Every season, alternative football fans dream of their favorite fringe NFL players signing with their favorite UFL or CFL team, and in this article, we will detail several players that should be considered hot commodities for these leagues. Ranging from aging vets who have been there before, to undrafted free agents that were let go before getting a real chance to shine, this list turned out to be an interesting cross section of players looking for once last shot at playing professional football, and those just trying to begin their careers.
Let’s start with Edge Rushers
Shane Ray
Shane Ray is a former first round pick for the Denver Broncos in 2015, and he was not immediately viewed as bust by the Broncos. In fact, in his first two NFL seasons, he played 30 games starting 8 while collecting 68 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 pass break up, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 touchdown. Not a bad career stat line for a second-year passer-by on a team that housed names like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Shaquil Barrett at the time.
In 2017 before the season began Ray tore a ligament in his wrist, and he would go on to have 3 surgeries during that season alone. In 2018, he again tore a wrist ligament and required his fourth surgery in just two seasons. During this stretch he had missed 13 games, and had quickly fallen out of favor with the Broncos who declined his 5th year option before the 4th surgery had even happened.
Ray would become a free agent after the 2018 season and signed with the Baltimore Ravens, a team known for developing edge rushers over the years. He, however, would not make the final roster being released in the final cutdown. From September 25th to December 10th, Ray would work out for the Jets, Cardinals, Falcons, Commanders, and Saints none of these teams opted to sign him to a contract at the time.
This meant Ray had spent the entire 2019 season out of football. He would then spend the 2020 season away from the field as well. In 2021 he returned to football, but this time in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts where he would play the next two seasons. In 2021, while learning the game he only played 5 games, but in 2022 he would play 13 games before another injury derailed his season. In these 18 games he made quite an impact for the Argos: 17 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. His contract expired in February.
Even after two years away from the game, and two years in Canada he found his way back into the NFL when he was signed by the Bills. He would once again be placed on the injured reserve, but this time was released 5 days later. It was not until the 2024 season that he would sign a contract with the Tennessee Titans. He lasted just over 1 month with the Titans. The 31-year-old edge rusher has won a Super Bowl, and a Grey Cup during his playing career. Perhaps it’s time he returns to Missouri to play for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2025?
Playing in a 10-game season could actually benefit Ray if he wants to continue playing. At most he will be asked to play 13 games during a championship run. This is an attainable number for Ray, even though he is a player who missed 20 games over his first six seasons of professional football, playing a full season just once in his entire career, he has also played 10 games or more three times. Ray is at a point in his career where he may also just choose to retire, his age, and injury history could be the deciding factors here.
Justin Hollins
Justin Hollins is a former Oregon Duck, seeing time at both linebacker and defensive end. He played in 52 games in college, collecting 184 tackles, 38 for a loss, 13 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 9 pass break ups, 1 touchdown. He was on the bubble of NFL draft consideration until his performance at the NFL combine.
Measuring in at 6’5 248 pounds he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, 1.54 10-yard split, 7.06 3-cone drill, 36.5 vertical leap, 25 reps in the bench press. He would end up selected by the Denver Broncos in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Hollins joined a Broncos roster that was led by Von Miller, and Bradley Chubb at edge rusher, as well as Malik Reed an up-and-coming depth piece for the Broncos.
Hollins not only made the roster, but he would also play in 15 games collecting 21 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 tipped passes. It looked like Hollins was heading the right direction after being a late round draft pick. That was until final cuts for the Broncos when Hollins was let go. He was claimed on waivers by the Los Angeles Rams. He was active for 16 games, collecting 28 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass breakup.
He stuck with the Rams into the 2021 season, and played in 8 games before an injury ended his season with 2 sacks, 22 tackles, and 1 forced fumble. In 2022 he split time with the Rams and Packers ultimately playing in 16 games starting 5 of them. He collected 35 tackles, 4 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery. In 2023 he bounced around playing for the Packers, Giants, and Chargers.
He played in 12 games but finished with 17 tackles, and 1 sack. Signing with his 6th NFL team heading into the 2024 season he looked to compete for a roster spot with the Washington Commanders. He didn’t make the initial active roster and was released in final cuts before signing with the practice squad. He was released on October 5th. He has yet to sign another NFL contract. Assuming he finds himself, a free agent or considering futures deals for 2025, he should strongly consider going to the UFL, and proving he still has all the traits to be a productive rotational pass rusher at the NFL level if used in the right scheme.
