Taylor Newquist is the Sports Editor for The Easterner. The overtly hyperbolic opinion expressed in this article is his own and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Easterner’s editorial board.

Taking a look through the list of the NFL’s best undrafted players reveals some striking names. Together they add up to 17 Hall of Famers, with more to come, like Los Angeles Chargers great Antonio Gates and four-time super bowl winner Adam Vinatieri.

So what is it that makes an undrafted player break through the cracks?

The pool of talent at the collegiate level is seemingly neverending.

Consistently there are players that have a talent level above the rest of their teammates, or are not correctly utilized while they are in school. They may not perform up to their standard on pro days and at the combine, and ultimately go the duration of the draft without landing on a team.

Undrafted players are still a long shot from making headway into the NFL, but given the right situation, they can become superstars. It just takes a special player, with a chip on their shoulder to prove everyone wrong.

Webster stands out

If you were to isolate four games from former EWU wide receiver Nsimba Webster’s senior season, you could pit him against most slot receivers in the country.

His combined stat line from the games against Central Washington University, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah and University of Maine was a staggering 32 catches for 690 yards and nine touchdowns.

Over those games Webster averaged eight catches for 172.5 yards and 2.25 touchdowns. The most impressive of those games came in the FCS semifinal against Maine, when Webster shook defenders for nine catches, 188 yards and four touchdowns.

Webster’s quick feet, route running and ability to pick up yards after the catch could easily translate to the next level, but the flood of talent at the receiver position this year left him undrafted.

Landing in the right spot

On Webster’s side is a unique situation. The 5-foot-10-inch 180-pound receiver signed his UDFA contract with the Los Angeles Rams, becoming the fourth EWU player on the roster.

Webster joins EWU great Cooper Kupp in the Rams’ receiving core, who will be able to give him guidance as he tries to make the final 53-man roster come fall.

The Rams’ top three receiving positions are a lock, with Kupp, Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods being some of the most prolific in the league. Although, with Kupp injured, the Rams only managed to put up three points in Super Bowl XXXVI last year.

If Webster can beat out several other players and eventually see his way onto the field, having the chance to play in Sean McVay’s dynamic offense is just the thing a young player needs.

Often Rams receivers can find themselves wide open on well schemed route combinations, and Webster is at his most dangerous in the open field.