Undrafted free agents can sometimes be just as impactful as those selected within the confines of the NFL Draft. Just ask Antonio Gates, who went from college basketball to becoming one of the greatest players in LA Chargers history.
The Chargers have certainly had moderate UDFA success over the years and there's bound to be more success in the future. Scouting UDFAs can be just as important as scouting for the NFL Draft and the Chargers are definitely already deep in that process.
In fact, the Chargers may already be revealing their hand with one player in particular who they could look to sign. Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz sat down with Justin Melo of FanSided and Sports Illustrated and shared an interesting nugget about his contact with the Chargers.
"I had formal interviews at the NFL Combine with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. I’ve spoken with the Seattle Seahawks quite a bit throughout this pre-draft process. I met with the Texans for a second time virtually. I have a second meeting with the Jets [virtually]. I’ve also had numerous meetings with the Los Angeles Chargers. I also met with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins in person around my pro day," Woodaz told Melo.
Wade Woodaz may be a UDFA target for the Chargers
Woodaz has some momentum throughout the draft process, as evidenced by all the teams that have met with him to this point. It initially seemed unlikely that the Clemson linebacker would get selected in April's draft, but that could change based on the momentum.
Woodaz ranks 395th on Pro Football Focus' NFL Draft big board. That indicates that he will not be drafted in April. But that could change if a team sells itself on his upside and wants to lock in his talent in the seventh round.
The Chargers' only real option to get Woodaz would be to sign him as an undrafted free agent. Los Angeles does not have a pick in the seventh round and picking him in the sixth, especially with only five picks total in the draft, would not be a good allocation of resources.
However, as an undrafted free agent, Woodaz is someone worth bringing in to see what he can do during training camp. In the best-case scenario, the Chargers find someone who can contribute on special teams and eventually develop into a linebacker who can get actual defensive reps in the NFL.
Woodaz started two years in Clemson's defense and recorded 153 combined tackles in those two seasons. He had 17 combined tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. His tape doesn't jump off the screen, but he's a serviceable athlete who could make a difference on special teams on the right team.
That may be enough for one of the interested teams to take a swing and draft Woodaz in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. But if that doesn't happen, the Chargers very well could hop on the phone and work out a deal.
After all, the Chargers wouldn't have met with Woodaz multiple times if there wasn't a baseline level of interest.