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Undrafted free-agent streak on way to 22 years with J. Michael Sturdivant
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- Undrafted free-agent streak on way to 22 years with J. Michael Sturdivant
The streak appears to have made it to 22 years.
Wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant , who finished his college career at Florida and also spent time at Cal and UCLA, made the Green Bay Packers initial 53-man roster , announced Sunday, Aug. 30. Having gone unchosen in the 2026 draft, Sturdivant is close to extending a wild Packers streak to 22 seasons of at least one undrafted free agent from that season's draft class making the Week 1 roster.
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The streak dates to 2005, the dawn of the Ted Thompson era. The quirk became one of the general manager's trademarks, finding talent in unusual places.
But there's a little bit of trickiness in defining what "undrafted free agent on the initial 53-man roster" means, and it's why this isn't quite a done deal yet. We're talking about players who made the roster in their first year of NFL eligibility and were still there for Week 1.
That means they had been eligible for draft selection the preceding April and didn't get taken. So even if they were initially signed with another team first but bounced to Green Bay and made the first 53-man roster, they count. But they have to make it to Week 1; players have made the initial cutdown but not been on the roster by the time the season begins. Running back Jhurell Pressley in 2016 is one example.
More: Packers' Gutekunst does heavy lifting on cutdown day to fill roster holes
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More: Breakdown of the Green Bay Packers initial 53-man roster by position
Why does Week 1 matter? Well, the streak would have died in 2020 without it. But linebacker Krys Barnes was added in advance of the first game. Players don't have to be game-day actives in Week 1 to merit inclusion here, but they also don't count if they're on an injured list.
There's also the added recent complication of practice-squad players who can be elevated for game days, even if they aren't technically on the 53-man roster.
Here's a look at the guys who made this streak last.
2025: Nazir Stackhouse
Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse (93) poses for a photo after their preseason game Friday, August 28, 2026 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 42-38.
The defensive tackle from Georgia played in 13 games last year for the Packers, finishing with 12 tackles.
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2024: Brayden Narveson
It appeared that the streak was about to end in 2024, but in the quest to find a reliable kicker, the Packers pivoted to claiming Tennessee Titans undrafted rookie kicker Brayden Narveson off waivers, and that gave the streak an even two decades.
Narveson didn't last long, making 12 of 17 kicks over six games before he was dropped in favor of veteran Brandon McManus . Narveson briefly returned to Tennessee late in the year and was unsuccessful in trying to latch on with a Canadian Football League team in the summer.
2023: Brenton Cox Jr. , Malik Heath , Emanuel Wilson
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Cox was a talented SEC player at Florida haunted by character concerns that caused him to fall out of draft position, but he made a strong impression at defensive line and made the team, ultimately appearing in four games.
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The receiver Heath played in 13 games as a rookie and caught 15 passes with one touchdown after playing college football at both Mississippi State and Mississippi, though his college career included a serious car crash in 2021. He played in another 13 games in 2024, catching 10 passes and two scores.
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Wilson, initially signed by the Broncos out of Fort Valley State but waived after three days, quickly found himself in Packers camp. He wound up appearing in seven games as a rookie and all 17 in 2024, with 103 carries for 502 yards in his second season.
2022: Jack Coco
The long snapper out of Georgia Tech first came to Packers camp on a tryout basis and wound up winning the job, though he was released a year later.
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2021: Jack Heflin
The defensive lineman from Iowa appeared in four games and was re-signed on a futures contract after the season but was ultimately released from the practice squad in late 2022. He played in one game for the New York Giants that year as an elevated practice-squad player and one game for the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
2020: Krys Barnes
Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Krys Barnes (51) against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
The linebacker from UCLA was signed to a three-year deal when he wasn't drafted, though he didn't make the team and was quickly added to the practice squad. But that was a short-term designation; he was immediately promoted to the active roster and started the first game of the season. There was some irony there; while his old high school teammate and friend, Jordan Love , was the team's first-round draft pick that year, it was the undrafted Barnes who would start in Week 1 while Love remained waiting in the wings. Barnes wound up starting 23 games over the next two seasons and played three years in Green Bay , though the 2022 campaign was dramatically shortened by injury. By the time Love became the full-time starter, Barnes was gone; he played 33 games with Arizona over two years and played seven games last year for Carolina.
