Breaking Down the Jets' 2021 Undrafted Free Agent Signings

Author:
Max Schneider
Publish date:
May 4, 2021 12:33 PM EDT

With seven rounds and ten picks in the books, the Jets have rounded out the first draft class of the Robert Saleh era in New York. But those won’t be the only rookies donning the green and white come the start of training camp.

As soon as the seventh round ended, the Jets front office was racing to dial the phones and acquire undrafted free agents to increase competition in the offseason.

Of course, the Jets have had a history of finding gems after “Mr. Irrelevant” comes off the board.

Wayne Chrebet was undrafted in 1995. Damon “Snacks” Harrison anchored the defensive line as a UDFA in 2012. Just last year, the Jets signed Lamar Jackson, Javelin Guidry and Bryce Huff, all of whom saw regular season snaps after going undrafted.

So who will make the cut this year? Here are the rookies that make up this year’s UDFA class, along with a way-too-early final roster prediction:

Kenny Yeboah, TE, Ole Miss

Yeboah was projected to go as high as the fourth round by some, and the Jets raced to scoop him up once he plummeted out of the seventh.

The Temple transfer found his home last year at Ole Miss, catching 27 passes for 524 yards and six touchdowns, a whopping 19.4 yards per reception. He needs to improve his inline blocking to make the roster, but could make for a surprise in the passing game alongside Chris Herndon.

Isaiah Dunn, CB, Oregon State

After 26 starts with the Beavers, Dunn comes to New York hoping to compete in an already crowded young cornerback room. His 4.39 speed and nose for the ball (18 career pass breakups) should give him the chance to do that early.

Both Dunn and Yeboah signed rather lucrative guaranteed contracts with the Jets, which speaks to Joe Douglas’s interest and their chances of making this roster.

Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Edge, Oregon State

The Jets dipped into the Corvallis pool again to find Rashed Jr., an undersized defensive end who will look to make an impact as a rush linebacker in blitz packages.

Rashed Jr. burst onto the national scene in 2019 with 14 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, but his stock plummeted after failing to record a single sack in 2020. If he can tap back into his past form, he’ll have a real shot to make the roster.

Milo Eifler, LB, Illinois

Eifler is the exact kind of linebacker that Saleh and Douglas have targeted thus far in the offseason, coming in at just 228 pounds, but possessing the range and coverage ability to make an impact. He recorded 27 tackles (3.5 for loss) and had one sack and one pass breakup in just six games last season.

Grant Hermanns, OT, Purdue

The Jets didn’t draft any tackles with their ten picks, so they loaded up on UDFA talent in the hopes that someone would stick as a reserve option.

The first of those is Hermanns, a team captain and four-year starter for the Boilermakers who helped anchor a strong run game over the course of the past couple seasons. At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Hermann was also a state-champion wrestler in high school.

Parker Ferguson, OT, Air Force

Ferguson is the second of the offensive lineman New York signed after the draft. He’s shown positional versatility over the course of his tenure with the Air Force, lining up at left tackle, left guard and right guard. Ferguson was also part of an offensive line that led the way for the second-ranked rushing attack in college football back in 2019.

Teton Saltes, OT, New Mexico

A former defensive lineman, Saltes is still very new to the offensive tackle position, but he excelled in that role after just a couple years at New Mexico.

His athletic ability precedes him, as the great nephew of NBA star World B. Free, and the son of two college basketball players. If he can put the tools together, he’ll have a good shot to make the practice squad and continue to develop in pass protection.

Tristan Hoge, OG, BYU

The nephew of former NFL running back and analyst Merril Hoge, Tristan was the top center recruit coming out of high school in 2015, and transferred from Notre Dame to BYU after two seasons.

He played exclusively at guard after that, helping to protect the New York Jets’ new franchise quarterback, Zach Wilson. Hoge is a bit older than most prospects and does have some injury concerns, but he has looked more than capable as a run blocker and pass protector when on the field.

Brendon White, S, Rutgers

A high school quarterback, White was a highly sought after recruit who made an early impact for Urban Meyer at Ohio State. He followed Greg Schiano to Rutgers after his junior year, where he was an All-Conference honorable mention that can compete for an NFL spot as a box safety or undersized outside linebacker.

Michael Dwumfour, DT, Rutgers

Dwumfour is another Scarlet Knight who transferred from a major Big Ten program. A former four-year player at Michigan, the 3-technique defensive tackle was also an All-Conference honorable mention, after posting 25 tackles in his redshirt senior season. The Jets have had success with late-round and undrafted defensive lineman in recent years, so Dwumfour has a legitimate chance to make an impact in training camp.

Jordyn Peters, S, Auburn

After taking one Auburn safety in the fifth round with Jamien Sherwood, the Jets signed his counterpart, Peters, to an undrafted rookie contract on Sunday. While Peters had some impressive performances in the secondary this past year against Ole Miss and Northwestern, his biggest impact in the NFL will come on special teams. Peters blocked four punts in college and forced a fumble on a kickoff. With his effort and athleticism (39.5-inch vertical) he can become a mainstay on special teams.

Chris Naggar, K, SMU

Speaking of special teams, the Jets went out and found some competition at kicker, a position that has been sub-par since letting Jason Meyers sign with Seattle a couple years ago. He made 17 of 21 field goals for the Mustangs, and will look to improve his accuracy to match a powerhouse leg that connects easily from 55+ yards away.

Roster Prediction:

53-Man

Kenny Yeboah

Hamilcar Rashed Jr.

Tristan Hoge

Practice Squad

Isaiah Dunn

Jordyn Peters

Milo Eifler

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