WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms with 18 undrafted free agents following the 2026 NFL Draft, giving a group of overlooked college players a chance to prove themselves on a roster built to win another Super Bowl.
The team announced the signings on Monday, a mix of small-school standouts and Power Five role players who heard their names go uncalled over the three-day draft. For each of them, the path to a 53-man roster runs directly through a stable of established stars and recent high-round picks.
That reality is not lost on the newcomers.
Each year, standouts on their college teams fail to hear their names called on draft day. Nonetheless, each undrafted free agent has an opportunity to compete for a roster spot.
The year's crop includes Texas quarterback Matthew Caldwell (6-foot-4, 209 pounds), who threw for 3,700 yards as a senior but went unselected in a deep quarterback class. He joins a quarterback room led by starter Matthew Stafford, with veteran Stetson Bennett and 2026 first-round pick Ty Simpson already on the depth chart.
Houston running back Dean Connors (6-0, 206) faces a backfield that features Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and veteran Ronnie Rivers. At tight end, Arkansas’ Rohan Jones (6-3, 242) and Syracuse’s Dan Villari (6-4, 245) must impress to see snaps behind returning starter Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and second-round pick, Max Klare.
The offensive line group stands out in size. Vanderbilt’s Bryce Henderson (6-8, 325), North Carolina’s Austin Blaske (6-5, 310) and Chad Lindberg (6-6, 315) join a unit that returned all five starters from the 2025 playoff run.
The defensive side is even less welcoming. Wake Forest safety Nick Andersen (5-11, 197) joins a secondary headlined by cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Quentin Lake, and safeties Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens. Wisconsin corner Nyzier Fourqurean (6-1, 190) and Fresno State’s Al’zillion Hamilton (5-11, 185) will compete for a crowded cornerback room.
Linebackers Wesley Bailey (6-5, 265) out of Louisville, Wisconsin’s Darryl Peterson III (6-1, 260) and Houston’s Eddie Walls III (6-4, 250) enter a defense orchestrated by coordinator Chris Shula, where veterans Nate Landman and Omar Speights set the tone.
Along the defensive line, Minnesota’s Jalen Logan-Redding (6-4, 295), Tennessee’s Jaxson Moi (6-2, 305) and Air Force’s Payton Zdroik (6-0, 275) add depth behind Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and a rotation of veteran linemen.
Each of the 18 will report to the Rams’ training complex in Woodland Hills for rookie minicamp next month. From there, training camp and preseason games will determine who sticks.
The odds are long. The Super Bowl window is narrow. But for 18 players who heard nothing but silence during the draft, a phone call from the Rams was the only open door they needed.
Their dreams remain alive. Now, they must yet again earn their keep.