His ability to play in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 makes him valuable, but his best position is as an outside linebacker for a 3-4 or 4-3 over front as a stand-up pass rusher. Give him the ability to use his speed to his advantage and give him room to work through his toolbox against bigger offensive tackles. He would fit right in with many UFL or CFL teams. If Jonathan Garvin doesn’t return to the Stallions Hollins could fit perfectly in with their scheme in a hybrid role.
Kemoko Turay
Kemoko Turay is a former second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Having attended Rutgers for college, he declared for the 2018 draft after five years with the school having collected 20.5 tackles for a loss, and 15.5 sacks. He was also an unbelievably valuable special teams performer blocking 3 kicks his redshirt freshman season.
The 6’4 255-pound edge rusher attended the NFL combine putting up solid but not spectacular numbers. Running a 4.65 40-yard dash and put up 18 reps in the bench press. He is selected by the Indianapolis Colts to a team that had a staff full of future head coaches; Nick Siriani, Matt Eberflus, and Jonathan Gannon.
He would unfortunately suffer a broken ankle in his second season and this injury took away nearly a full season worth of games from him over the next two years. He would play in 38 games in the first four seasons of his career with the Colts producing 12 sacks, and 7 tackles for a loss. Before the 2023 season he signs with the 49ers in hopes of securing a role on their active roster, but ultimately spends the majority of the 2022 season on the practice squad playing in just 3 games.
In 2023 he would sign with the Falcons ultimately being released in final cuts and signing with the practice squad but this lasts just over 2 weeks before he was released and he did not return. He would not sign his next NFL contract until July of 2024 with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers signed him over veterans Carl Lawson, Marquis Haynes, and Yannick Ngakoue.
This time another injury derailed his chances of making it with the Panthers. He ended up on injured reserve and let go before the regular season began. Released in mid-August he has not signed another NFL contract, but he is now healthy and ready to play once again. Playing in the UFL could serve to revive his NFL Career by showing teams he is healthy and explosive once again. The stint on injured reserve with the Panthers did him no favors for his NFL interest, but making it through a UFL season healthy, could work wonders for the confidence of NFL teams.
Update: Turay realized the value of signing with the UFL inking a deal with the St. Louis Battlehawks. They have had a long run of placing players back in the NFL over the past three seasons of their existence, and we could see Turay add his name to the list of NFL bounce-backs for the Battlehawks sooner rather than later.
Interior Defensive Linemen
Daviyon Nixon
Daviyon Nixon is a 6’3 305-pound defensive lineman who attended Iowa Western, and Iowa University. As a true freshman with Iowa Western he played 12 games, collected 44 tackles, 9.5 for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 pass breakups. After just one season at the JUCO level, being named second team all-conference Iowa came calling.
He is brought in, and spends the 2018 season on a red shirt with Iowa under Head Coach Kirk Ferentz, and Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker. Over the next three seasons Nixon plays in 21 games starting 9 of them. He quickly becomes a quality player for Iowa producing 19 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes deflected, 1 interception and 1 touchdown. In 2020 he is a Unanimous All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and First Team All-Big 10.
He ends up selected in the 5th Round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. He measures in at 6’3 313 pounds, running a 4.86 40-yard dash, 1.70 10-yard split, 7.56 3-cone drill, and an 8-foot 10-inch broad jump. In 2021 he suffered a knee injury and ended up on injured reserve to finish out the season.
In 2022 his second season with the Panthers he was released via final cuts and signed with the practice squad immediately after. He would still end up promoted to the active roster 3 weeks later, where he would stay for almost two months appearing in 7 games for the Panthers before being waived in mid-December. About a week after being waived he was signed by the Seahawks where he was stuck for 6 days.
After being released he did not sign his next contract until March of 2024, about 15 months after being let go by the Seahawks. Nixon lasted just about two months with the Dolphins before being let go once again. Nixon would be a prime candidate at only 25 years old to play in the UFL for one season before jumping back into the NFL in 2025 hopefully on sturdier footing.
