Some 220 or so players are drafted and enter the NFL every year. Their lives change from being the big man on campus to another guy trying their best to make a career in one of the world’s most grueling sports. It is not for the fainthearted.

According to the NCSA, there are between 95,000 and 105,000 college football players at any given time playing at some level. This makes being drafted one of the rarer occurrences, even for great football players. The odds of being drafted to play on Sunday are slim.

Fortunately, if a player isn’t drafted, they can become a free agent and still work towards achieving their lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. Not all players are created equal. Not all players will have their chance to prove themselves. But the ones that do have to make the most of their opportunity.

Here are the NFL’s top ten undrafted players of all time who made the most of that opportunity:

1 Kurt Warner, QB

Kurt Warner was the catalyst behind ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’

Former Los Angeles Rams QB Kurt Warner tops the list. He’s the best undrafted player ever in the NFL, and his story of how he got there is also the best among undrafted players. Warner went undrafted out of the University of Northern Iowa. He received no interest from NFL teams and went to the Arena Football League (AFL).

After dominating the AFL, the St. Louis Rams picked him up and gave him a chance. What Warner did with that chance is legendary. He completed 2,666 passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. He was the catalyst for ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ alongside Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and Tory Holt.

Warner was a two-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl Champion and MVP, a two-time First-team All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler, and a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recipient. His playing style transcended time. He was a naturally gifted passer and deserves the top spot as the NFL’s all-time greatest undrafted player.

2 Warren Moon, QB

Warren put the Oilers on his back and took them to the moon

Former Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon was as influential as he was incredible. Moon came to the NFL through the CFL (Canadian Football League). The prolific signal-caller won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award in 1983. In six seasons in the CFL, he won five CFL Championships, further cementing his legacy up North. He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame.

After his success in the CFL, the Oilers brought him into the NFL, where he continued to shine. Throughout his illustrious 17-year career, Moon would become an NFL great. He finished his career with a second-team All-Pro nod and nine Pro Bowl appearances. He finished his career with 3,988 completions for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdown passes. When he retired, he ranked in the top five all-time for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, and pass completions.

Moon was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2006. He became the first player to make it into both the NFL and CFL Hall of Fame. He was the first undrafted quarterback admitted and the first black quarterback to be honored. Moon paved the way for so many quarterbacks, and his influence on the game will never be forgotten.

3 Tony Romo, QB

Tony Romo brought the buzz back to Dallas

Continuing our run on QBs, Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys was an impressive guy. Not much was expected out of the signal caller from Eastern Illinois University. Luckily for Cowboys fans, Jerry Jones and co. took a chance on the spunky QB lighting up the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference).

The on-air color commentator is still the Cowboys’ all-time leader in passing yards (34,183) and touchdowns (248). At the height of his career, Romo was a very consistent player. He racked up four Pro Bowls and earned Second-team All-Pro honors in 2014.

Romo’s impact as an undrafted QB cannot go understated.

While his numbers aren’t up there with Warner or Moon’s, Romo’s impact on the game is up there with the greats. His knowledge of the game is second to none, and he can still be heard today alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on CBS.

4 Jason Peters, LT

Protecting blind sides since 2004

Jason Peters has long been a staple offensive lineman in the NFL. Protecting blindsides and moving defensive linemen out of position has been all Peters has known for the past 19 seasons. He made his career with the Buffalo Bills before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where his career took off.

Peters’ accolades speak for themselves. He is a two-time First-team All-Pro, a four-time Second-team All-Pro, and a nine-time Pro Bowler. He made the NFL’s All-Decade team in 2010 and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017.

He was paramount to the Eagles’ success and helped create one of the most bruising offensive lines the NFL has ever seen. He helped lay the groundwork for what is still, to this day, one of the league’s most feared and revered offensive lines. His impact on the game is nothing short of amazing. He will be a future Hall-of-Famer when it’s all said and done.

5 Antonio Gates, TE

Antonio opened the gates for the takeover of the receiving tight ends

Former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was a prolific athlete. He could have very well been a professional basketball player after leading Kent State basketball to an Elite Eight appearance while averaging over 20 points per game. What could have been, indeed.

