Uncovering gems: are these the best late round and undrafted players in NFL history?

Every team in the NFL likes to think they know what they're doing, there is no better evidence to the contrary than the draft, where teams miss on selections more often than they hit. Well, this is a list of players that confounded expectations and had success in the NFL despite their lowly draft stock.

Purdy has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to the Super Bowl in just two seasons, Purdy looks like a long-term starter for the Niners, not something you would have expected to see on draft night when he was selected with the very last pick.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

There is a very good argument Kelce is the greatest center to ever play football, with speed and agility giving him the ability to make blocks on the perimeter unlike anyone else. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles as a low-risk depth player, yet within one session, legendary OL coach Howard Mudd was convinced he was the starter. Kelce is a Super Bowl champion and a guaranteed Hall of Famer.

Davis walked into a tough situation for a late-round pick, a Denver Broncos side with five running backs ahead of him on the depth chart and a Head Coach looking for a specific skill set from his backs. After impressing on special teams, Davis was given more and more touches. What followed were two Super Bowl rings, an MVP award and a Hall of Fame induction.

Romo went undrafted in 2003 after a solid college career at Eastern Illinois. It took 3 years of patiently waiting for Romo to get his chance as a starter, with the Cowboys rotating through a variety of players before settling on Romo. A glittering career followed, being the starter in Dallas for over a decade, not bad for a guy not worth a draft pick.

The Broncos already have one player on this list, and with Sharpe, we can add a second. Not a typically sized tight end, Sharpe was doubted by most in the NFL as a player without a position. Three Super Bowls on two different sides and a place in the Hall of Fame followed, so perhaps those doubts were slightly overblown.

Jones is renowned in the NFL for two things, coining the term ‘sacking the quarterback’ and for perfecting the move known as the ‘head slap’ which was so effective (and dangerous) it was later outlawed. With a reputation like that, it would be fair to assume he was always a highly rated player, but back in 1961, the NFL didn’t think so, leaving him untouched until the 14th round. Like others on the list, Jones is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fitzpatrick may not have had the glittering career of some others on this list, but the Harvard graduate played for nine different NFL teams over the course of his 17-year career. Often brought in as a ‘bridge’ QB to see a side in transition through a rocky period, ‘Fitzmagic’ was a solid starter and will go down as having perhaps the best beard in NFL history.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Possibly the scariest man to play in the modern NFL, Harrison was initially undrafted. Signed as a free agent to the Steelers squad, he initially struggled, getting cut and trying his luck in NFL Europe and as a Baltimore Raven. Ending up back in Pittsburgh, Harrison made the most of his second go round, playing for a further 14 years for a variety of franchises and winning two Super Bowls along the way.

Despite entering the NFL draft as a tight end prospect, Jason Peters will go down as one of the great offensive linemen of recent memory. Last seen suiting up as a 40-year-old for the Cowboys, he made his name as a Philadelphia Eagle. The Eagles traded a first-round pick for Peters and were rewarded with consistent excellence for the next 12 seasons, going down as a franchise and NFL legend, with a potential spot in the Hall of Fame waiting for him.

The second Harvard man in a row, Birk was a hometown hero for a decade during his time as a Viking. Hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, the center was not considered much of a prospect before the 1998 draft, seen as a developmental player at best. After leaving Minnesota, Birk was considered one of the greatest players in franchise history and would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

Whilst Warner was never impactful during his time in Green Bay, he certainly made up for it elsewhere. His stint in St. Louis culminated in a Super Bowl championship, and his offense was nicknamed the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. Not bad for a guy who had to spend four years in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe to get a shot at a starting gig in the NFL.

Drafted before the Super Bowl was even conceived, Starr would go on to form a formidable partnership with head coach Vince Lombardi. Whilst not initially a starter, Starr would earn Lombardi’s trust and the pair would go on to win the first two Super Bowls, with Starr taking home the inaugural Super Bowl MVP award as well.

Famously, Gates played basketball in college rather than football and was only signed to the Chargers team after completing a private workout for them. Gates retired with the record for most receiving TDs by a TE (116). Standing at 6’4”, he was able to outmuscle defenders and use his jumping ability to go up and make the difficult catches when needed. When eligible, he will presumably be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

An undersized wide receiver with below average athleticism, Welker had no real right to be as good as he was. A player who simply knew how to get open despite his mediocre physical tools, he was a dominant player for many teams, most noticeably the New England Patriots, where his connection with QB Tom Brady made the league start focusing more and more on the ‘slot receiver’ position, where Welker dominated.

As the legendary broadcaster Rich Eisen once stated, “punters are people too!” A statement never more apt than when speaking about Shane Lechler who holds the all-time NFL record for average punting distance. Not many punters make it to the Hall of Fame, but when someone appears in multiple All-Decade teams and 100th Anniversary All-Time team, you’d think they have a shot.

Probably the greatest player in NFL history, Tom Brady has more Super Bowl titles to his name than any NFL franchise does. Winning six with the Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady had set every record there is to set and made a mockery of opposing defenses along the way. Now retired for good, Brady can relax and wait for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in five years' time.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!