This undrafted free agent signing could launch the legend of DC Chris Shula

If I were a young football player emerging from college and looking to breathe life into my dreams to play in the NFL, it would be a difficult blow to go undrafted. In that scenario, the Los Angeles Rams would be my first stop in terms of signing on with a team as an undrafted free agent. That is the path that 6-foot-1, 225-pound University of Buffalo linebacker Shaun Dolac has taken. And it could be the best decision he could have made.

There is something very special about Shaun Dolac. He is one of the most productive defensive players in college football over the past 20 years. And no, he did not get an invitation to compete in the 2025 NFL ScoutIng Combine. And yes, the system that allows that to happen is flawed.

He was not invited to the Senior Bowl. He was not invited to the Shrine Bowl. But he was signed to the Los Angeles Rams after the 2025 NFL Draft. And I'm here to tell you that he could be the guy who earns a starting role. He is a true phenomenon.

And here is his story (click this link).

The annual NFL Draft process is imperfect. The reputation bestowed by fans that presumes Round 1 rookies are consistently better than later rounds is simply not supported by the statistics. The odds of finding a successful rookie in Round 1 are often greater, but that could be the result of significant investment in coaching, training camp tutelage, practice reps with the first team, and more gameday opportunities.

The Rams found rookie RB Kyren Williams in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. But he only exceeded expectations when he inherited the feature RB mantle from traded RB Cam Akers. So too WR Puka Nacua was discovered in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft. But does he set the NFL All-Time WR Rookie record for receptions and receiving yards if veteran Cooper Kupp stays healthy, creating an opportunity for Nacua to wow the coaching staff and the NFL?

It all comes down to a perfect storm of contributing factors: Passion, skills, coachability, repetitions/work ethic, and opportunity. As former DL Coach Eric Henderson summarized so well: DAWGWORK - Discipline, Attitude, Work-Ethic, and Grit Works.

There are limited roster slots. The Los Angeles Rams will eventually need to make tough decisions, perhaps more difficult than in many years, to pare the training camp roster down to the 53-man limit, while rerouting promising prospects to the practice squad. NFL teams can carry 16 players on their practice squad, plus a bonus player if he is an international player participating in the NFL's International Pathway Program.

The Rams may have stumbled into an undrafted rookie who does not fit the traditional categories of positional players. To take advantage of a unique combination of skills, the Rams need a creative and confident coordinator. And DC Chris Shula is up to the task.