB Jordan Waters – NC State, 6”0, 222lbs

Waters has an uphill battle to make the Rams roster as the Rams already have four quality running backs in Williams, Corum, Hunter and Rivers – nevermind Cody Schrader. He is a bigger and more powerful back than the others, and is primarily a north-south runner that can slip off any lacklustre tackle attempts. He runs too upright at times which takes away some of his agility and can also reduce his production of power, most noticeably in pass protection. He also wasn’t used very often in the passing game so he can’t be relied on as a 3-down back which hinders his chances even more. Although his testing speed wasn’t amazing, he does play much quicker and does have the ability to hit holes quickly with a nice burst, but he will need a lot of refinement and coaching before he can challenge the top four backs already on the roster.

WR Tru Edwards – Louisiana Tech, 6”3, 201lbs

Edwards is a tall receiver that has former first round pick Troy Edwards as a father. He has been able to coach his son and help develop him in to a steady wide receiver. Tru was able to rack up 84 catches for 986 yards and 8 touchdowns in what turned out to be his final year in college. He agreed on a transfer to Kentucky after the season had finished but eligibility issues meant that his transfer fell through, and he decided to declare for the draft later than others in the process. Throughout high school and college, he was a regional champion in the hurdles, and he also competed in triple jump and 4x400m relays, showcasing impressive athleticism. Physically, he has the tools to set him up for success, but needs plenty of refinement especially with his route running and blocking to be able to make an impact.

WR Mario Williams – Tulane, 5”9, 178lbs

Williams is a super-shifty gadget receiver that can do pretty much anything asked of him. During his college career, he caught passes, ran the ball, returned kicks and even threw passes, being able to line up essentially anywhere from the backfield to out wide. For reference, Tutu Atwell is 5”9 and 165lbs so slightly lighter than Williams but they do have similar frames. Similarly to Tutu, he has savvy route running with sharp cuts and an impressive ability to find soft spots in zone coverage. Obviously, he is small in both length and mass so can get bumped around by bigger defenders and we haven’t seen him face much press man so that will be another challenge for him to overcome as he learns releases. He also doesn’t possess the top-end speed that Atwell has, which forces him to rely on his shiftiness and slipperiness more than his quickness.

WR Brennan Presley – Oklahoma State, 5”8, 176lbs 

Presley has a very similar build to Williams and is a relatively similar receiver too. The most probable way that Presley can make the roster is through his kick returning ability, gaining 1,219 return yards in his college career. Similarly to many of the other prospects the Rams picked up, he has been praised for his leadership after being voted in by his teammates as a team captain in multiple seasons. However, he is also a very good receiver, especially skilled in route running. His special awareness means that he is able to both find soft spots in zone coverage and also be dangerous with the ball in his hands in open space. Despite being agile and shifty, he lacks elite speed so occasionally struggles to create separation so has to rely on his route running which he may find harder to do at the next level. Due to his smaller size, he can get boxed out by bigger defenders and also doesn’t offer much help in the blocking game so has a difficult path to make the roster.

DL Bill Norton - University of Texas, 6”5, 325lbs

Norton is a versatile defensive linemen that can line up anywhere across the defensive front. He is very athletic for his size which gives him decent upside when rushing the passer. His burst off the line is impressive for an interior defender and aims to get rapid pressure by beating his man with quickness. However, he plays far too upright for a defensive lineman so struggles to generate much power in both his pass rush and against the run, which means he can get manhandled and pushed around with ease by powerful offensive linemen. If he can work on getting lower and generating more power from his base, then he could help offer D-line depth on passing downs.

DL Da’Jon Terry – Oklahoma, 6”3, 330lbs

Terry actually played 6 seasons of college football, his final two at Oklahoma. He only started 14 out of 62 career games but was always a viable depth option for all of the teams he played on. He totalled 91 tackles with 17 of those for a loss and 6.5 sacks. The Sooners defensive line was both quality and deep but Terry was praised for his leadership and adaptability around younger collegiate players. He is mostly used as a nose tackle but can line up over the guards too despite his lack of explosiveness. Unlike Norton, Terry has a low centre of gravity so can work against double teams and generate a good push through his power. He doesn’t offer much in terms of pass rushing as his hand fighting is poor, but he does provide a wall on the defensive front in the run game.

OLB Jamil Muhammad – USC, 6”1, 252lbs

Muhammad had a really promising 2023 in his first year at USC but then saw a drop in production in 2024. Over two years he amassed 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss, which is fairly impressive for a prospect who transitioned from being a quarterback in high school. He also has vast experience on special teams which will also help his case to make the roster. However, he is a pretty average athlete especially compared to other outside linebackers. His RAS score was a mediocre 5.36 and he will need plenty of coaching from both coaches and players in camp if he is to have a chance of making the roster. Muhammad has shown promise as a pass rusher but is a very raw prospect and hasn’t had much experience setting the edge in the run game.

