Roster sign 18 free agents who must defy the odds of making the roster
They heard 257 names called over three days, none of them theirs. Now, the Los Angeles Rams are giving 18 undrafted free agents a shot at a roster built to win another Super Bowl. The odds of making the roster are long, yet their dreams remain.
Rams' practice facility WOODLAND HILLS, CALIF. – The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms with 18 undrafted free agents following the 2026 NFL Draft, giving a group of overlooked college players a chance to prove themselves on a roster built to win another Super Bowl. The team announced the signings on Monday, a mix of small-school standouts and Power Five role players who heard their names go uncalled over the three-day draft.
For each of them, the path to a 53-man roster runs directly through a stable of established stars and recent high-round picks. That reality is not lost on the newcomers. Each year, standouts on their college teams fail to hear their names called on draft day.
Nonetheless, each undrafted free agent has an opportunity to compete for a roster spot. The year's crop includes Texas quarterback Matthew Caldwell (6-foot-4, 209 pounds), who threw for 3,700 yards as a senior but went unselected in a deep quarterback class. He joins a quarterback room led by starter Matthew Stafford, with veteran Stetson Bennett and 2026 first-round pick Ty Simpson already on the depth chart.
Houston running back Dean Connors (6-0, 206) faces a backfield that features Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and veteran Ronnie Rivers. At tight end, Arkansas’ Rohan Jones (6-3, 242) and Syracuse’s Dan Villari (6-4, 245) must impress to see snaps behind returning starter Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and second-round pick, Max Klare. The offensive line group stands out in size.