Undrafted free agents can be just as impactful as those who were actually selected in April's showcase. The LA Chargers know this all too well, most iconically with Antonio Gates and most recently with Austin Ekeler.
The more a team knows about a UDFA the better that player's chances of making the roster. Talent is supreme above all else, but familiarity certainly doesn't help.
There isn't a UDFA in the entire league who is more familiar with his new team than Nadame Tucker is with the Chargers. FOX Sports' Greg Auman confirmed that Tucker is signing a UDFA deal with the Chargers, and in doing so, is reuniting with defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary.
Nadame Tucker's ties to Chris O'Leary and the Chargers run deep
The Chargers hired O'Leary to replace Jesse Minter as defensive coordinator after the latter earned the Baltimore Ravens' head coaching gig. O'Leary coached under Minter on the Chargers in 2024 and spent a gap year away from the team before replacing Minter.
That gap year was spent as the defensive coordinator for Western Michigan, which is where Tucker went to school. This gave O'Leary the DC experience he needed and the throughline Tucker needed to get to the NFL.
Tucker wasn't expected to go undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lance Zierlein of NFL Network projected Tucker to be taken in the sixth or seventh round. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report projected him to go in the fifth. Pro Football Focus ranked Tucker among the best UDFAs in this year's class.
O'Leary certainly got the most out of Tucker, who led the entire country in sacks his one year with the Chargers' DC. Tucker had 13 games played in total with zero sacks his three seasons in college before O'Leary came around. He played 13 games last year with 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
Tucket was one of the biggest breakouts of college football last season and it's surprising that he went undrafted at all. While his track record is not deep, usually a season like Tucker's 2025 is enough to convince a team to take a swing on Day 3 of the draft.
Other teams were obviously wary about Tucker's ability to replicate his production in the NFL. But if there's anyone who can get as much out of him as possible, it's O'Leary. He's already done it once, and he definitely could do it again.
All that being said, it's going to be a tough road for Tucker to get a roster spot on the Chargers, let alone any playing time. Edge rusher is loaded with depth after the addition of Akheem Mesidor in the first round. The one benefit Tucker has is his special teams profile, which others in the room do not have.
Tucker could end up being a roster-cut casualty that doesn't even make the 53-man roster. There's a chance that a year from now we all completely forget who he is, much like several of the UDFAs who signed with the Chargers last year.
But unlike those UDFAs, Tucker has a head start and he has a compelling track record to go with it.
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