NFL training camp is about to open, and the roster squeeze is already starting to take shape. Most of those 53-man spots will go to familiar NFL names, but a fresh wave of UFL standouts is trying to crash the party in 2026.
A total of 23 players have already landed NFL contracts after starring in the spring league, and the group includes a few names with real shots to stick. The UFL has already produced useful NFL pieces like KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey, and this year’s crop has a handful of players who could follow that path.
The best bet to make noise right away might be Tanner Brown, who arrives in New Orleans after a strong season as a kicker for the Louisville Kings. Brown hit 89% of his field goals in 2026, the second-best mark among kickers with at least 10 attempts, and he finished with a league-high 25 made field goals.
He also drilled a long of 60 and picked up the UFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year award. He’ll battle Charlie Smyth, who made 12 of 16 field goals across six games for the Saints last season.
Major Burns also looks like a name to watch in Miami. The former LSU safety was a force for the Houston Gamblers, leading the UFL with four interceptions while allowing a 29.4 passer rating in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. At 6-2 and 207 pounds, he brings the kind of size that can help a safety survive in the NFL, and the Dolphins’ lack of proven talent at the position gives him a real opening.
Ian Wheeler has a different kind of path in Buffalo. The Louisville Kings running back made only one start last season, but he emerged as the team’s top back during its run to a UFL title.
He averaged 5.4 yards per carry, second in the league among qualified runners behind only Marcus Yarns at 5.7, and he added value as a return man with a 28.5-yard average on kick returns, which ranked fifth in the UFL. The Bills already have James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in the backfield, but they’re carrying just five running backs on the 53-man roster.
Hakeem Butler keeps showing why teams keep giving him another look. He led the UFL with 641 receiving yards last season and averaged 22.1 yards per catch despite playing only nine games.
That production earned him UFL Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in three years. His 6-5 frame makes him a natural contested-catch target, and while his previous NFL stops haven’t fully clicked, there’s a lane for him in Sean Payton’s offense as a red-zone option.
Sean Fresch Jr. may have the clearest special teams route of the Broncos’ UFL additions. The St.
Louis Battlehawks defensive back posted 33 tackles and two sacks in 10 games, including two starts, but his bigger calling card came as a returner. He averaged 10.4 yards per punt return on 32 returns, and that versatility could help him carve out a role.
Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.6 yards per punt return, second-best in the NFL, so the main job may be spoken for, but extra depth at returner can still matter.
Here’s the full list of the 23 UFL players who have signed NFL contracts for 2026:
Atlanta Falcons: Keshawn Banks, DE, Orlando Storm; Devonnsha Maxwell, DL, DC Defenders; Antwane Wells, WR, Columbus Aviators
Buffalo Bills: Ian Wheeler, RB, Louisville Kings
Chicago Bears: Kaden Davis, WR, Houston Gamblers; Tony Fields II, LB, Columbus Aviators
Dallas Cowboys: Chris Glaser, OL, Columbus Aviators; Denzel Mims, WR, Dallas Renegades; Ameer Speed, CB, Houston Gamblers
Denver Broncos: Hakeem Butler, WR, St. Louis Battlehawks; Sean Fresch Jr., CB/KR/PR, St. Louis Battlehawks
Detroit Lions: Tarik Black, WR, Louisville Kings; Lucky Jackson, WR, Louisville Kings; Lawrence Keys III, WR, Houston Gamblers; Tay Martin, WR, Columbus Aviators
Miami Dolphins: Gottlieb Ayedze, OT, Houston Gamblers; Major Burns, S, Houston Gamblers
New Orleans Saints: Tanner Brown, K, Louisville Kings; Hunter Dekkers, QB, Houston Gamblers; Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR, Houston Gamblers
Philadelphia Eagles: Erik Ezukanma, WR, DC Defenders; Shaun Wade, CB, Dallas Renegades
Pittsburgh Steelers: Jacoby Windmon, DE, Columbus Aviators
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