Nixon has played defensive end, and defensive tackle, but he is realistically best suited to settling in as a tackle. His body type lends itself to being a 4-3 defensive tackle that can attack an opposing offense on every play rather than being asked to two-gap and eat up blocks as a 3-4 defensive end. Nixon could easily make any one of the defensive lines in the UFL better with his presence. If the NFL does not immediately come calling after a year in the UFL he could be a candidate to double dip in the CFL in an effort to maximize his earning potential going forward if he can’t make it back to the NFL.
Breiden Fehoko
Breiden Fehoko attended college at Texas Tech (2015-2016), and LSU (2017-2019) winning the College Football National Championship in 2019 before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. Given the way 2020 progressed and many events cancelled due to Covid 19, Fehoko seemed to slip through the cracks into undrafted free agency. He would find interest with the Los Angeles Chargers before the 2020 season.
The 6’3 300-pound defensive lineman would be used all over the line for the Steelers in camp and ended up earning a spot on the practice roster for his rookie season. He would be called up to play two games by seeing 20 snaps. Over the next two seasons Fehoko would play in 17 more games building up to a career season in the 2022 season.
In 2023 he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers where he would ultimately end up released by the team and brought back on the practice squad for. He was called up to the active roster for a while, but did not appear in a game. Brought back by the Steelers for the 2024 season, he would ultimately get injured in camp and wind up on injured reserve before being released with an injury designation.
He has not signed another NFL contract since then, and he could benefit from signing with the UFL to rebuild his NFL resume and get himself back on the NFL radar. At 28 years old he is also a candidate to simply move on to his options in the CFL as well. It is my experience the older a player gets, the more likely they are to consider CFL offers in an effort to build a long-term career somewhere.
Viliami Fehoko
Viliami Fehoko is a former San Jose State Spartan who committed to the school having played tight end in high school. He was also a rugby player, so he had plenty of experience of tackling. He would convert to the linebacker upon his arrival in college playing in 4 games during his redshirt year as freshman. Returning his second season he had been moved full-time to defensive end and named a starter on the left side of the line.
While his first season as a starter did not look like a smash hit on the stat-line the school stuck with him and it paid off as he would go on to play in 32 games over the next three seasons, producing 44 tackles for a loss, 22 sacks, 10 batted passes, 2 fumble recoveries, and 5 forced fumbles for the Spartans. By the time Fehoko graduated he had gained just over 40 pounds and really settled in as a defensive end heading into his NFL career, with 3 First-Team All-Mountain West Awards, and 2022 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Award on his resume.
At his pro day he put up a solid performance running a 4.77 40-yard dash, with a 7.32 3-cone drill, and 24 reps in the bench press. This helped his draft stock in advance of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys selected Fehoko in the 4th round 129th overall. However, his time with the Cowboys was short lived. During his rookie season, he spent most of the season declared inactive, and even spent some time on injured reserve as well. Ultimately, he didn’t play a single snap his first season in the NFL.
Heading into season two, the Cowboys hired a new Defensive Coordinator, and now Fehoko was splitting time between defensive end and defensive tackle but struggling in the new scheme. He would end up injured late in camp landing once again on injured reserve before being released with an injury designation on September 3rd. He has since not gotten much interest, but at 24 years old, his career is far from over if he can prove he is healthy and ready to play once again.
The perfect way to do this is to sign with a UFL team. Not only will he get to show he is healthy, but he can work on developing his pass rush tools to make himself a better NFL player when he gets another opportunity. Given his youth, I would assume he would lean toward the UFL, rather than committing to the CFL quite yet, however if he had an immediate offer from the CFL, and the alternative was sitting at home waiting on the NFL, which might change some things. Regardless of where he does it, Fehoko needs to play to prove he belongs back on an NFL roster.
In his career on defense Fehoko has seen time across the defensive line, and even at linebacker. He can play in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense and is not dependent on scheme to find production, although I believe his best chance at success is playing as a 4-3 end exclusively.
Linebackers
Malik Jefferson
Malik Jefferson is a very impressive athlete, which is why it should come as no surprise he was very productive in college at Texas. As a three-year starter, he played in 35 games collecting 230 tackles, 26 for a loss, 12 sacks, and 6 pass deflections. He decided to forego his final year of eligibility against the recommendations of the College Advisory Board. He decided to bet on himself, and had a monster performance at the NFL Combine which dramatically helped his draft stock.
