Every NFL team’s best training camp, preseason riser ever

With the start of NFL training camps, the coming month is crucial for late-round picks and undrafted free agents. This is the time for fringe players to climb up the depth charts and prove they deserve to be on the 53-man roster, whether it’s through impressive practices or big performances once preseason games start next week.

That got us thinking: Which NFL players best used training camps and the preseason to catapult their careers? Some of the most famous examples include players like Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who made his presence first known without the ball in Tokyo. Then there’s Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, whose three-touchdown preseason performance against the Jets had coach Rex Ryan saying “holy s—” after the game. And one player even had a movie made about his rise — “Invincible,” starring Mark Wahlberg as Philly local turned receiver Vince Papale.

Ahead of August, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to name players from all 32 teams who went from unknown to stardom because of their offseason performances. Let’s start in the AFC East.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

QB Tyrod Taylor

The options are plentiful when it comes to unexpected players shining for the Bills, but in terms of preseason risers, Taylor certainly stands out. In 2015, he beat out Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel for the starting job despite being the least experienced of the three. Taylor had a solid training camp performance, but it was three strong preseason games (completing 24 of 31 passes for 236 yards, with 11 carries for 108 yards and one rushing touchdown) that gave Taylor the edge.

Taylor started 43 games over the next three seasons for the Bills, and he will go down in franchise history as part of the team that broke their historic playoff drought in 2017. — Alaina Getzenberg

LB Zach Thomas

Thomas wasn’t the first linebacker off the board in the 1996 draft; he wasn’t even the first linebacker the Dolphins selected that year. But the undersized fifth-round pick earned a starting job as a rookie thanks to a standout training camp. Thomas was so impressive that Miami released veteran Jack del Rio, who had signed a one-year deal that offseason and was expected to start. The Texas Tech standout finished the season with 120 solo tackles, a mark he didn’t surpass during an illustrious 13-year career. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

CB Malcolm Butler

Butler, who played at Division II West Alabama and held a part-time job at Popeyes, was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2014 after earning a tryout. The Patriots’ roster was full at the time, but there was something about Butler that led then-coach Bill Belichick to make an opening and give him the 90th and final spot.

Butler earned the nickname “Strap” from teammates for his tight coverage in practice as a rookie, and he delivered his infamous Super Bowl-saving INT that same season. “Malcolm is a great story,” Belichick said upon Butler’s retirement. “There’s not a lot of guys who do what he does … coming out of nowhere and having a really good NFL career.” — Mike Reiss

WR Wayne Chrebet

Chrebet was the 10th receiver on a 10-man depth chart when he reported to training camp as a rookie free agent in 1995. By Week 1, he was in the starting lineup, the beginning of a fantastic career that defied the odds.

Chrebet was a prolific receiver at Division I-AA Hofstra, which housed the Jets’ year-round facility in those days, but no one expected him to make the team. He did more than that; he finished with 580 career receptions (second in franchise history) and was added to the Jets’ Ring of Honor. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola dubbed Chrebet “The Godfather” of slot receivers. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

S Will Demps

Demps was the surprise of the Ravens’ 2002 training camp. He went from being an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State to starting alongside future Hall of Famer Ed Reed for four years. Demps quickly moved up the Baltimore depth chart after he won the preseason opener by returning a fourth-quarter interception 18 yards for a touchdown against the Lions.

In his first season, Demps recorded 53 tackles and made a game-saving interception against the Jaguars. And, in his only playoff game with Baltimore, he returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown. Demps went on to play seven seasons for the Ravens, Giants and Texans, totaling 426 tackles and six interceptions. — Jamison Hensley

WR Damion Willis

In Zac Taylor’s first season as Bengals coach in 2019, Willis lived out every undrafted player’s dream. Willis had a strong camp, punctuated by a big catch in a preseason game against Giants Pro Bowler Janoris Jenkins. Willis not only made the roster but started in Week 1 in place of the injured A.J. Green.

Two fun facts: This past offseason, Willis, now an assistant at Georgia Southern, worked with the Bengals as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Also, the Giants player who registered a QB hit on that preseason play? Current Bengals DT B.J. Hill. — Ben Baby

KR Joshua Cribbs

Cribbs joined the Browns in 2005 as an undrafted rookie after a standout career as a quarterback at Kent State. Cleveland moved the dynamic athlete to wide receiver and returner — the latter of which Cribbs had no experience in.

