The NFL draft is far from an exact science. We all know this. You only have to hear about how Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick for the 8,141st time to figure that out.Teams screw up. They miss talents. Guys who went under the radar during their college careers find the right fit in the pros and wind up becoming stars. Antonio Gates and James Harrison are still putting up numbers in their late 30s after going unnoticed on draft day, and Tony Romo just wrapped up an excellent career after being unselected out of Eastern Illinois.There are going to be players drafted in the first round who flame out, while a few undrafted guys will probably win Super Bowl rings. With that in mind, here's a look at a few notable names who have signed with teams since the draft's conclusion and predictions for their likelihood of making the rosters.Taysom Hill, QB, Green Bay PackersThe biggest factor going against Taysom Hill is his age. He turns 27 in August, having gotten a late start to his college career after spending two years in Australia on an LDS mission. His collegiate career was filled with near-constant injuries, with four of his five years at BYU finishing with him on the shelf.Working in Hill's favor is the fact he is an incredible athlete. He ran a 4.4-second time in the 40-yard dash and put up numbers at his pro day that compare favorably to those of Christian McCaffreya running back who just went with the eighth pick.BYU announced Saturday that he had signed with the Green Bay Packers. Hill has raw arm talent and will benefit from learning under Packers quarterbackAaron Rodgers. He had a propensity for inaccuracy throughout his collegiate career and threw only one more touchdown (12) than he did interceptions (11) last season.With reportsfloating that Packers backup Brett Hundley might not be long for Green Bay, Hill has a shot at making the roster.Ricky Seals-Jones, TE, Arizona CardinalsConsidered one of the best prep wide receivers of the past half-decade, Ricky Seals-Jones never rose to stardom at Texas A&M. He never recorded more than 49 receptions or had more than 560 receiving yards, and his junior year was a 26-catch, 333-yard abject disappointment.Too slow to make the transition as a wide receiverSeals-Jones ran a 4.69-second time at the combinehe's looking to earn a spot on the Arizona Cardinals as a tight end after announcing he'd joined the team on Saturday."I've been comfortable blocking as a wide receiver and H-back," Seals-Jones said, per Travis L. Brown of the Eagle. "Putting my finger in the ground has just been an extension of that. It's been an easy transition. It wasn't the main focus but part of getting my body and game ready for that position."Again, the raw talent is there. Seals-Jones is probably never going to be a good blocker, but tight end has transformed into a position where pass-catchers can thrive. If he's able to improve his route running and get the separation against linebackers that he couldn't against corners, Seals-Jones will be able to make this position change work.It was strange to see him go undrafted, based on his size and red-zone potential alone.Garrett Sickels, DE, Indianapolis ColtsAnother player who made a bad decision to leave early. Unlike Seals-Jones, GarrettSickels had the college resume to back him up. The 6'4" defensive end recorded 6.5 sacks and had 13 tackles for loss last season, emerging as a critical front-seven force on Penn State's Big Ten championship defense."As soon as I made my decision, I never looked back," Sickels told reporters at his pro day. "I miss the guys here, but I feel like this is a great place for myself. This team can do great things next year, but I felt like for myself, it was the right decision."Unfortunately for Sickels, the pre-draft process was a bit of a mess. He ran a 4.9-second time in the 40-yard dash, had a disappointing 28-inch vertical leap and 105-inch broad jump at the combine. All of those numbers put him among the worst-performing defensive ends and are particularly bad for a guy who wants to be a pass-rushing specialist.There's almost no chance Sickels can transition to outside linebacker at a 4.9-second time in the 40. But on film, Sickels shows up quicker than expected, and he's a heady player who consistently finds a way to make plays.The Indianapolis Colts are hurting for defensive help everywhere, so Sickels might be able to burrow his way on to the roster after joining the team, per Pro Football Focus. Odds are he would have helped his stock a lot more had he returned for his senior season, though.Ishmael Zamora, WR, Oakland RaidersIshmael Zamora's off-field issues are well-documented. He was suspended three games to start the 2016 season after a video surfaced of him beating his dog. Police charged him with animal abuse, and the video itself was disturbing.Zamora returned from the suspension to record 63 receptions for 809 yards and eight touchdowns. You should be noticing a pattern with these players. Zamora decided to forgo his final two seasons in Waco, Texas, to enter the draft, and, well, whoops.The lone bright side here is that Zamora is a physical marvel. He's listed at 6'4" and 215 pounds and ran a 4.53-second time in the 40 and pulled off a 34-inch vertical at his pro day.Most of his production was been based on raw skills at Baylor. He's still raw as a route-runner and will probably need a year or two to grasp NFL speed. But you can't teach his combination of size and athleticism. The Oakland Raiders, the team Baylor announced Zamora had joined, have enough receiver talent on their roster to bring him along slowly.
Click here to read full news..