Measuring in at 6’2 236 pounds, he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash with a 1.59 10-yard split, a 7.12 3-cone drill, 36-inch vertical leap, 10-foot 5 inch broad jump, and 27 reps in the bench press. He looked like another of the height, weight, and speed prospects NFL teams drool over every year.
Even though it was recommended he returned to college for his senior season, he was still ranked the second best inside linebacker prospect in the draft class and found NFL interest, nonetheless. He wound up a third-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals who have done a solid job of drafting and developing linebackers over the past several seasons.
Unfortunately for Jefferson his rookie season went off the rails and left him as the low hanging fruit of the roster heading into his second season. He was used all over the Bengals defense for the first 10 games of the season seeing snaps everywhere from all four linebacker spots to defensive line, slot cornerback, to safety. The Bengals believed in his athleticism and tried to do everything to use his talents in the best possible way during the preseason.
By 2019 he was released in final cuts and allowed to find a new home. He was claimed off of waivers by the Cleveland Browns. Where he would play in 9 games mostly on special teams before again being waived. The Chargers opted to sign him to their practice squad to finish out 2019 and offered him a futures deal for the 2020 season.
In 2020 he competed for a roster spot with the Chargers but was not immediately retained by the team for the season. He was actually waived on September 5th. Four days later the Titans signed him to their practice squad before releasing him 5 days later. By September 16th he had returned to the Chargers on their practice squad, but it did not last long. Ten days later he was promoted to the active roster and remained there until an injury sent him to injured reserve after appearing in 13 games.
Since then, he has bounced around spending time with the Colts, Cowboys, and Lions but appeared in just 4 games over the last 3 seasons. After signing with the Lions late in camp, he was placed on injured reserve before being released with an injury designation. To this point he has not signed another NFL contract, and it has been two months. If this hiatus goes much longer, I expect him to strongly consider retirement, or signing with an alternative football league to continue his career. With the way his career was trending it may be his only way at one last shot in the NFL.
It could also amount to a long-term home for him to play out the remainder of his professional career. His NFL window is closing fast, but that doesn’t mean his career has to be over yet.
Jacob Phillips
Phillips is another former draft pick on this list. Selected in round three 97th overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2020 out of LSU, the three year collegiate starter had all the tools to grow into a successful NFL linebacker, however to this point it simply has not panned out as he or the Browns had hoped when he was selected just over 3 years ago now.
Coming out of LSU, Phillips played 39 games overall starting 26 over his last two seasons with the school. He would end up collecting 218 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 6 pass break ups, 1 interception and 1 touchdown. He would go on to have a solid performance at his pro-day measuring in at 6’3 229 pounds. He ran a 4.66 40-yard dash, 1.63 10-yard split, 7.38 3-cone drill, 39-inch vertical leap, 10 feet 6-inch broad jump. This helped his NFL Draft stock coming out of the combine, helping him land with the Browns in the 3rd round. A pick they acquired via a trade with the Houston Texans.
Spending the first three seasons of his career with the Browns, Phillips lived through the Browns having two different defensive coordinators Joe Woods 2020-2022 and Jim Schwartz 2023. During this time Phillips would appear in 20 regular season games, starting 8. He managed 88 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 pass breakups over his first two seasons with the Browns. The thing that prevented Phillips from realizing his potential up to this point has been injuries.
In 2020 he did not suffer an injury but landed on the Covid list for a week. Heading into the 2021 season he was placed on injured reserve on September 1st, and he was not activated until December 11th. He would miss a total of 13 games due to injury or Covid in his first two seasons alone. In 2022 he didn’t have much better luck. After beginning the season as the back-up middle linebacker, he stepped in as the starter in week 4 starting the next 4 games before landing on injured reserve once again.
Just before the 2023 season, Phillips landed on injured reserve once again in August. In his first four seasons, he appeared in 20 of a potential 67 games. This led to his departure from Cleveland after his contract expired following the 2023 season. Heading into 2024 he signed with the team that once traded Cleveland the pick that they used to select him, the Houston Texans. Signing a 1 year $1.15 contract for the 2024 season in April just before the 2024 NFL Draft.
