Undrafted, but undeterred: Top undrafted players from XFL pool

While the XFL Draft was a celebration for the more than 400 players who will vie for the opportunity to take the field for teams in February, there were over 1,000 players in the draft pool who did not hear their names called over the course of two days.

For those undrafted players, this is not the end of the line. They will stay in the XFL’s draft pool for the supplemental draft, eligible to be taken early in 2023 as teams look to fill out their 66-man training camp rosters and replace those drafted players who have since signed to the NFL, USFL, or decided not to report. Players in the pool may also be considered when training camp or in-season injuries require roster replacements. The XFL’s working agreement with the IFL means that league is an option for those who want to continue their playing careers elsewhere.

We don’t know all the names that were in the XFL’s draft pool, but @XFLAnalyst on Instagram has done an admirable job of collecting names from those who have made that information public. Going off of his list, I wanted to take a look at some of the top players at each position who went undrafted last week but could be candidates to be selected in January’s supplemental draft.

QB: Kelly Bryant, Missouri

Bryant is one of those quarterbacks who had much more success in college than in the pros. He began his collegiate career at Clemson, and started in 2017 when the Tigers won the ACC Championship and made the College Football Playoffs. However, future number one NFL draft pick Trevor Lawrence won the starting job in 2018, causing Bryant to transfer to Missouri. In his one season there, Bryant completed 62% of his passes for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. The NFL passed on Bryant, leading him to the CFL and IFL before settling in with Fan Controlled Football (FCF). In June, he was named MVP of the league’s championship game. Just 26 years old, Bryant’s upside in the XFL could be as a backup with the ability to eventually challenge for a starting job..

RB: Shannon Brooks, Minnesota

If you’re looking for an uplifting story, Brooks has it: A top running back at the University of Minnesota, Brooks tore his ACL three times in college. He came back each time, but the toll those injuries took, along with the death of his mother, contributed to his depression and suicide attempt. Brooks has used his own experiences to help others, creating an organization called Suicide Survivor. He’s also kept in shape since graduating in 2020 by playing in the IFL. He played a major role in helping the Arizona Rattlers secure the top seed in the IFL’s Western Conference this past season.

WR: Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers

It was ESPN.com’s preview article of the XFL Draft that included Sanu’s name as part of the draft pool. The 33-year old Sanu would’ve had the most NFL seasoning of anyone selected, but he was not chosen. It’s not as if he’s been out of the game – he attended Miami Dolphins training camp this summer and was released at final cuts. He was also brought in for a workout in October by the San Francisco 49ers. As with any big-name players, there might be reticence on the part of teams to take a chance on them, with the prevailing wisdom being they may not show up to camp. Or, perhaps it was simply the philosophy of teams to build around younger players. Whatever the reason, Sanu could be too intriguing to pass up as a veteran possession receiver in the supplemental draft.

TE: Mark Vital, Baylor

Long on size, short on experience, Vital played basketball at Baylor and even participated in the NBA Summer League as part of the Portland Trail Blazers organization. Later in 2021, he decided to switch to football and was briefly a part of the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks. Kansas City picked him up in September and signed him to a reserve/futures deal at the end of the season. They let him go in July and he returned to basketball, playing in Germany. Vital’s strengths on the court were defense and rebounding (he was a two-time semi-finalist for Defensive Player of the Year), two areas that would help him at the TE position. A league like the XFL is just what someone raw, but with talent, like Vital could use to springboard them back into the NFL.

OL: Hunter Kelly, Charlotte

The most difficult position to find players in an already-thin offensive line pool may be center, which is where Hunter Kelly has played. He has versatility as he can also play guard. Kelly transferred to Charlotte from Penn State, so he’s gotten major college coaching from a well-respected program. At Charlotte, Kelly was a 12-game starter his senior season, and was an Honorable Mention All-CUSA selection by the coaches. Kelly tried out at Carolina Panthers minicamp this spring. There were a few XFL teams that selected just one center, and thus may be seeking competition or a backup at that spot in the supplemental draft.

DL: Kainoa Fuiava, Western Michigan

A run-stuffer in the middle of the defense, Fuiava isn’t your average unathletic defensive tackle: He clocked in with a relative athletic score (RAS) of 7.05 out of 10. Fuiava, who went to Idaho State before transferring to Western Michigan for his final season, was invited to Chicago Bears minicamp after the 2022 NFL Draft. As an added XFL connection bonus, Western Michigan’s head coach, Tim Lester, was a quarterback for the Chicago Enforcers in 2001.

LB: Michael Pinckney, Miami (Fla.)

Pinckney is somewhat of a dying breed, an authentic inside linebacker in an era where that position is not highly valued. He started 13 games as a true freshman at The U, part of the class that made the Turnover Chain famous. Solid production all four years but limited athleticism (he didn’t run a 40 at the NFL Combine or his pro day) stunted his draft stock. Pinckney was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and he’s also been a part of the CFL. If nothing else, he’d be a fine special teams coverage player in a league that puts a premium on kick returns in a way the NFL does not.

DB: Gerod Holliman, Louisville

Holliman’s fall from the highest of collegiate highs to pro football purgatory has been a steep, and quick one. As a sophomore with the Cardinals, Holliman grabbed 14 interceptions to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the nation. He declared for the NFL draft after his junior season and was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 7th round of the 2015 draft. By the next year, he was out of the league completely. Holliman resurrected his career in the NAL and IFL but it’s a far cry from the promise his future once held. We’ll see if an XFL team gives Holliman a chance for pro football redemption.

ST: Matt McCrane, Kansas State

I’ve tried to avoid including XFL 2020 players here as I feel like that would be cheating a bit, but there were a lot of good special teams performers in the league three years ago, so they should be recognized. McCrane was at the top of the list, one of two kickers to hit on all of their field goal attempts over the course of five games. McCrane subsequently spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles. Not every XFL team may carry two kickers into training camp, but those desiring competition at that position can do worse than McCrane.