Panthers' Adam Thielen shares NFL Draft experience, offers advice to prospective players

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Adam Thielen is one of the rare NFL players who went undrafted and became an NFL superstar, earning two Pro Bowl selections in 10 seasons and is still playing presently.

Thielen signed with the Minnesota Vikings after he went undrafted at Minnesota State.

He talked to Fox News Digital about his draft day experience. He said he knew he wasn’t going to be a first-day guy but didn’t expect everything that happened to happen.

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Adam Thielen of the Carolina Panthers waves to fans as he leaves the field after a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America Stadium, Oct. 1, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

"I think, like a lot of athletes, there’s a little bit of realistic and unrealistic expectations that go through your head," Thielen said. "I remember draft day like it was yesterday. I very realistically knew I wasn’t going to go in the first day. But you always have hopes that at some point your name would be called. I felt like I put up the numbers and had the tape, even though it was Division II football, I put up the numbers and the drills and things like that, which said, ‘Hey, I belong in this league,’ or at least have an opportunity to show that."

"At the end of the day, I didn’t get drafted, which I figured was a real possibility. And then I think the disappointing thing for me was not getting signed after the draft. I thought at least someone would say, ‘Hey, come here. We’ll give you an opportunity to go to training camp and see what happens.’ But I didn’t get that. I had two teams call me for a rookie camp invite, unsigned. I went to