Phillips, however, was not the only linebacker they brought in before the 2024 season. They signed Azeez Al-Shaair, and Del’Shawn Phillips, then went on to select Jamal Hill in the 6th round and sign Tarique Barnes, and Max Tooley as undrafted free agents. Al-Shaair, Del’Shawn Phillips, and Hill would all make the roster leaving Jacob Phillips the odd man out who was released, he was also left off the practice squad.
Myjai Sanders
Myjai Sanders was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft 100th overall by the Arizona Cardinals. This came after a four-year career at Cincinnati where he managed to play in 48 games. He collected 115 tackles, 25 for a loss, 13.5 sacks, 13 pass break ups, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries. Heading into the NFL Draft he would participate in the combine, and pro day. His performance at the combine may have artificially inflated his stock.
At 6’5 228 pounds, he ran a 4.67 40-yard dash with a 1.57 10-yard split, a 4.37 20-yard shuttle, 33-inch vertical, and 20 reps on the bench press. Depending on where you look, Sanders is also listed as a defensive end, and now weighs in the 240-pound range making him more valuable as a hybrid outside linebacker/edge rusher in passing situations. He fits the mold for linebackers the Stallions have brought in over the past year or two, and I could see a scenario where he draws interest from Birmingham.
After his performance at the combine and pro day, he heard his name called in the third round 100th overall by the Arizona Cardinals. The rookie did not immediately find his way to the field, and did not see his first action until week 5. He would go on to play 260 defensive snaps seeing time on multiple special teams’ units as well. He ultimately saw action in 13 games starting 4 of them producing 17 pressures and 3 sacks along the way. By the end of the season, he had plus grades as a pass rusher, but from there it got a bit ugly. He was rated poorly in coverage, run defense, and tackling.
He was credited with allowing a 100% completion rate, allowing 46 yards and 1 touchdown on just 3 receptions, while also missing 3 tackles, and being penalized once. Heading into the 2023 season the Cardinals moved on from Kliff Kingsbury, and Vance Joesph moving to a 4-3 defense under Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis. This pushed Sanders full-time to a defensive end. Then a hand injury in training camp landed him on injured reserve, causing him to miss most of the beginning of the year.
However his time with Arizona was short lived, and he would not even finish out his rookie contract with the team that once selected him. The back-to-back All-ACC Player was released by Arizona after less than two full seasons with the team.
This led him to sign with the Houston Texans where he would finish out the season, but Houston opted to release him just before the draft, and since then he has not signed another NFL contract. He is the perfect candidate for the UFL at only 26 years old, he should be on the radar of every team in the UFL, and CFL looking to improve their pass rush.
If I was his agent, and he was healthy, I would have already been exhausting CFL offers to finish out the season on a roster. Sometimes NFL players especially former draft picks, tend to waste seasons waiting out offers that never come, when they could be putting out recent film, proving they are healthy, and earning money to do so on a CFL roster if they are let go late and miss their opportunity in the NFL. At this point the CFL season is almost over, and the NFL season is about half over, his best bet is likely the UFL, and he could always look to double dip in the CFL following the UFL season if not called back up.
Defensive Back
Aaron Robinson
Aaron Robinson was a third-round pick of the New York Giants just four short years ago. Before he was selected by the Giants the Florida native, once declared to Florida before flipping his commitment to Alabama in 2016. The lengthy cornerback stood 6’0 183 pounds when he entered college with the Crimson Tide, and his size and speed allowed him to find the field as a true freshman. He
Playing in 13 total games he played mostly on special teams seeing limited defensive snaps in a reserve capacity. After just one season with Alabama, he transferred to the University of Central Florida. Due to the transfer rules at the time Robinson was forced to sit out the 2017 season, instead of spending the year working out with the scout team. In 2018 he saw the field in just 7 games while fighting through an injury, playing primarily outside cornerback. This was coincidently the first season Randy Shannon took over as the defensive coordinator for UCF.
In 2019 he finally had his breakout season, but it came while playing anywhere but outside cornerback. Robinson appeared in 13 games, lining up at nickelback, or in the box for 838 snaps seeing only 4 out wide, and 1 at free safety. He collected 54 tackles, 6 for a loss, 10 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble. His final season came in 2020, playing in 9 games he again managed to line up everywhere from in the box, to nickelback, outside at cornerback, or even at free safety. He again found success in Shannon’s scheme in this role collecting 41 tackles, 1 for a loss, 6 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 recovery.