Cribbs adjusted quickly to his new positions and earned his way onto the Browns’ active roster after a handful of big returns in the preseason. He went on to set a franchise record with 1,094 return yards as a rookie, earned a six-year extension and played 10 years in the NFL as one of the most dangerous return specialists in league history. — Daniel Oyefusi

S Donnie Shell

The Steelers have a rich tradition of unknowns morphing into standouts through offseason workouts, but no one is a better example than Shell. An UDFA from South Carolina State (an HBCU), the future Hall of Famer was invited to Steelers’ training camp in 1974 by legendary scout Bill Nunn.

Thanks to the six-week NFLPA strike that year, Shell got extra work in camp, earned a roster spot and became a key fixture on the Steel Curtain defense that helped win four Super Bowls. He finished his 14-year career with 51 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles and 19 fumble recoveries. — Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

RB Arian Foster

Foster’s camp was strong enough that he went from undrafted to starting for the Texans in his rookie season in 2009. He landed on the practice squad to start the season but eventually became the most productive back for Houston.

Foster finished his rookie season with the highest rushing yards per game average (42.8) for the Texans, including a two-touchdown, 119-yard day in the season finale against the Patriots. The week before he had 97 rushing yards against the Dolphins. In 2010, Foster led the league with 2,220 scrimmage yards en route to his only first-team All-Pro nod. — DJ Bien-Aime

RB Dominic Rhodes

Rhodes entered training camp in 2001 as an undrafted free agent not expected to play a significant role in the coming season. However, he started to come on in the preseason and elevated to the RB2 spot behind future Hall of Famer Edgerrin James.

Rhodes’ preseason flashes gave the Colts the confidence to insert him when James sustained a torn ACL in Week 6 of that season. Rhodes started the remaining 10 games, recording five 100-yard rushing performances and finishing with 1,104 rushing yards. To this day, only James (10) has more 100-yard games as a rookie in franchise history. — Stephen Holder

WR Allen Hurns

Hurns was an undrafted rookie in 2014 and slowly worked his way up the depth chart in camp. By Week 1, he was as much a part of the receiver rotation as second-round picks Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee. Hurns outperformed both in the regular season and led the team in receiving yards (677) and yards per catch (13.3); he finished second in total receptions (51). His six touchdown catches set a team rookie record that lasted until Brian Thomas Jr.’s 10 in 2024. — Michael DiRocco

WR Marc Mariani

Mariani entered camp as a seventh-round draft pick in 2010. Although he was buried at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart, he earned a roster spot as a returner. In Week 4 of his rookie season, he returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Then in Week 11, he had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Mariani’s 1,530 kick return yards and 61 kick returns that season were both franchise records. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2011 and accumulated 326 kick return yards, a Pro Bowl record. — Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

RB Terrell Davis

The Broncos have a decorated history of players who launched successful careers with good camps — including linebacker Karl Mecklenburg, wide receiver Rod Smith, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and tight end Shannon Sharpe. But the guy who likely made the most of August was Davis, a sixth-round draft pick in 1995.

Davis was stuck deep in the depth chart when camp opened that year. Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has always spoken of Davis’ thunderous hit on kickoff coverage in a preseason game in Tokyo that opened eyes among the team’s evaluators. The Hall of Famer went on to rush for 1,117 yards his rookie season, finishing his career as a league MVP, Super Bowl MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion. — Jeff Legwold

G Brian Waters

Waters entered the league in 1999 as an undrafted rookie with the Cowboys. Although he was released later that summer, Waters was given a second chance in 2000 with the Chiefs after playing in NFL Europe as a member of the Berlin Thunder. Not only did Waters earn his roster spot that year, but he went on to have one of the most impressive careers in Chiefs’ history. In 11 seasons, Waters started 149 games, was a two-time first-team All Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. — Nate Taylor

Edge Maxx Crosby

Crosby didn’t waste time showing that he could become one of the most decorated defensive players in Raiders history. As a fourth-round pick in 2019, he impressed his teammates and the coaching staff with his high motor and relentless pursuit of the quarterback at training camp.

