The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books. Only one UCF Knight, edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, heard his name called as he was selected 23rd overall in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. For those who did not hear their name called, this is not the end, as players sign with teams as undrafted free agents(UDFA for short).
An undrafted free agent typically signs a three-year contract for the league minimum. The contract amount and any guaranteed money can vary as teams jockey to get these players to sign with them rather than another team. A benefit to being an undrafted free agent is that the player can receive multiple offers and choose which team to sign with. A larger guaranteed amount usually means the team thinks that the player might have a better chance of making the team. That does not mean they will, though.
Nyjalik Kelly, who was the other player with a chance at being drafted, ended up signing with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Here is where other Knights ended up signing.
Keli Lawson – Linebacker – Minnesota Vikings
Prior to his one season at UCF, Keli Lawson played at Virginia Tech and played almost exclusively as an inside linebacker. At UCF, he lined up pretty equally as an inside and outside linebacker. Lawson was part of UCF’s second unit.
He never lit up the stat sheet, but he is a consistent tackler. In all but one game, he recorded at least one tackle, but never more than four. His pass coverage is definitely the weakest part of his game. Quarterbacks completed over 75% of their passes with Lawson in coverage, with about three-quarters of the yardage coming after the catch.
He’s the right height at six foot four, but at only 223 pounds. He’s going to need to bulk up a bit to a more average NFL weight. Size-wise, he has a better chance as an outside linebacker than inside.
Myles Montgomery – Running Back – New England Patriots
Myles Montgomery was a Knight for two seasons after transferring from Cincinnati. Montgomery has an uphill battle ahead in the NFL. The Patriots already have a lot of experienced players and drafted another running back in the seventh round.
Last year, Montgomery was the primary running back and carried the ball 143 times for 705 yards and four touchdowns. Over half of his yards on the ground(489) were after contact, which is expected for a running back in the NFL.
Jaden Nixon – Running Back – Green Bay Packers
UCF’s other running back, Jaden Nixon, had more success. He is a little smaller than Montgomery, but has more speed and graded better as a pass blocker. Unlike Montgomery, the bulk of his rushing success was when he was able to break away. Nixon had 351 yards on six carries, where he ran for 15 yards or more.
In 2025, Nixon ran for 554 yards and seven touchdowns on only 71 carries and caught 17 passes for 88 yards. At Western Michigan in 2024, he finished just shy of 1,000 yards on the ground. What might make him more valuable are his kickoff return skills. Nixon has averaged over 20 yards a return from 2022-25 and has two touchdowns.
Paul Rubelt – Offensive Lineman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Paul Rubelt will have the least distance to travel from UCF, as the big man signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At six foot ten, Rubelt towers over many of his peers. This is both good and bad. In pass blocking, this helps him cover ground with his lateral movement as he helps create and maintain the pocket. In run blocking, this makes his job to create leverage that much more difficult, as he has to adjust to get lower.
Looking at Rubelt’s Pro Football Focus scoring, his pass blocking is very good. Last year, he peaked with a 91.8 grade against BYU and finished the season at 72.7. Unfortunately, his run blocking numbers were not as strong. He scored above 60 only twice, and one of those games was against FCS’s North Carolina A&T.
Rubelt has an uphill climb ahead of him. He will need to develop as a run blocker if he hopes to stay on an NFL roster.
Let’s look at the UCF Knights who received non-roster invites to rookie minicamps.
Marcus Burke – Wide Receiver – Tennessee Titans
Marcus Burke’s time at UCF was short-lived after four seasons at Florida, and his career impact on the statsheet wasn’t very robust. At six foot three, Burke has the physical size for the NFL. That’s why the Titans are inviting him for a tryout at their rookie minicamp.
Burke finished seventh on the team with 13 catches for 181 yards and no touchdowns.
Phillip Dunnam – Defensive Back – Tennessee Titans
Phillip Dunnam moved around a lot between lining up at free safety, slot corner, and strong safety.
Dunnam’s Pro Football Focus numbers are skewed as a result of his three-interception game against Houston. Beyond that, his pass defense numbers do not jump off the page. He finished fourth on the team with 60 tackles.
Noe Ruelas – Kicker – Indianapolis Colts
Like Burke and Dunnam, Noe Ruelas was not signed as an undrafted free agent. Instead, he was invited to the Indianapolis Colts’ rookie minicamp. As a specialist, Ruelas’ opportunities and challenges differ from those of his former teammates.
Ruelas was a three-year starter at UConn, James Madison, and one year at UCF. He was very reliable wherever he was, finishing with a conversion rate of over 80% of his field goal attempts. At UCF, he went 15/17 for 88% on his field goals. This minicamp can help get him on the radar for other teams looking for a kicking competition.
