I saw some discussion online about getting rid of the 7th round of the NFL Draft. I'm not sure if it's team or media driven, but the basic contention was that teams weren't finding many players they wanted to draft at that point.
(In my main dynasty league, we've had a three-round rookie draft for years, but last year we added a fourth round. I'm not sure there will be a lot of great rookies to select by that point this year. But I digress.)
As a fan and fantasy guy, I wouldn't care if the NFL Draft went to just six rounds. I guess as a college player hopeful of being drafted, more rounds is better; it's nice to see someone have their dream come true by being a draft pick. So a 7th round ensures at least 32 more kids will have their dream come true.
The reality for a while, at least at the key positions for fantasy, is that you're more likely to find hits that go undrafted than are selected in the 7th round. Not really sure why that is, beyond the numbers -- the pool of undrafted players is obviously much, much larger than the pool of 7th-rounders. If 5 percent of undrafted players who sign with teams hit and 5 percent of guys selected in the seventh round do, the former group is substantially bigger.
Anyway. I looked at the last 10 years of players selected in the seventh round of the draft, and players undrafted entirely those years. Table shows all running backs and wide receivers who had at least one top-50 fantasy season (PPR), and all quarterbacks and tight ends who had a top-25 season. (A quarterback or tight end finishing in the top 50 in a season didn't have to do very much.) I used each player's best season; Austin Ekeler (pictured), for example, had a bunch of qualifying seasons.
In the last 10 years, there have been eight 7th-round picks to fit the criteria. Two last year, but on average, one per season. There have been 32 undrafted guys to do it, so a little over three per season. Table shows each player's best season, not always their draft year, but they've all entered the league since 2016.
| 7TH-ROUND AND UNDRAFTED TOP-30 OR 50, 2016-PRESENT | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Player | Pos | Pass | TD | Run | No | Rec | TD | Rk |
| 2022 | FA | Austin Ekeler, LAC | RB | 0 | 0 | 915 | 107 | 722 | 18 | 1 |
| 2020 | FA | Robert Tonyan, G.B. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 586 | 11 | 5 |
| 2023 | 7 | Brock Purdy, S.F. | QB | 4280 | 31 | 144 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2020 | FA | James Robinson, Jac. | RB | 0 | 0 | 1070 | 49 | 344 | 10 | 7 |
| 2022 | FA | Taysom Hill, N.O. | TE | 240 | 2 | 575 | 9 | 77 | 9 | 7 |
| 2025 | FA | Juwan Johnson, N.O. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 889 | 3 | 8 |
| 2019 | 7 | Chris Carson, Sea. | RB | 0 | 0 | 1230 | 37 | 266 | 9 | 12 |
| 2018 | FA | Phillip Lindsay, Den. | RB | 0 | 0 | 1037 | 35 | 241 | 10 | 13 |
| 2023 | 7 | Isiah Pacheco, K.C. | RB | 0 | 0 | 935 | 44 | 244 | 9 | 15 |
| 2020 | FA | J.D. McKissic, Was. | RB | 0 | 0 | 365 | 80 | 589 | 3 | 17 |
| 2025 | FA | Rico Dowdle, Car. | RB | 0 | 0 | 1076 | 39 | 297 | 7 | 17 |
| 2025 | FA | Jaylen Warren, Pitt. | RB | 0 | 0 | 958 | 40 | 333 | 8 | 18 |
| 2017 | FA | Robby Anderson, NYJ | WR | 0 | 0 | 9 | 63 | 941 | 7 | 18 |
| 2024 | FA | Jakobi Meyers, L.V. | WR | 0 | 0 | 23 | 87 | 1027 | 4 | 19 |
