5 Rams UDFAs are forcing their names into conversations ahead of training camp

The Los Angeles Rams are one of the rare NFL teams that leave the door open for anyone to make their roster and make plays. Unlike some NFL teams that seem to put roster hold reservations for drafted rookies, the Rams seem to rise above that bad habit and allow undrafted rookies the opportunities to make the roster.

And the Rams' undrafted rookie additions have already generated some buzz among NFL analysts. But what about the fans? Well, training camp is nearly upon us, and with open training camp sessions, fans will get to put numbers to players, faces, and uniforms. It's the time of year that allows fans to build their anticipation of a new season, not from reading about it, but from seeing it live and in color.

And I'm here to tell you that you are in for a treat this year.

Of course, that is the catch phrase that you hear every season, isn't it? Well, there are reasons for added excitement this year. It all starts with the success enjoyed by the Rams in the 2023, 2024, and hopefully 2025 NFL Drafts. With the bar of talent rising with each influx of rookie classes, the Rams roster has been buoyed with the escalation of talent everywhere.

That elevates the goals for the next rookie class, both drafted and signed after the draft. And signing talented rookies after the draft is no longer merely about allowing a player to compete for a chance in the NFL. Now, it comes with incentives that include signing bonuses. Who and how much did the Rams pay out in UDFA signing bonuses this year? Even I was taken aback by the amount of Benjamins handed out:

• OL Willie Lampkin, North Carolina: $30,000
• LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo: $25,000
• OL Trey Wedig, Indiana: $20,000
• TE Mark Redman, Louisville: $20,000
• S Nate Valcarcel, Northern Illinois: $15,000
• S Malik Dixon-Williams, UConn: $10,000
• TE Anthony Torres, Toledo: $10,000
• OLB Josh Pearcy, Rice: $10,000
• DL Da'Jon Terry, Oklahoma: $8,000
• WR Mario Williams, Tulane: $8,000
• RB Jordan Waters, NC State: $7,000
• OL Wyatt Bowles, Utah State: $6,000
• OL Ben Dooley, Boise State: $6,000
• WR Tru Edwards, Louisiana: $5,000
• OLB Jamil Muhammad, USC: $5,000
• WR Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State: $4,000
• DL Bill Norton, Texas: $3,000

But this is not about how wealthy young men become by signing on with an NFL team. This is about who fans should keep track of as having the electrifying upside to warrant keeping on their radar for the 2025 Rams Training Camp. For openers, you should check out the undrafted collegiate free agents that have been mentioned by NFL draft analyst Thor Nystrom, as he has earned a solid reputation for a discerning eye for talent.

But if you want to get right into it, here are five players who deserve a bit of added attention from fans throughout training camp, as they have real shots at earning a spot on the 53-man Rams roster.

S Nate Valcarcel - #43

The Rams may not have shown much effort in bolstering the secondary in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that is not the same thing as saying the team's pass coverage did not get better for the 2025 NFL season. The Rams doubled up with two rookie safeties who combined to lead the team with four interceptions apiece, and safety Nate Valcarcel is a new rookie safety addition who could extend that tradition.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds, Northern Illinois rookie safety prospect Nate Valcarcel is the epitome of beating the odds. Despite emerging from a small college football program, Valcarcel had plenty of big football opponents, making him Yahoo Sports' Luke Easterling's Sleeper Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

"Against Notre Dame, Valcarcel negated an intermediate stop route throw from Riley Leonard to receiver Kris Mitchell by coming down from the deep third to break it up.

Against NC State, he had a red zone tackle for loss that stopped a potential touchdown, and he picked up a sack by gunning for the quarterback from the second level. Moreover, he didn't look at all outmatched by those more high-profile programs at any point."

Luke Easterling

In Easterling's article, Valcarcel was only one of seven college safeties mentioned. While he did not hear his name called out in the 2025 NFL Draft, he did sign on with a defense that played an undrafted rookie defensive back very effectively in 2024.

And with Nate Valcarcel's college production, he has every right to believe that he can continue his strong football production in the NFL:

If you can't quite make out Nate Valcarcel's data point plotted in the graph, look to the upper right for the green box 'Targets", and then track to the first dark data plot to the left of that box. He falls into the highly productive/highly athletic quadrant, which is where NFL front offices love to choose rookies from.

If the graph is correct, Nate Valcarcel exhibits the same NFL potential as Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr., who was selected in Round 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Hmm.

Where the brass luster turns to gold is Nate Valcarcel's college production. In 2024, he generated 52 tackles, two tackles for a loss, 2,0 sacks, three interceptions, and broke up eight passes. He is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife, and he didn't just feast on small football school opponents. He seemed to save his best performances for the best offenses:

Yes, nothing is given in the Rams' defense, and Valcarcel will need to earn the right to compete and to claim a roster spot. But he is the type of fearless, hard-hitting safety that seems to resonate with DB Coach Aubrey Pleasant. And he is a ball-hawking defensive back, too. Stay tuned, because this is about to get good.