NFL Power Rankings: Top 10 Undrafted NFL Players Since 2000

April 10, 2024

Justin looks at the 10 best undrafted players in the NFL since 2000. Where do players like Tony Romo and Arian Foster rank?

The NFL Draft is important when it comes to sorting the top young players onto NFL teams, but sometimes we see good players fall through the cracks. Some notable names have gone undrafted in the history of the league.

That includes big-name players like Kurt Warner and Night Train Lane, but here have also been some notable undrafted players since the turn of the century as well.

Below are the top-10 undrafted players in the NFL since 2000. These players all had to go undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft or later, not just play in the NFL since 2000.

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10. Bart Scott

Linebacker Bart Scott signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 and spent seven seasons with the team before ending his career with four seasons with the Jets. Scott's best year came in 2006 when he was second-team All-Pro and made his only Pro Bowl appearance. That season, Scott had 103 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and two interceptions.

For his career, Scott had 25.0 sacks and four interceptions. That's despite the fact that he mostly played on special teams for the first three seasons of his NFL career. He currently works in radio, hosting the "Bart and Hahn" show for ESPN.

9. Adam Thielen

Adam Thielen's first two seasons in the league saw him catch a combined 20 passes, but he broke out in 2016 with 69 catches for 967 yards for the Vikings. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and 2018 after a pair of 1,000-yard seasons.

Thielen established himself as one of the best slot receivers of the late 2010s. While he wasn't able to completely sustain that, he did have a resurgent 2023 campaign. In his first year with the Panthers, Thielen had 103 catches for 1,014 yards, making it his best statistical season since 2018.

8. Arian Foster

Arian Foster went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2009, but the Houston Texans saw something in him. While he played sparingly as a rookie, Foster exploded in his second NFL season, leading the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. That was the first of three consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns for Foster.

There was no better feeling than seeing the Texans finally win their first playoff game..

Andre Johnson, JJ Watt, and Arian Foster all had insane touchdowns, and the defense was everywhere.

What a moment. The joy from Andre Johnson after the win was everything. #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/QRSBSwgupc

— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) August 14, 2022

While his peak was relatively short, it was a really good peak, with Foster leading the NFL in touchdowns twice. He made four Pro Bowl appearances, the last in 2014. Foster played just eight games after that season, though.

7. Chris Harris Jr.

Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. went undrafted out of Kansas in 2011 but made a fast impact with the Denver Broncos. Harris had 71 tackles and one interception that season for Denver, which began a streak of 11 consecutive seasons with at least one pick for him.

Harris made four Pro Bowls and was first-team All-Pro back in 2016. That season, he picked off two passes and had 11 pass defenses while also forcing a fumble. Harris was one of the top defensive backs of the 2010s.

6. Wes Welker

Wes Welker was a huge part of the Patriots dynasty. After playing only on special teams as a rookie, Welker had two decent years with the Dolphins before New England traded for him. That immediately paid off as Welker's 112 receptions in his first season with the Pats led the NFL.

Welker would go on to lead the league in catches three times, with his best season coming in 2011. That year, he caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns. Welker made the Pro Bowl five times and was first-team All-Pro twice. He currently sits 27th on the NFL's all-time reception list.

5. Justin Tucker

Despite not getting drafted in 2012, Justin Tucker has a great argument for being the best kicker in NFL history. He might lack the longevity of some other names, but he still has time to get there.

Tucker has hit 90.2% of his career field-goal attempts. That number ranks first in NFL history. In fact, he's the only kicker in league history to connect on over 90% of his field-goal attempts. Even if you account for the improved kicking accuracy in the league these days -- the top-six players in field-goal percentage are active players -- Tucker's production is still hugely impressive.

4. James Harrison

James Harrison is one of the NFL's best outside linebackers ever, yet he went undrafted out of Kent State in 2002. He mostly spent the next two years on the practice squad, playing in just one game over those first two seasons. He eventually landed in NFL Europe and wound up back with the Steelers in 2004. Harrison had reportedly contemplated retirement around that time.

James Harrison belongs in Canton #steelers pic.twitter.com/Jj7YAkqrFs

— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) April 9, 2024

Instead, he went on to make five Pro Bowl appearances and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. That season, he forced an NFL-best seven fumbles and had 101 tackles. He also picked off one pass and had three pass defenses.

3. Jason Peters

Undrafted in 2004, Jason Peters wound up playing in the NFL until at least the end of the 2023 season, a 19-year career that saw him play for five different teams. He spent 11 of those years in Philadelphia.

Peters made nine Pro Bowls during his NFL career. He was a three-time first-team All-Pro and was on the second-team four times. Peters is one of the best offensive tackles of all time, which is especially impressive when you consider that he played tight end at Arkansas.

2. Tony Romo

Tony Romo didn't win a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that he's one of the top quarterbacks of his era. While injuries impacted the end of his career, a healthy Romo could have gone on as a top quarterback for another half-decade, considering his last full-time season at age 34 saw him lead the NFL in completion percentage and touchdown percentage.

Romo was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He ranks 39th in NFL history in passing yards and 25th in passing touchdowns. Even more impressive is his 65.3% completion percentage over his career, a number that ranks 15th in league history, where he sits in a three-way tie with Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.

1. Antonio Gates

You can't have a discussion about the NFL's greatest tight ends without bringing up Antonio Gates, whose 955 receptions and 11,841 yards rank behind only Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten at the position. He also holds the record for most touchdowns by a tight end with 116.

Tough one for me! Who you got Travis Kelce or Antonio Gates? pic.twitter.com/WlbPGWexds

— Tipp Major (@tippmajor) April 5, 2024

Gates was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time first-team All-Pro. He sits seventh in NFL history in touchdown receptions and had three seasons where he finished among the top-five players in the league in that stat.

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