| 2021 | FA | Taylor Heinicke, Was. | QB | 3419 | 20 | 313 | 1 | -2 | 1 | 19 |
| 2021 | FA | Darrel Williams, K.C. | RB | 0 | 0 | 558 | 47 | 452 | 8 | 21 |
| 2020 | FA | Dan Arnold, Ari. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 438 | 4 | 22 |
| 2019 | FA | Jacob Hollister, Sea. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 349 | 3 | 23 |
| 2024 | 7 | Jauan Jennings, S.F. | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 975 | 6 | 24 |
| 2020 | FA | Anthony Firkser, Ten. | TE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 387 | 1 | 25 |
| 2021 | 7 | Myles Gaskin, Mia. | RB | 0 | 0 | 612 | 49 | 234 | 7 | 25 |
| 2023 | FA | Gus Edwards, Balt. | RB | 0 | 0 | 810 | 12 | 180 | 13 | 26 |
| 2018 | FA | Matt Breida, S.F. | RB | 0 | 0 | 814 | 27 | 261 | 5 | 26 |
| 2018 | FA | Jalen Richard, Oak. | RB | 0 | 0 | 259 | 68 | 607 | 1 | 29 |
| 2022 | FA | Jeff Wilson, 2TM | RB | 0 | 0 | 860 | 22 | 185 | 6 | 29 |
| 2025 | 7 | Kyle Monangai, Chi. | RB | 0 | 0 | 783 | 18 | 164 | 5 | 31 |
| 2018 | FA | Peyton Barber, T.B. | RB | 0 | 0 | 871 | 20 | 92 | 6 | 31 |
| 2025 | 7 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Was. | RB | 0 | 0 | 805 | 9 | 68 | 8 | 32 |
| 2021 | FA | Kendrick Bourne, N.E. | WR | 25 | 1 | 125 | 55 | 800 | 5 | 32 |
| 2022 | FA | Allen Lazard, G.B. | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 788 | 6 | 34 |
| 2025 | FA | Jordan Mason, Min. | RB | 0 | 0 | 758 | 14 | 51 | 6 | 36 |
| 2016 | FA | Robert Kelley, Was. | RB | 0 | 0 | 704 | 12 | 82 | 7 | 38 |
| 2025 | FA | Rashid Shaheed, 2TM | WR | 0 | 0 | 69 | 59 | 687 | 4 | 39 |
| 2021 | FA | Tim Patrick, Den. | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 734 | 5 | 42 |
| 2021 | FA | Marquez Callaway, N.O. | WR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 698 | 6 | 43 |
| 2024 | FA | Jaleel McLaughlin, Den. | RB | 0 | 0 | 496 | 24 | 76 | 3 | 46 |
| 2020 | FA | Keelan Cole, Jac. | WR | 0 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 642 | 6 | 47 |
| 2024 | FA | Emanuel Wilson, G.B. | RB | 0 | 0 | 502 | 11 | 48 | 5 | 48 |
| 2025 | FA | Zonovan Knight, Ari. | RB | 0 | 0 | 269 | 22 | 160 | 5 | 49 |
| 2022 | 7 | Richie James, NYG | WR | 0 | 0 | 6 | 57 | 569 | 4 | 50 |
This doesn't include 7th-round hits at other positions -- offensive line, linebackers, etc.
The big, enduring hits from the last decade include Ekeler (undrafted), Jakobi Meyers (undrafted) and probably Brock Purdy (7th). There are a bunch of running backs who have carved out respectable careers with at least one and in some cases multiple good seasons. Chris Carson, Isiah Pacheco, Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle. Clearly, running back is the best position from which to pull undrafted guys, probably why it can be hard for many top players to get paid at the position -- there's an undrafted guy out there waiting to take your job. Purdy the lone hit at QB (Taylor Heinicke made the table, granted).
Looking at this year's 7th round, there are a couple of running backs who will maybe find their way onto dynasty rosters. The Steelers took Navy back Eli Heidenreich, and the Colts took Kentucky back Seth McGowan. Both teams have the top of their depth charts set but might be looking for a No. 3 or even a No. 2. But realistically, long shots to do more than contribute on special teams, if they make rosters at all.
--Andy Richardson