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2019: Darrius Shepherd
The receiver from North Dakota State appeared in six games in 2019 and another eight the next year, catching a total of six passes but also making an impact as a returner, with 20 total kick returns over the two seasons.
2018: Raven Greene , Tim Boyle , Alex Light , James Crawford
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Greene, a safety from James Madison, signed a decently lucrative contract after the draft with the Packers and made the roster as the third free safety on the depth chart; he spent three seasons in Green Bay and appeared in 20 games, including eight that first year, with a sack and a forced fumble.
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Boyle, from Eastern Kentucky, made the team as the third quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and DeShone Kizer and stayed with the Packers through the 2020 season, even getting into a game for four passing attempts (with three completions) in 2019.
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Light, a tackle from Richmond, saw three games in 2018 and 13 in 2019 before getting released early in 2020.
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Crawford, an Illinois alumnus who was a late arrival into training camp, became a solid special-teams contributor, appearing in all 16 games. He was waived shortly after making the roster again in 2019 and claimed by Miami .
2017: Lenzy Pipkins
The cornerback out of Oklahoma State saw action in 12 games and briefly played with two other teams in 2018, starting with a trade to the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that brought linebacker Antonio Morrison to Green Bay.
2016: Kentrell Brice , Josh Hawkins , Joe Callahan, Marwin Evans
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This was quite the bumper crop of undrafted rookies, highlighted by Brice, a safety from Louisiana Tech who stayed three seasons with the Packers and appeared in 36 games, as well as all three playoff games in that 2016 season. He had seven tackles in a memorable win over the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round.
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Evans notably attended Oak Creek High School in the Milwaukee area and joined the team from Utah State; the safety contributed on special teams and played in all 16 games both in 2016 and 2017.
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Hawkins, a cornerback from East Carolina, played in 11 games that first year and 15 the year after that, with three starts and seven career passes defended.
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Callahan, a quarterback from Wesley College, made the team but was released in October, then ended up with the Saints. But he'd be back, signing with the practice squad later in December. He appeared in one game in 2017.
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Makinton Dorleant , a cornerback from Northern Iowa, made the initial team but was placed on injured reserve; he wound up appearing in four games that season. Brandon Burks , a running back from Troy, also made the team but was released the next day and signed to the practice squad instead.
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2015: LaDarius Gunter , Alonzo Harris
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Gunter, a cornerback from Miami, stayed for two-plus seasons, starting 25 regular-season games and appearing in four playoff contests (three starts). He defended 12 passes in his second year in 2016.
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Harris, a running back from Louisiana-Lafayette, played in six games and carried the ball four times.
2014: Mike Pennel , Jayrone Elliott
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Pennel, a nose tackle from Colorado State-Pueblo, saw action in 13 games in 2014 and was just getting started. He stayed for three seasons and played in 31 games with the Packers, then continued his career with several stops, but most notably Kansas City . He's won a Super Bowl ring in each of two stints with the Chiefs and should be back again this season.
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Elliott, a linebacker from Toledo, also played three seasons for the Packers, playing in 38 games before spending time with Pittsburgh and Dallas.
2013: Lane Taylor , Andy Mulumba
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates with Lane Taylor (65) after throwing a touchdown pass to Geronimo Allison (81) in the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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Few undrafted players had the impact Lane Taylor ultimately did for the Packers, spending eight years with the team and 55 starts, with 79 total games played. The guard from Oklahoma State played in 10 games as a rookie but worked his way into the starting lineup by 2016.
