While a slim chance one of these players could hear his name Saturday, most will be trying to find UDFA deals after the conclusion of the draft
The NFL Draft will conclude on Saturday at about 4-5 PM central time, and then the most exciting part of the day begins. While 257 payers will hear their name called between Thursday and Saturday, each NFL team is likely to sign another 10-15 players during the Undrafted Free Agent Period. Some UDFA’s go on to long NFL careers—you may have heard of Tony Romo, or John Randle, or Antonio Gates. Many many more go to one NFL training camp and are cut within days. While Minnesota could have as many as five or six players drafted this weekend, they should have at least four or five others that hopefully will sign UDFA deals and head to NFL training camps this summer. A few others may earn invites to rookie tryout camps over the next few weeks where they will try and win one of those coveted 90 man training camp roster spots. We have already done previews for the five likeliest Gophers to hear their name called this weekend in Aireontae Ersery, Jah Joyner, Justin Walley, Cody Lindenberg and Max Brosmer. But below we gie quick summaries of serval other Gophers who have a slim chance to be drafted, but should have a good chance to sign as a UDFA Saturday evening.
Near a lock for a UDFA Signing:
Daniel Jackson WR
Jackson was invited to the NFL combine and performed well in the drills he did do. We obviously know he is a great route runner and pass catcher. But the knock on him hen it comes to his NFL future is that he will have a hard time breaking through NFL press coverage, won’t earn a ton of yards after the catch, and he doesn’t have much special teams experience.
It’s possible a team may fall in love with him and try and take a 7th round flyer on Jackson, but it’s much more likely that we will have considerable interest in the UDFA market and he will be able to choose where he thinks he can best break through the log jam and try and earn a roster spot this summer.
OG Tyler Cooper
Cooper was not invited to the combine and even if he was would have missed it as he recovered from surgeries on an ankle injury he suffered at the end of the regular season. But he is receiving more interest then say Jackson. Cooper says he has worked out privately for both the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys abd talked to multiple teams at the East-West Shrine Bowl and at the Minnesota Pro day. It would not be a surprise to find a team that really likes Cooper and doesn’t want to try and bid against other teams and take a flyer on him late in the 6th or 7th round.
He has the measurables that NFL teams want with great arm length and a 6’6 frame for a guard. But he is technically sound and someone that could earn a job as a swing guard after some development. He was selected in a few mock drafts online with the Cowboys, Jets and Commanders teams that might take him. If he is not selected he will be a priority UDFA as someone an NFL team feels they can mold into a player with hidden potential.
Decent Chance At a UDFA Signing:
OL Quinn Cooper
Cooper performed well at the Gopher pro day and is someone who definitely could ear a UDFA offer. He moved all over the line for the Gophers playing mainly right tackle and right guard, but even stepped in at left tackle for Ersery in Minnesota’s final regular season game and the bowl game. He doesn’t have quite the measurables that would move him up into one of those late draftable spots, but he’s a player who could surprise in camp with his line flexibility and potentially earn a practice squad spot for some NFL team.
K Dragan Kesich
Kesich was great for the Gophers in 2023 winning Big Ten Kicker of the Year honors and looked like he could potentially even earn one of the few drafted kicker spots in this year’s draft. Then came his lackluster 2024 season where is was much more inaccurate that he had been the previous season. But, leg strength is leg strength and Kesich has it in spades.
He was invited to the specialist tryouts at the combine and then nailed several 60+ yard field goals at Minnesota’s pro day. He has the potential to be a camp invite—maybe not to immediately win an NFL job, but as a guy who a team will bring to camp to put some pressure on an incumbent kicker. If he can look good at a camp, you never know where there might be a spot available for a needy team.
S Jack Henderson
Henderson had flashes of greatness in his two years for the Gophers and definately has the motor to try and earn a NFL roster spot. He put up great numbers at the Gopher Pro Day earning a RAS score of 9.37 which currently ranks third among 2025 strong safeties in Kent Lee Platte’s draft database. Henderson’s 39.5-inch vertical and 10-8 broad jump helped him post an elite composite explosion grade. He has the football smart as well. His 6’2 208 lb frame is slightly undersized for an NFL strong safety, but his hybrid ability makes him an intriguing add to a NFL camp’s roster. It will come down to fit for him, nd hopefully the right team comes calling with an opportunity.
DE Danny Striggow
Striggow is another guy with tons of heart and an unrelenting motor. He does lots of things well, but nothing exceptionally well. He doesn’t quite have the skill set to be an edge rusher in the NFL, and his run fits are much better than his pass rush. If he had a bit more size and could shift to the inside he could be a better option there, but he is stuck in “tweener” land. He does have lots of things NFL teams are looking for and should earn a UDFA offer, but will have to have the training camp of his life to not end up one of the hundreds of players who are close but not close enough.
Likely Need to Win a Spot at a Rookie Minicamp:
RB Marcus Major
Major came to Minnesota for his final season of eligibility after transferring from Oklahoma. His measurables don’t leap off the page, but he did run a 4.61 40 yard dash. Unfortunately for him this year is a very deep running back class and there will be tons of players drafted and signed as potential UDFA’s. Major may have to try and earn a spot in a rookie camp.
DB Ethan Robinson
Robinson played his final season at Minnesota after transferring from Bucknell and did well. He has good ball skills, but at 5’11 191 is a bit undersides for an outside corner, but will need to work significantly on his run stopping to slide to the inside. He has potential, but he will need to show it off to teams to try and earn his way to a camp this summer most likely.
TE Nick Kallerup
Kallerup was a beast of a blocker for the Gophers over his four seasons and showed some pass catching ability. Unfortunately there are tons of tight ends with similar abilities out there. Admittedly Ko Kieft earned a job doing exactly what Kallerup is good at, so he definitely should have a chance to see if some team will let him be a special teams beast, but it will for sure be an uphill climb.