The 6’1 195-pound defensive back opted to declare for the 2021 NFL draft despite the ability to retain a year of eligibility due to covid 19. He impressed at his pro day running a 4.38 40-yard dash, to go along with a 6.9 3-cone drill, a 37-inch vertical, and 15 reps in the bench press. The Giants saw an opportunity to select a promising young prospect to bolster their defense. He would go on to have the most injury-riddled start to a career I have ever seen.
As a rookie, he began the 2021 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list with an injury to his core muscles. Returning in week 8. He would play in 9 of the remaining 10 games of the season. In 2022 he was again limited by injury and ailments. After playing 77 snaps in week 1, he would need his appendix removed resulting in missing 2 games. He returned in week 4 only to suffer a torn MCL/ACL which would cause him to miss the next 12 games of the 2022 season. This same knee injury would cause him to miss the entire 2023 season.
In 2024 the Giants placed him on the PUP list once again hoping when he received his examination he would get cleared to return to the field. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the case for Robinson and the Giants. He was eventually waived with an injury settlement. Now the reality is that Robinson may never strap up pads and step on the football field again, however, something tells me that an athlete, and competitor at this level will stop at nothing to return. The UFL could be his next opportunity to prove he is finally cleared and ready to play once again.
This would also give him until March to continue his rehab and/or complete any procedures he needs to get back on the field. It would make for one hell of a comeback story at that. Robinson would be 30 months removed from his last NFL football game having missed a total of 44 games to begin his professional football career. The UFL is tailor-made for these sorts of comeback stories if Robinson’s body will allow it.
Jerry Jacobs
Jerry Jacobs is no stranger to having to climb the ladder to the highest levels of football, and it would not shock me in the slightest to see him signed by a UFL team given this fact. A former JUCO product who made his way into two different D1 programs after initially being an unheralded player. He found immediate success with Hutchinson Community College where he played in 12 games managing to pick up 39 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, 4 interceptions, and 12 pass break ups. This drew the attention of Arkansas State.
He played 13 games during the 2018 season collecting 31 tackles, 3 for a loss, 4 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups. Heading into the 2019 season it looked as if Jacobs was primed for another impressive season, however after just 4 games he tore his ACL missing the rest of the season. He finished the 2019 season with 21 tackles, 1 for a loss, and 2 pass deflections.
The 5’11 205-pound defender opted to transfer one last time for the 2020 season this time to Arkansas. He did not play in the first handful of games and appeared in just 5 games total. At that point Jacobs opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season due to covid 19. He finished the season with 17 tackles, including 1 for a loss. After beginning his collegiate career appearing in every game for two seasons, he closed it out having only appeared in 9 games in total.
During his three seasons at the D1 level he played all over the back end of the defense. Lining up in the box, in the slot, out wide, and at free safety. His versatility, and a solid performance at his pro day helped him find interest in the NFL, but did not lead to him being drafted in 2021.
He would ultimately sign with the Detroit Lions as an Undrafted Free Agent and make the active roster coming out of camp after a strong showing in the preseason that once again hammered home his versatility at the NFL level as he was lined up all over the backend of the defense. This continued into the 2021 season where he began the year as the third cornerback. However, by week 5 he had stepped into a starting role for the Lions. He went on to start the next 9 games for the Lions primarily playing outside cornerback. That was until he tore his ACL after just 5 snaps in week 14.
He finished the season with 30 tackles, 6 pass break ups and 1 forced fumble. He was targeted 42 times, allowing 27 receptions for 347 yards but just 87 yards after the catch. He allowed 1 touchdown on the season and accounted for 2 penalties. Due to his late injury, he began the 2022 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he worked his way back to 100%. He was activated for week 7 playing in the final 11 games of the season. This time he closed out the year with 38 tackles, 5 pass break ups, and 1 interception. He was targeted 60 times, allowing 33 receptions for 408 yards and 1 touchdown.