OLB Josh Pearcy – Rice, 6”2,238lbs

Pearcy started off his 6-year college career as a pure defensive end with one hand in the ground but transitioned to more of an outside linebacker in his final two years. He attended Rice to compete in athletics (long distance running) as well as his academic prowess, but ended up making a huge impact on the football team with 210 tackles, 33 for a loss and 16 sacks. Special teams was a key reason why he gained more snaps and he was made a captain for his leadership and abilities on coverage and returns. He always puts 100% in to every snap and often made plays purely through his never-ending motor. He has very developmental traits that could lead to a promising future for the experienced outside linebacker and matching those with his incredible effort puts him in good stead to make a great impression in preseason.

ILB Shaun Dolac – Buffalo, 6”0, 221lbs

Dolac gives everything to the game of football, mainly to commemorate his father who helped coach him from a young age, but sadly passed away in 2016. He was a walk-on at college in 2020 but his hard work and resilience earned him a scholarship after just one year in 2021. Throughout college, he played both football and lacrosse, showcasing his fiery competitiveness and motor in both sports every time he stepped on to the field. His effort is matched with a great burst and instincts that means he can explode downfield to make plays in the run game or go sideline to sideline covering receivers. He can occasionally be over eager and find himself stuck in traffic but he never gives up on the play, no matter where he finds himself. Dolac also became Buffalo’s first ever consensus All-American player in their entire history after leading the entirety of college football in tackles last season (168). Not only will his defensive play make it hard for coaches to disregard him, but his potential on special teams will also be huge for a player who never stops working and will give everything for his team. He is on the smaller side of linebackers but that never held him back in college and I’m sure he’ll put his all in to everything he does in preseason to fight for a roster spot.

S Malik Dixon-Williams – Connecticut, 6”0, 203lbs

Dixon-Williams had the start of his college career marred by COVID but was a starter for his final three years at UCON, totalling over 250 tackles, 7 interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Although he’s just 6 foot tall, he plays much bigger and longer than that and especially likes coming down in to the box to play against the run. He needs to trust his instincts more as he can be a little tentative, but once he sees an opportunity to shoot a gap, he is able to burst forward to make a play. He can also be a difference maker on special teams which will help him early on in camp, but he will need to be more consistent in coverage if he is to challenge for a roster spot. He could also be held back by a murky injury history which kept him out of a fair few games for UCON in his time there. 

S Nate Valcarcel – Northern Illinois, 6”0, 194lbs

Valcarcel is a much more athletic and rangy safety than Dixon-Williams, so he projects more as a deep zone safety. He originally played cornerback so has great ball skills for a safety and is strong in man-to-man coverage. The trait that he is most proud of is his effort and that is crystal clear when you watch any of his tape. He flies around the field and always puts his all in to every single play and tackle that he makes, on both defence and on special teams too. His impressive athletic ability allows him to cover a lot of ground as a deep safety and he was also used as an impressive blitzer who combined his agility and effort to always have an effect on the play. Despite all of this, he is undersized in both length and mass and can get over-powered or boxed out by larger players either blocking him or competing for the catch.

Conclusion

The Rams roster is one of the best in the league so it will be difficult for the UDFAs to make that much of an impact in preseason to make the roster. However, the coaches and veteran players that the Rams have will be able to coach these younger players up and give them valuable advice that they can take on to improve their game.

Out of all of the UDFAs the Rams signed, I believe that two have a real shot at making the roster. This doesn’t mean that I am discounting the others completely as I believe that the likes of Willie Lampkin and Mario Williams are very good pickups, but the positions are already filled quite deep so it’s unlikely they can replace a player already there.

The two players I think have the best chance are Shaun Dolac and Nate Valcarcel. Dolac has come through adversity and proved how productive he can be while Valcarcel has the physical tools to be able to join a young safety room as an athletic and rangy deep safety. The main thing they both have in common – other than being great players – is their effort and love for the game of football. Both players clearly put their bodies on the line when they step on the field, and put everything in to every single play. This trait is something the Rams treasure massively, especially in recent years when they’ve been rebuilding their fierce, young defence. Their love of the game also means that they are willing to help the team in any way possible, and that comes through when they are on special teams which is another reason why they have a real possibility of making the Rams roster.

It's going to be really fun to watch all of these new, young players battle it out for roster spots and places on the practice squad during preseason and potentially add young depth to an already impressive Rams roster.