Luckily for Charger and NFL fans, the NBA didn’t take a liking to his “tweener” build, so Gates turned back to football to see if his innate abilities and athleticism would translate. Spoiler alert: They did. Over his 16-year career, he mustered 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns. He was a four-time First-team All-Pro, two-time Second-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler.

Among NFL tight end lore, Gates ranks third all-time in receptions and receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns. He is a Chargers Hall of Fame member and will most likely soon be inducted into the NFL.

6 Jeff Saturday, C

Peyton’s Protector: Legendary Colts Center and Super Bowl Champion

The Indianapolis Colts did themselves a HUGE favor when they decided to take a chance on an undersized center/guard out of UNC-Chapel Hill, Jeff Saturday. Oh, boy, did Saturday make Sundays enjoyable for Colts fans and teammates alike.

He was a First-team All-Pro, Second-team All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl Champion. But his greatest accomplishment was helping unlock Peyton Manning and the Colts’ offense.

Manning was coming off of a horrific rookie season in ’98. Saturday arrived in ’99, and the rest is history. The consistency, professionalism, and leadership he brought to the line, the team, and the organization made him an easy selection as one of the greatest undrafted players in NFL history. He’s now a media personality who brings the same dedication to the screen as he once did on the field.

7 Adam Vinatieri, K

Truly one-of-a-kind. The BIGGEST Big-Game kicker… ever

Few kickers in NFL history have mastered keeping calm under pressure better than Adam Vinatieri. He is easily the greatest undrafted kicker in NFL history. He should be in the conversation, if not the front-runner for the greatest kicker ever in NFL history.

The New England Patriots picked up Vinatieri after going undrafted out of South Dakota State. Once he took the field, all he did in New England was help form the Dynasty that would span 20 seasons. Big kick after big kick, Vinatieri proved to be unshakable. Every time the moment shined brightest, he delivered.

He won four Super Bowls, was named a three-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, and is the NFL’s All-Time leading scorer with 2,673 points. He’s the All-Time league leader in consecutive field goals made (44), most seasons with 100+ points (21), and most career field goals made (599). The man was amazing.

8 Rod Smith, WR

Opposing defenses had a difficult time bucking this Bronco

Rod Smith’s abilities cannot go unnoticed. He spent his 12-year career with the Denver Broncos and is now a member of their Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame.

Smith was more than just a good wide receiver. He became a franchise icon who still leads the Broncos in all-time receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389), and touchdowns (68). He helped John Elway capture back-to-back Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999.

He’s the first undrafted player to eclipse 10,000 receiving yards and has the most receiving yards and touchdowns among undrafted players. Altogether, Smith was a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. His impact in Denver is unmatched, as wide receivers continue to set out to beat his records. It’s safe to say that Smith was ahead of his time.

9 Cameron Wake, DE/OLB

Cameron Wake was one of the most dangerous and consistent pass rushers in the NFL

Cameron Wake makes his way into our top ten after several hours of contemplation. James Harrison was surely considered for a spot in the top ten, and while his impact was prolific, Wake’s body of work is slightly more impressive.

Wake spent 10 out of his 11 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Miami picked him up as a 27-year-old who had dominated in the CFL. It didn’t take him long to make his mark in the NFL, as evidenced by his 19.5 sacks in his first two seasons.

Wake will be remembered and revered as one of the better pass-rushers of his generation. He amassed 100.5 career sacks while earning four All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl selections. A natural disrupter, Wake helped pave the way for future sack artists.

10 Chris Harris Jr., CB

This former Jayhawk was one of the best at hawking passes from the slot

Chris Harris Jr. epitomizes the success story of an undrafted player making it big in the NFL. His career is marked by four Pro Bowl nods, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2016, and two second-team All-Pro selections. Harris also played a key role in the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory.

Harris’s tenure in the NFL is notable for his robust defensive statistics, which include 621 tackles, 97 pass deflections, and 22 interceptions. Per Pro Football Focus, from 2011 to 2019, Harris was graded as the best slot corner in the entire NFL. One of his career highlights was a Denver Bronco-record 98-yard interception return for a touchdown, showcasing his game-changing and shut-down abilities.

Off the field, Harris’s journey from an undrafted rookie to an NFL standout is a testament to his perseverance and skill. His inclusion in the 2010s NFL All-Decade team and his induction into the Kansas Football Ring of Honor affirm his greatness both at the college and professional levels.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise