Who are the 10 best undrafted players in NFL history?

A total of 257 prospects will hear their names called when the 2025 NFL Draft takes place this weekend, fulfilling the hopes and dreams of many. For those who don't hear their names get called, though, that doesn't mean their dreams of playing in the NFL are over.

In fact, there are many success stories of undrafted players becoming NFL standouts over the years. There have also been a handful of players who've become Hall of Famers after going undrafted.

So, which undrafted players are the best in NFL history? Let's take a look at the best in the common era (1967-present). 

The vast majority of kickers begin their NFL careers after going undrafted, but the way Vinatieri's career played out suggests that was a mistake. He played in the World League of American Football (which later rebranded as NFL Europe) after he went undrafted in 1996, but joined the New England Patriots shortly after. He surprisingly won the kicker competition in training camp that year thanks to his kickoff ability.

Well, that decision wound up changing the course of NFL history. Vinatieri made a few clutch kicks in the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning season in 2001. He made a 45-yard field goal through the snow to help send their Divisional Round game against the Raiders to overtime before kicking the game-winning field goal. He made a game-winning 48-yard field goal on the final play of Super Bowl XXXVI. Two years later, Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with four seconds left helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Those kicks were just four of the NFL-record 56 Vinatieri made in his playoff career. Vinatieri also holds the NFL record for most field goals made (599) and points scored (2,673) in the regular season as he enjoyed a 24-year NFL career,