Heading into 2023 he was named a starting cornerback for the Lions, but this did not prevent him from moving around the formation once again. He was able to play in 15 of 17 games that season, appearing in 743 defensive snaps on the season. He would set a career high in many categories, some of which he likely wishes he never had. This included tackles (57), interceptions (3), but it also included missed tackles (11), targets (71), receptions (47), yards allowed (602), touchdowns allowed (7), and penalties (9). Overall, it was not a good season for Jacobs.
Heading into 2024, Jacobs was not tendered as a restricted free agent thus allowing him to sign anywhere he wanted. He had workouts with the Falcons, Panthers, Vikings, and Jaguars, but He would ultimately sign with the Rams for the 2024 season. They would ultimately waive him with an injury settlement on August 20th. He has since worked out with the Colts, Browns, and Titans. (Just waiting on the Texans to complete his tour of the AFC South). If Jacobs is not on an NFL roster before the end of the 2024 season, he has nothing to lose, and everything to gain by looking at the UFL in advance of the 2025 season to remind teams what he is capable of.
Hybrid Players
Michael Ojemudia
Michael Ojemudia is an interesting player who was once a 3rd round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2020. Ojemudia once committed to Iowa as a linebacker, before redshirting as he moved to safety, and later cornerback. The 6’1 200-pound player who played all over the secondary in college, was seen as a cornerback for the Broncos at a time when there was a transition happening at the position.
They had brought in two free agents to start and then selected Ojemudia to finish out the top three at cornerback. Ojemudia played fairly well on paper his first season playing in 16 games, starting 11 games. He collected 62 tackles, 6 pass break ups, and 4 forced fumbles. However, he was targeted 73 times, allowing 50 receptions for 750 yards and 4 touchdowns. It went downhill quickly from there.
After playing 852 defensive snaps in 2020, he dropped down to 85 snaps in 2021, and by 2022 he played just 2 regular season snaps. As his defensive snaps dropped, so did his time on special teams, to the point where after three seasons he ended up not playing a single regular season snap since. In 2023 he originally signed with the Bears before they released him in final cuts and opted not to bring him back to the practice squad.
About a month later he signed with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad and finished the season with them. He would sign a futures deal with the Cardinals but end up released in final cuts and has not signed since. At 27 years old Ojemudia still has plenty of time left to find his footing in his career. One year in the UFL could help him revive an NFL career that is currently on life support.
I believe Ojemudia should embrace a move back to strong safety. We once watched Malcolm Jenkins revive his dying NFL career by moving from cornerback to a strong safety role that allowed him to be a chess piece, moved around the Eagles’ base defense in order to create favorable match-ups and allow for a third cover guy on the field at all times. His size and athleticism lend itself to being a solid safety, and if he added some weight, he could provide more help in the box in 2025. Playing around 210-215 pounds would be ideal in this position and allow him to be used as a defacto linebacker at times as well.
Joejuan Williams
Joejuan Williams is a player who came into the league as a cornerback but was never truly a fit at the position in the NFL. He is one of the largest cornerbacks to come out of the NFL draft in recent memory at 6’4 212 pounds. While his speed and agility do in fact allow him to play cornerback, I believe the Patriots and other teams since New England have done him a disservice by playing him primarily at cornerback.
As a rookie, Williams saw just 1 defensive snap aligned in the box, but this is exactly where I believe he would thrive in the NFL. Having played just 85 defensive snaps, 84 of them came out wide or in the slot at cornerback. In 2020 he would be used more in the box, and even see a snap at free safety, but the majority of his playing time was still spent at cornerback. With 140 snaps at cornerback, and 31 snaps in the box or at safety. This trend continued for Williams, and in his third season he played fewer snaps away from cornerback than he had the previous season. Playing 27 snaps in the box or at free safety, he saw 268 snaps at cornerback. His most to this point.
Since 2021, Williams bounced around the NFL without finding a stable home to settle in and develop into a topflight defender that his potential suggests he can be. This is where I believe the NFL has done this man wrong. Williams should make a full-time move to a hybrid linebacker role for his next team. Lining up in the box or as a safety is something he did much more in college than he did in the NFL. In fact, he saw 96 snaps at safety or in the box his final year of college, which is actually more than his entire NFL career to this point, and that was just one of three seasons as a contributor. All said and done, he would play 172 snaps in the box or aligned as a safety rather than as a true cornerback.
