Top UFL prospects to make the jump to the NFL

The recent resurgence of professional spring football hasn’t created the best product to watch, but it has created NFL opportunities for players who were passed over. The most notable spring league success stories are KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey. 

Turpin had background issues that made him untouchable in the 2019 NFL Draft, and Aubrey played soccer at Notre Dame and in the MLS before both landed in the USFL and eventually the Dallas Cowboys.

Spring league scouting has become a staple of the post-draft schedule for NFL personnel departments. Many UFL players are 25 or older, so teams are hesitant to give these guys a look since their best playing days are likely behind them. There haven’t been many finds outside of the two Cowboys, but you never know when the next diamond in the rough could come around. Let’s look at some of the best UFL targets for NFL teams.

Top UFL Targets

Jordan Ta’amu - QB - DC Defenders

Ta’amu has had quite the journeyman career without throwing any passes in a regular-season NFL game. His first season with DC was 2023, and he got an opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings after going 9-1 and throwing for 1,878 yards in the regular season. He didn’t stick with the Vikings and didn’t get any NFL looks in 2024. He’s been much improved this season, throwing for a career high 2,155 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions. 

Spring league quarterbacks have a tough time being more than camp arms in the NFL. Taylor Heinicke (Ta’amu’s backup with the old XFL St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020) has done it, but don’t be surprised if Ta’amu appears in some NFL preseason games. 

Cornell Powell - WR - DC Defenders

Powell was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and spent four years with Kansas City, but only appeared in three games. With DC, he’s getting a chance to put good film out there. He leads the UFL with seven receiving touchdowns and is tied for sixth with 418 yards. Powell appeared in three games in four seasons with the Chiefs, but stuck around that long for a reason. His NFL experience and quality performance with DC should land him in a camp this summer.  

Willie Taylor - DE - Arlington Renegades

Taylor is second in the UFL in sacks with 7.0 through nine games. He went undrafted in 2023 and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was cut at the end of training camp and never latched on with another NFL team. This is Taylor’s third season with the Renegades, and he’s totaled 21 tackles (eight for loss) to go along with his sacks. Pass rushers who put up numbers in the UFL always get a look during training camps. Taylor’s age (25) also helps his cause. 

Jordan Williams - S - San Antonio Brahmas

Williams is pushing the age limit for UFL to NFL hopefuls at 28, but he leads the spring league with 75 total tackles. The Brahmas have been terrible this year after making the UFL title game last season. Williams signed with the Atlanta Falcons out of school and played in the CFL before arriving in San Antonio in 2023. Look for Williams to land with a team looking for secondary depth this summer.  

Rodrigo Blankenship - K - St. Louis Battlehawks

Specialists have the best chance of jumping from the UFL to the NFL. They get live game reps that can be easily translated to the NFL, and the spring league is essentially like a kicker getting sent down to the minors to figure things out.  

For many kickers, it takes a couple of years to adjust to the NFL, no matter how good they were in college. Blakenship had a stellar college career and lasted three seasons on active NFL rosters before landing with St. Louis this season. He’s gone 19 of 20 on field goals with a long of 56 yards. It won’t be surprising if Blakenship ends up in an NFL camp this summer.    

Harrison Mevis - K - Birmingham Stallions

Same idea as with Blankenship, but Mevis hasn’t seen any live NFL action yet. He went undrafted in 2024 and was with the Carolina Panthers during training camp. Mevis has gone 18 of 19 so far this season with a long of 53. Being 23 years old helps as well. 

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Top UFL prospects to make the jump to the NFL