They may have been all-conference or All-American or all-everything on the FCS level, but plenty of standouts are starting over again. Here are 10 FCS NFL rookies who appear to be strong fits after being draft picks or signed to teams as undrafted free agents.
FCS college football continues to fight to prove it can produce NFL-caliber talent.
With the FBS poaching players to replenish their rosters, talents who received their start in the FCS, such as No. 1 overall NFL pick quarterback Cam Ward (UIW in 2020 and ’21 seasons), were found throughout the 2025 draft. However, there were still players who stayed the course at their FCS home and heard their name called during the three-day draft.
We’re looking at some of the best landing spots for players who were drafted as well as others who signed afterward as undrafted free agents.
They’re now NFL rookies.
FCS NFL Rookies: Five Strong Fits, Drafted Players
Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State
Seattle Seahawks (Round 1, Pick 18)
Seattle’s 54 sacks allowed were tied for the third-most in the NFL in 2024. The Seahawks desperately need help up front, so adding an offensive lineman like Zabel is part of the solution. What’s impressive about the first-team All-American from the FCS national champion Bison is not just his versatility across the line but the ability to function everywhere at a high level.
The Seahawks can plug him right into their biggest area of need, either on the left or right side and at any position, including center. He was one of the more athletic linemen at the NFL Combine, and his physicality is unquestioned coming from North Dakota State.
Charles Grant, OT, William and Mary
Las Vegas Raiders (Round 3, Pick 99)
The Raiders are leaning into improving the overall passing game under new coach Pete Carroll. Grant has prototypical measurements for an NFL tackle: 6-foot-5, 311 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. The best aspect of his game is his technique, which is the calling card he can take with him anywhere on the offensive line.
Look for him to start off as the super-sub swing tackle, but how he holds up to the physicality in the NFL will determine if he can work his way into a starting role as a rookie.
Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
Baltimore Ravens (Round 5, Pick 141)
If the Ravens take a draft pick, it says a lot more than other teams because their hit rate on them tends to be higher than other franchises. They have a hole at offensive guard as well as a need to think about their future at tackle. Vinson is a player who could do both.
He’s massive at 6-7, 315 yet has the athleticism to pull and climb to the second level. He may need a year or two to clean up some technique and get stronger, but he could work at guard and tackle to fill a need early and develop into the answer to the team’s future need.
Jackson Slater, OG, Sacramento State
Tennessee Titans (Round 5, Pick 167)
Slater is a rough phone-booth type of lineman, so guard in the NFL is perfect for him. The Titans have veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, but he’s 35. What’s better than having a guard like Zeitler backed up by his clone?
Slater is explosive off the ball with a low pad level and a wide base that help him move bodies. He’s also great at scanning the field and finding work. The Titans are seeking to improve on last year’s 25th-ranked passing attack, and while Slater may be a swing guard for a season, he appears primed to take over and block for Ward in 2026.
Tommy Mellott, QB, Montana State
Las Vegas Raiders (Round 6, Pick 213)
“Touchdown Tommy” will seemingly slide right into his slash role in the NFL. The 2024 Walter Payton Award recipient was listed as a receiver in a lot of pre-draft analysis, but it’s easy to imagine his new team will find usage for him in multiple ways.
The Raiders, who were a mere 29th in scoring offense last season, need dynamic figures who have multiple uses on the team. Mellott could be used as a receiver, on run sweeps and with returning kicks. The most intriguing usage will be him behind center operating a QB run offense in special situations. He has elite speed and is tough as a two-dollar steak.
FCS NFL Rookies: Five Strong Fits, UDFAs
Marcus Yarns, RB, Delaware
New Orleans Saints (UDFA)
Yarns is a patient back with a smooth, fluid running style. He knows how to set up blocks and can explode through the hole when he feels the opening. It’s his abilities as a pass receiver that make him an intriguing prospect for the Saints, who have Alvin Kamara on the back half of his career and with no real successors behind him (their next-best rusher in 2024 was a 34-year-old Taysom Hill).
Yarns could be a great understudy for Kamara as he rounds out his skills as a receiver and works on his balance when running between the tackles. He has an excellent chance to stick with the team.
Graphic by Graham Bell.Efton Chism III, WR, Eastern Washington
New England Patriots (UDFA)
Chism was a super-productive pass receiver in college and that level of production can serve him well as he heads to New England. The Patriots have a new coach but an old feel with former Titans mentor and Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel taking over.
Vrabel brings with him former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who returns for a third stint. Nobody more than McDaniels will understand how to utilize Chism’s abilities as a slot receiver with shiftiness and underrated run-after-catch skills. Chism could come in and be the new Wes Welker.
Lan Larison, RB, UC Davis
New England Patriots (UDFA)
Larson has good size to go with a full tool belt of skills that transfer perfectly to the NFL: A mix of good power, cutting ability, above-average contact balance and really good ball skills. It all combined to help him lead the FCS in all-purpose yards per game last season.
With a new staff in New England and what is sure to be a renewed emphasis on running the ball (the Pats also drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round), Larison has a chance to impress with his hard-nosed, versatile style of play.
Eli Mostaert, DT, North Dakota State
Jacksonville Jaguars (UDFA)
The Jags did not take a defensive lineman during the draft and need interior defensive line help to go with their edge rushers. Mostaert played in 61 games at NDSU and a large number of them were big games against the best that the FCS had to offer.
Athletic and extremely tough, Mostaert will be willing to fight in the trenches and do the dirty work so the edges can eat. That’s the type of selfishness new coach Liam Cohen (who was an assistant at four different FCS programs) will be looking for.
Amar Johnson, RB, South Dakota State
Green Bay Packers (UDFA)
Yes, the Packers have Josh Jacobs, and Emanuel Wilson performed well as his backup, but after those two, there’s a chance for a back like Johnson. A two-time national champion, he’s a blazer with home run-hitting speed and an understanding of how to work well with limited carries in a full backfield (he came off the SDSU bench behind Pierre Strong Jr., then Isaiah Davis before being the 2024 starter).
As the Jackrabbits’ lead back last year, Johnson finished with 1,222 yards and 14 touchdowns on only 193 carries (6.3-yard average). His speed can lead to him being a valuable kickoff return man as well with the changes to the kickoff rules. And, of course, he will not have a problem adapting to the weather in Green Bay.
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