They were signs when he was drafted that his best bet in the NFL was a move to nickel linebacker/strong safety dating back to his college career, where he was consistently graded as a plus defender in run defense. Seeing a 71.1 grade or better each of his three seasons at Vanderbilt. In the NFL, outside of his rookie season, the same can be said. He graded out a 63.9 or better as a run defender in three seasons with the NFL. His most valuable trait when playing closer to the line of scrimmage might be his tackling.
Williams has not been credited with a single missed tackle at the NFL level per PFF.com. During college, this was one of his bigger concerns as he had been marked for 19 missed tackles in three seasons, although I wonder how many of those were caused by his lack of elite recovery speed while playing cornerback at the FBS level. Putting him at linebacker, allowing him to be used as essentially a designated coverage linebacker who would shadow running backs, tight ends, and sometimes slot receivers, and allowing him more freedom to “see ball, get ball” could be exactly what his career needs to thrive at the professional level.
There are multiple UFL teams that could bring him and use him as a linebacker/strong safety if he were to add a little more weight to his near 6’4 frame. Playing around 220-225 pounds would help him hold up to the consistent punishment from playing within the box, but also would allow him to remain lean enough to cover backs and tight ends. This is also a role that would make sense in the CFL, in the mold of players like Ardarius Pickett, or Tyrice Beverette who play linebacker often but also are used as defensive backs at times as well. Williams would thrive in this role, but it’s up to a team to allow him to focus on this position and a coordinator to scheme up ways to allow Williams to be a game-breaker.
Keanu Neal
Keanu Neal is another player who should likely make a full-time position switch to linebacker, and in his case, it is something he has already done at the NFL level after signing with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. Originally a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons, and only the second safety selected in the draft Neal was a playmaker his first few seasons with the Falcons.
Coming out of college, Neal played everywhere in Florida secondary from cornerback to free safety, and of course in the box as well. He would go on to see 272 snaps in the box but play the majority of his snaps as a free safety, with 787 snaps played at the position. When he entered the NFL, the Falcons were smart enough to realize the 6’0 212-pound player would likely be an asset playing within the box. They were correct.
Since being drafted, Neal has played 2,732 snaps in the box by far more than other alignments over the years. From 2016-2021he graded 73 or above as a tackler four of five seasons with a 65.2 grade in the only other season. During that same stretch he graded 67.9 or better in run support 3 of 5 seasons. It was not his ability to defend the run that left teams with questions, it was his ability in coverage where he at some points struggled.
Allowing a 71.9% completion rate on 370 targets meant allowing 266 receptions. Receivers have racked up over 2,800 yards against Neal, scoring 12 times along the way. He has allowed a lower than 65% completion rate just three times in his entire NFL career, and one of those seasons he played in just one game seeing 2 targets. Neal is not the type of player you want to play a significant coverage role like he has throughout his career. The teams he has played on have, however, used him all over the field, including at cornerback, but his versatility in this case is actually harming his career more than helping it.
Allow Neal to add some weight and focus on playing weakside linebacker for the tail end of his professional career, and I think a team will catch lightning in a bottle with this nearly 30-year-old defender. The truth is, having been last released in March of 2024 due to a failed physical, Neal may very well be done with his NFL career, for that matter he could be done with football in general. However, I believe a full-time move to linebacker could buy him potentially 2-3 more seasons if he wants them, however it will likely take proving he can thrive at the position full time. Much like Williams this could happen in the CFL, or the UFL and he could benefit most teams in either league, the question with Neal will be if he wants to continue to play football, and potentially take more of a beating playing linebacker than he did as primarily a defensive back over the last decade or so.
Final thoughts
Well, there you have it, recent NFL players that could look to rekindle their professional football careers in the NFL by looking at another league to find their footing or continue their development. Some of these players could look to make a position switch in order to find more success, but that is exactly what leagues like the CFL and UFL are designed for. These leagues are meant to provide a platform for borderline NFL talent to showcase themselves and try and find a way back into the NFL. I believe all of these players on this list could do just that given the right performance in these other leagues.
The longer the UFL lasts, the more likely it is to attract players quickly after they are let go by NFL teams. Stability will draw more talent long term. This has already begun to show up with more and more former NFL Draft Picks turning to the UFL sooner rather than later. This trend should continue and even grow as we move forward.
