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.

DT Bill Norton - #97

It's almost impossible to believe that a 6-foot-6, 335-pound defensive lineman out of Texas would not be heavily scouted, let alone drafted, but such is the fate of the mountainous defensive tackle Bill Norton. A former teammate of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, Norton left the Bulldogs defense to play a season for the Arizona Wildcats and finished off his college career with a final season with the Texas Longhorns.

If you are interested in a guy who arrives and immediately starts tossing offensive linemen left and right like a defensive tackle version of Godzilla, you will be sorely disappointed. Bill Norton's six-season college football career offers little evidence that he will be a Day 1 starter. Even after six seasons, his career stats are 59 tackles, three forced fumbles, three pass deflections, 1.0 quarterback sacks, and two tackles for a loss.

So what makes this underachiever worth tracking in Rams training camp?

Norton is the guy who does all of the dirty work on the line of scrimmage, frees up his teammates, gobbles blockers, reroutes opposing running backs and even entire offenssive game planning, and may never record a single statistic. He is the type of player that coaches love to have, and Fantasy Football GMs shun at every chance.

Raw? Absolutely. But not worthless or without value. Keep in mind that while more productive, former Rams defensive lineman Greg Gaines entered the NFL with a similar college history of doing the dirty work on the defensive line of scrimmage so that his teammates could make plays. And if the Rams are truly serious about shutting done elite NFL running backs, then they had better plan to give Bill Norton a fair shake at making the team's roster.

No offensive lineman is slipping past a guy who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 335 pounds to block an inside linebacker. Norton may not generate a l;ot of tackles, but you can bet that any linebacker playing in his shadow will.

OT Trey Wedig - #72

Since we are on the topic of big-bodied collegiate free agents, I would be completely remiss if I did not pivot to one of the more exciting undrafted free agents to sign with the Rams, former Indiana rookie offensive tackle prospect Trey Wedig. Wedig played three seasons for the Wisconsin Badgers before transferring to play his final season with the Indiana Hoosiers.

While he did not hear his name called out in the 2025 NFL Draft, his draft profiles projected him as high as an early Day 3 selection. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 310 pounds, Wedig instantly looks the part of an NFL offensive tackle. But if you insist upon versatility, Wedig has amassed a huge book of business starting at numerous offensive line positions. While some may flex him elsewhere, I will limit my discussion to how he projects as the eventual successor to veteran RT Rob Havenstein.

Keep in mind that the Rams faced a similar tale when signing undrafted left tackle Alaric Jackson. Jackson was projected as a Day 3 selection, but fell out of the draft. That same pattern applies to Wedig as well, Wedig is a solid, smart, and productive offensive tackle who arrives a bit raw. Wedig is big, but needs to hit the gym to add a bit of muscle mass. Wedig is smart and effective, but needs a bit of coaching to refine his techniques and add a bit of polish to give his actions optimal effect.

With the return of OT KT Leveston and Warren McClendon Jr, and the addition of veteran OT David Quessenberry, Wedig's path to make the roster will not be easy. But even if he ends up on the practice squad in 2025, I will not change my view. He was added to compete for the starting right tackle role that could be vacated by veteran Rob Havenstein, perhaps as early as 2026.

IOL Willie Lampkin - #62

The Rams front office tries to address all positions possible in the NFL draft, but sometimes the shopping list exhausts the team's draft picks before all of the roster additions are checked off the list. And that can work out in the Rams' favor, as this team has a sneaky good track record of signing guys to the roster after the draft that other teams simply have no interest in. And North Carolina rookie interior offensive lineman prospect Willie Lampkin is a perfect example.

Listed as standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 290 pounds, you are almost certainly wondering how he can sustain the physicality required to block much larger defensive linemen consistently enough to warrant a chance to compete with the team in training camp. But once you check out his video footage from blocking in college, it becomes obvious.

Willie Lampkin can play some serious football.

Willie Lampkin is the type of player that GM Les Snead describes as someone who can play the video game Frogger at a faster pace. Lampkin played three seasons for Coastal Carolina before transferring to play two seasons for North Carolina. Despite getting dinged for his vertical limitations, Lampkin continued to be projected as a Day 3 rookie prospect who fell out of the draft. Now, he has a chance to compete as a backup for a Rams offensive line that will certainly afford him every chance to impress.

Lampkin may not tower over his teammates, but he has been blessed with three things that give him a distinct advantage as training camp nears. His first advantage is his naturally low center of gravity. Like a fireplug, Lampkin can dig in his heels and seemingly be powered by the very earth itself. That makes him extremely difficult to shove aside.

His second advantage is his long wingspan. He measures 78.5 inches from fingertip to fingertip. While not as long as many offensive linemen, and less than NT Poona Ford, it affords Lampkin enough leverage to maintain blocks with defenders that are both sustainable and effective.

While he may seem a bit unorthodox, Lampkin brings a great deal of versatility and experience with him. As cited by Pats Pulpit author Bernd Buchmasser:

"Between his (Willie Lampkin) time at Coastal Carolina and UNC, Lampkin played 1,712 snaps at left guard, 1,473 at right guard, and 937 at center. Besides being able to line up everywhere along the interior O-line, he also might be a candidate to see snaps at fullback at the next level: he has the size and moving skills to make it work. "

Bernd Buchmasser

Now, about that third advantage. Willie Lampkin has an indomitable spirit, a passion-fueled destiny to take his football career as far as he can, even as so many naysayers continue to tell him that it's an impossible dream.

Rams GM Les Snead may not live in a lamp, and he may not be a genie. But he does have enough magic to perhaps grant Willie Lampkin his wish of competing in the NFL.

LB Shaun Dolac - #56

The pre-draft buzz that surrounded Buffalo University inside linebacker Shaun Dolac may have happened thousands of miles away, but as soon as the Rams signed the collegiate free agent to a contract after the draft concluded, social media was quick to share the euphoria over Dolac's football career upgrading to the next level.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 225 pounds, Dolac checks in comparatively with teammates Tony Fields II (6-foot-0, 222 pounds), Omar Speights (6-foot-1, 228 pounds), and Pooh Paul Jr. (6-foot-0, 222 pounds. So pay no heed to the mention in draft profiles that Dolac is undersized. Not by the Rams' standards for the position.

Much like the collegiate career of former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, Shaun Dolac wowed the Buffalo Bulls fans by ascending from a walk-on to become the star of the defense. In 2024, Dolac recorded 168 tackles, 6.5 quarterback sacks, five pass deflections, five interceptions with one as a pick-six, and 19 tackles for a loss.

That was just one season of work.

Of course, many NFL teams viewed Dolac's production as simply a better-than-average player feasting on below-average competition, and they may have a point.

But it was not as though Dolac was simply a tackling machine. With five interceptions and 6.5 quarterback sacks to go with it, Dolac arrives with an expansive versatility that is limited only by a defensive coordinator's imagination. And DC Chris Shula has proven repeatedly to think outside of the box.

Of course, the Rams have a very talented roster, and it could turn out that the numbers game simply does not work out for anyone listed here. But you may be shocked at how well these overlooked rookies turn out.

As always, thanks for reading.

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