Crosby fractured his left hand in the first quarter of Las Vegas’ preseason opener, which sidelined him until the start of the regular season. But his strong performance in camp still led to early playing time, and he totaled 10 sacks and 47 tackles in 16 games (10 starts). Crosby finished second behind Nick Bosa in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. — Ryan McFadden

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TE Antonio Gates

Gates has one of the most famous training camp stories in league history. After playing basketball at Kent State for four seasons, he decided to pursue football once it became clear he wasn’t projected to reach the NBA. He worked out for NFL teams, signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003.

Throughout training camp, Gates showed his unique feel for manipulating angles to get open, while using his speed and size to dominate opposing linebackers or defensive backs. He secured one of two final roster spots and went on to set the NFL record for most career TDs by a tight end (116). — Kris Rhim

NFC EAST

K Brandon Aubrey

Tony Romo and Miles Austin come to mind, but it took them a few years to get into the action as the starting quarterback and wide receiver after making the roster as undrafted free agents. Aubrey was more of a soccer prodigy, who excelled in the USFL for two seasons before joining the Cowboys. All he did was earn first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie in 2023 after making 36 of 38 field goal attempts, including the first 35.

But Aubrey’s start to his first camp was only OK. It wasn’t until the Cowboys released his competition, Tristan Vizcaino, that he flourished. This offseason, the Cowboys made Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in NFL history. — Todd Archer

WR Victor Cruz

Cruz was an undrafted free agent out of UMass who made his mark in the summer of 2010. He had six catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets in his first preseason game at MetLife Stadium, attracting then-Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s attention. “I don’t know who No. 3 is, but holy s—,” Ryan told former Giants coach Tom Coughlin during their handshake after the game. Cruz spent 2010 on IR, but his breakout season came the following year during New York’s Super Bowl XLVI run. — Jordan Raanan

WR Vince Papale

Papale, a 30-year-old local high school teacher and bartender, attended an open tryout held by coach Dick Vermeil in 1976 and did enough to earn a training camp invite. “What you’re looking for is a real sleeper, or a guy who can come in and make a contribution — even if it’s only at training camp — with talent and an attitude that can get the players around him hungry and ready to play,” Vermeil once told ESPN.

Papale beat the longest of odds and turned that opportunity into a three-year NFL career, playing special teams and receiver for the Eagles. His story captivated the region and inspired the movie “Invincible,” with the role of Papale played by Mark Wahlberg. — Tim McManus

OT Joe Jacoby

He was a late addition as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 1981 — and he was so low on the roster that coach Joe Gibbs initially thought he was a defensive lineman. Jacoby was the last offensive lineman added in camp, but he eventually started 13 games as a rookie (eight at left tackle). He became a fixture at left tackle over the next eight seasons before moving to the right side for the majority of his final five seasons.

Jacoby started 148 games, earned three first-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl four times. The organization has long felt he belongs in the Hall of Fame, calling him the best player on the fabled “Hogs” offensive line in the 1980s and early ’90s. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

Edge Mark Anderson

In 2006, Anderson went from an unknown rookie during training camp to leading the Bears in sacks in their last trip to the Super Bowl. His lack of production at Alabama caused him to fall to the fifth round, and he was then brought into a defense headlined by linebacker Brian Urlacher, defensive end Alex Brown and defensive tackle Tommie Harris.

Anderson carved out a role for himself as a situational pass rusher en route to becoming one of the draft’s biggest steals. The 12 sacks he collected in 2006 remain a franchise record by a rookie. — Courtney Cronin

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

Despite being a fourth-round selection in 2021, St. Brown went on to break franchise records for the most receiving yards (912) and most receptions (90) in a season by a Lions rookie. He used his fall in the draft as motivation during his first NFL training camp, setting the tone through an early scuffle with rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu in the team’s first padded practice. His emergence was a bright spot for the organization, as he owns the most receptions (547) through a player’s first five seasons in NFL history. — Eric Woodyard

Edge Jayrone Elliott

Undrafted out of Toledo in 2014, Elliott received a measly $5,000 signing bonus as a rookie free agent. Green Bay was his only predraft visit. A few months later, he was one of the standouts of training camp and the preseason.

Elliott led the entire NFL in preseason sacks with five that summer, including a three-sack game against the Rams. That not only earned him a roster spot but served as the catapult to a three-year run with the Packers and six-year NFL career. — Rob Demovsky

C Mick Tingelhoff

Undrafted out of Nebraska in 1962, Tingelhoff signed with the Vikings. At 237 pounds, he opened camp as a linebacker. But the Vikings needed a center, and coach Norm Van Brocklin gave him a look.

