Shilo Sanders wasn’t the one one. A whole bunch of faculty gamers who weren’t chosen within the 2025 NFL Draft signed as undrafted free brokers (UDAs) with one of many 32 groups. Legendary Rob Gronkowski assured them this is not the top of the world however reasonably the start of their careers.
NFL historical past is stuffed with undrafted free brokers who’ve had nice careers. Gamers like Wes Welker, Nate Newton, Adam Vinatieri, Priest Holmes, and Antonio Gates, amongst others, went undrafted of their respective drafts however later turned key gamers for his or her groups.
Though this wasn’t the case for Gronkowski, the previous New England Patriots star reminded all undrafted rookies that coming into the league is step one. In some unspecified time in the future, a few of them will get an opportunity to make the primary roster, and they need to be ready.
Gronk’s recommendation for undrafted gamers
In a chat on the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast, the four-time Tremendous Bowl champion despatched a message to the undrafted free brokers. “It does not matter the place you get drafted, it does not matter when you signal as an undrafted free agent. All of it issues what you do together with your alternative.”
To gamers like Sanders, who signed with Tampa Bay, Seth Henigan, Donovan Edwards, and Montrell Johnson Jr., who did not hear their identify referred to as in any of the seven rounds of this draft however have already signed with a staff, Gronk reminded them that their probability to point out what they’ll do will come and they need to be prepared for it.
“Each undrafted free agent goes to get a shot,” warned the previous tight finish. “They are going to be put within the first staff in some unspecified time in the future, or the second staff, and the ball goes to come back to you.”
The worst second in Gronkowski’s life
Gronk himself had a less-than-pleasant expertise within the 2010 draft. The previous Patriot felt past disillusioned when he did not hear his identify referred to as within the first spherical. “To at the present time, my mother nonetheless claims that there are solely two days of my life the place she noticed me pissed off. It was draft evening, and I forgot the second.”
Nevertheless, when New England referred to as him with the forty second general choose, all the things modified for Gronkowski. “My aura simply obtained picked up, my dream got here to life proper on the spot at that second,” recalled Tom Brady’s legendary mate, and the remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.