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Mulumba, a linebacker from Eastern Michigan, played in 22 games over three seasons with the Packers, including 14 as a rookie. He recorded three starts, a sack and 30 tackles that season.
2012: Jarret Boykin, Don Barclay
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Boykin, a wide receiver out of Virginia Tech, spent only a few days with Jacksonville before he was cut, landing with the Packers instead. He played in 10 games that first season and 39 overall over the next three, catching 67 passes for 731 yards and three touchdowns (though only five catches as a rookie).
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Barclay, a multipositional offensive lineman from West Virginia, saw time in all 16 games that year with four starts, and he eventually spent four seasons in Green Bay, with 25 starts and 65 games played.
2011: M.D. Jennings, Jamari Lattimore , Vic So'oto
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Jennings, a safety from Arkansas State, became a good story as someone offered him a teaching and coaching spot at his old high school. But he nonetheless fulfilled an NFL dream, playing primarily on special teams that first year but seeing action in 15 games. He stayed for another two seasons, winding up entangled in the "Fail Mary" fiasco of 2012 when he came down with an interception against Seattle , but replacement officials ruled simultaneous possession for a game-winning Seahawks touchdown.
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Lattimore, a linebacker from Middle Tennessee State, stayed four years in Green Bay, including when he appeared in nine games as a rookie. He finished with nine starts as a Packer, one interception and two sacks.
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So'oto, a linebacker from BYU, appeared in seven games that first season, with one sack.
2010: Sam Shields , Frank Zombo , Nick McDonald
Sam Shields gets a hug from Kevin Greene after Shields made an interception to stop the Bears' final drive and close out the game sending the Packers to the Superbowl. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 in the NFC Championship game at Solider Field in Chicago on January 23, 2011.
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One of the most notable undrafted free agents in franchise history , the speed-demon Shields had several suitors as an undrafted free agent from Miami. He finished the year with six starts, two interceptions and six passes defended, but he added two more interceptions, a forced fumble and sack during the team's run to the Super Bowl. One interception proved to be the dagger in the NFC championship game in Chicago .
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Zombo, a linebacker from Central Michigan, recorded a sack in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh after battling injury late in the year, one that kept him out the rest of the playoff ladder. He finished the regular season with eight starts, two forced fumbles, and four sacks, and stayed two more seasons with the Packers before a six-year run with the Chiefs.
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McDonald was on the 53-man roster that season for all 20 games, but the center from Grand Valley State never appeared in any of them, though he got a Super Bowl ring out of the deal. He made his NFL debut the next year with the New England Patriots .
2009: Evan Dietrich-Smith
He appeared in 13 games after the offensive lineman from Idaho State received one of the final roster spots. He's best known for what happened in his second stint with the Packers. After briefly joining Seattle, he was back in the organization for the Super Bowl run, and in 2011, Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was suspended two games for intentionally stomping on Dietrich-Smith during the Thanksgiving game between the two teams. Now going by Evan Smith, he's the Manitowoc Lincoln High School football coach .
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2008: Kregg Lumpkin
The running back from Georgia appeared in two games before injury cut short the rest of his season. He played three more years with Tampa Bay and the Giants, racking up more receptions (45) than rushing attempts (42).
2007: Daniel Muir
The nose tackle from Kent State appeared in three games and made eight tackles that season.
2006: Jason Hunter
The defensive end from Appalachian State had success on special teams, recovering an onside kick and appearing in 14 games, on his way to 42 appearances over three seasons. He had a better chance on defense elsewhere, starting games for the Lions, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders over the final four years of his career. He did, however, return a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown in 2008 for the Packers against the Chicago Bears .
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2005: Roy Manning, Chris White
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Manning, a linebacker from Michigan, started two games and made 25 tackles as a rookie.
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White, an offensive lineman from Southern Mississippi, made it into one game but did appear in 33 career games, primarily with Houston .
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Undrafted free-agent streak on way to 22 years with J. Michael Sturdivant