Tingelhoff proved smart and quick enough to make up for his size differential at center. He went on to earn a starting job, and as legend has it, he never missed a game or practice over the next 17 seasons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. — Kevin Seifert

NFC SOUTH

OT Ryan Schraeder

The Falcons signed Schraeder as an undrafted free agent in 2013 out of Division II Valdosta State. Expectations were not sky high, but he used a very good training camp to make the team and briefly crack the starting lineup as a rookie.

By Schraeder’s sophomore season, he was the full-time starter at right tackle. A year after that, he was a first-team All-Pro selection. Schraeder ended up starting 73 games for the Falcons in six seasons and was the team’s starting right tackle in Super Bowl LI. — Marc Raimondi

G Andrew Norwell

Norwell went undrafted in 2014 despite making the All-Big Ten Conference team twice at Ohio State. He impressed coaches with his mean streak and ability to learn the playbook quickly, and that got him a spot on the 53-man roster coming out of training camp.

Norwell was starting at left guard by Week 8 of his rookie season and went on to start for nine years in the NFL. His career peaked in 2017, when he was picked as a first-team All-Pro. — Aaron Schatz

WR Marques Colston

Colston didn’t make a good first impression as a seventh-round pick out of Hofstra in 2006. He struggled with conditioning in rookie minicamp, leading to questions on whether he would make the team. But Colston thrived in training camp later that summer, impressing first-year coach Sean Payton so much that he traded veteran receiver Donte Stallworth to the Eagles in August. Colston would go on to play 10 seasons and set franchise records in career receptions (711), receiving yards (9,759) and total touchdowns (72). — Katherine Terrell

LB Lavonte David

A 2012 second-round draft pick, David’s ascent was so meteoric that he was lining up with the starters at mandatory minicamp in June. His instincts — particularly in pass coverage — and his tackling ability were immediately apparent, drawing him early comparisons to Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks. It continued into training camp and the preseason, when he recorded two tackles, a pass deflection and an interception in their first exhibition game against the Dolphins.

Davis beat out veteran Adam Hayward for the starting weakside linebacker spot once the season started. Davis played for 14 seasons, served as a 12-time captain, was a three-time All-Pro and was a key piece of the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV win. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

LB Dennis Gardeck

Gardeck was an undrafted free agent in 2018 and quickly established himself as a necessity on special teams during his first training camp. It led to him making the roster and was the spring board for a career that’s heading into Year 9.

The knock on Gardeck was that he was short, played against Division II competition and was an unknown. But by 2019, he was a Pro Bowl alternate. He re-signed with the Jaguars this offseason after 2.5 sacks and 48 tackles in 2025. — Josh Weinfuss

K Greg Zuerlein

Zuerlein was a sixth-round pick out of Missouri Western State in 2012 and quickly wowed the team with his leg during his first training camp. He spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Rams before signing with the Cowboys in 2020. He spent the 2022-24 seasons with the Jets. Zuerlein, nicknamed “Greg the Leg,” kicked three field goals of 60 or more yards, including a career-long 61-yarder in 2015. — Sarah Barshop

QB Jeff Garcia

After spending five years in the CFL, Garcia got his first opportunity to make an NFL roster with the Niners in 1999. Battling former first-round pick Jim Druckenmiller and fourth-rounder Steve Stenstrom for the backup job behind Steve Young, Garcia wowed San Francisco’s coaching staff with his improvisational skills and relentless attack of the playbook.

Garcia emerged as the obvious choice to be QB2 and became the starter just three games into that season after Young suffered a concussion. Garcia earned three Pro Bowl nods over five seasons in San Francisco. — Nick Wagoner

WR Doug Baldwin

It truly was a training camp rise for Baldwin in 2011, when the NFL lockout wiped out OTAs and minicamps for all 32 teams. Despite not having an offseason program, he quickly established enough of a rapport with Tarvaris Jackson to become the quarterback’s top target over free agent additions Sidney Rice and Zach Miller, as well as incumbents Golden Tate and Mike Williams. Baldwin became the first undrafted rookie since the NFL-AFL merger to lead his team in receptions (51) and receiving yards (788). — Brady Henderson