Virginia Tech Football: Undrafted Free Agent tracker following 2024 NFL Draft
By Scott Roche
It was not surprising to see any members of the 2023 Virginia Tech football team not get drafted over the weekend in the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. Two players, Pheldarius Payne and Norell Pollard, met with teams ahead of the big weekend after making a name for themselves at the Virginia Tech Pro Day in March, but neither had their name called.
Shortly after the draft, free agency began for teams and players that were not drafted and Virginia Tech had some players agree to deals with teams for upcoming mini camps. Here is a tracker of the Virginia Tech football players who agreed to an undrafted free agent (UDFA) contract with various teams.
Pheldarius Payne: Houston Texans
Payne met with the New York Giants for a Top 30 visit before the draft, but they did not end up selecting him. Instead, he gets to try and win a job with the defending AFC South champion Texans who are an up-and-coming team in the NFL and looking to take the next step in 2024.
Norell Pollard: Washington Commanders
Pollard was another player who drew some interest ahead of the draft, but he too went undrafted. He met with some teams both in person and virtually and after 257 names were called over three days, he agreed to a deal with the Washington Commanders in the NFC East under first-year coach Dan Quinn. Hopefully he catches on there and is not too far from Blacksburg.
Mario Kendricks: Kansas City Chiefs
Another member of Chris Marve's defense, Mario Kendricks agreed to a deal with the two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. He'll join former Hokie Chamarri Conner with the Chiefs, who drafted him in the 2023 NFL Draft in the fourth round if he can stick around in the Midwest.
Cole Beck: New York Jets
You want speed, Cole Beck can give you speed. A key member of the Virginia Tech track team, Beck played in four games in 2023 before suffering a season ending injury. It'll be interesting to see if he can land a special teams spot with the Jets.