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The 2024 NFL Draft was one of the more interesting iterations of the rookie-selecting showpiece event in the past decade. This year's Draft was filled with surprises, excitement, and more than an NFL fan could request. Most of college football's biggest stars of the past three years have been drafted, and they'll be competing for starting jobs from Day 1.
However, what about the prospects who declared for the Draft but didn't get chosen? This article will examine such prospects and what they stand to gain once they sign their first NFL contract.
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How much will an NFL undrafted free agent earn in 2024?
The salary for an undrafted free agent in the NFL varies, and it all depends on how much cap space a franchise has before the signing process. Most teams simply sign an undrafted free agent on a franchise practice squad, meaning such a player would make around $100,000 a season.
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Also, it's important to note that the undrafted rookie reservation amount for the 2023 NFL season was over $160,000 but less than $200,000. That is the most that an NFL franchise can use to sign bonuses for undrafted free agents. Furthermore, it's a percentage of the franchise's total rookie compensation pool.
Why do some highly touted players go undrafted in the NFL Draft?
It doesn't always happen, but some highly touted collegiate football prospects sometimes go undrafted in the NFL Draft. These are two key reasons:
1. Serious character concerns
NFL franchises are known to do their due diligence before selecting a player in the NFL Draft. In addition to excellence on the Gridiron, players are expected to embody the character of a professional athlete.
Unfortunately, not every prospect is a model citizen off the Gridiron. Hence, such a player's name is removed from a franchise's draft board. Sometimes, all 32 teams have the same concerns, and the player simply goes undrafted.
2. Undervalued position
In the modern NFL, certain positions are significantly undervalued. One such position is the punter's role.
It's common to see maybe one or two punters being selected in the NFL Draft. The rest of the punters on the draft board will be picked up as undrafted free agents after that year's Draft.
