The Carolina Panthers recently signed 10 undrafted rookie free agents. There’s no cap on how many UDFAs teams can sign in a given year, and it’s not uncommon for somewhere north of 400 of them to dot NFL rosters. While this is cold for me to say about guys chasing their NFL dreams, the vast majority of them are “camp bodies” to help teams get through training camp and the preseason.
The fortunate ones will make a practice squad this year. Only the chosen few will make a 53-man roster and see the field
in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know about the six defensive UDFAs the Panthers signed this year.
DT Aaron Hall, Duke
2025 stats: 14 games, 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
From the human interest side of things, it’s easy to root for Aaron Hall. He grew up in Durham, NC as a Panthers fan back in the Cam Newton glory days. He’s not only getting a shot at the NFL after going undrafted, he’s getting it with his hometown team.
The 6-foot-4, 297 pound defensive tackle had a solid five-year career at Duke. In all he appeared in 53 games with 121 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. He was a two-time team captain and earned Third Team All-ACC honors this past season. He seems to be a high character guy who was given the team’s Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award for his leadership and impact on the team.
Hall’s athleticism is intriguing. His 9.67 Relative Athletic Score is elite, especially his agility and explosion grades. His 23 bench press reps was below average for his position, but his is more of a speed than power game. He’s definitely a candidate for the practice squad this season where the team can give him a year to add some bulk and strength while adapting to the NFL game.
DT Parker Peterson, Wisconsin
2025 stats: 12 games, 17 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
At 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds Parker Peterson has NFL size, but his college resume looks a bit thin.
He began his college career at Tulane from 2022-24, then transferred to Wisconsin this past season. During this three years with Tulane he appeared in 20 games with 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He made the move to Wisconsin in 2025 and was a rotational piece for the Badgers with 17 tackles in 12 games.
Peterson is being given the opportunity by the Panthers to prove himself this summer, and it’s probably going to take a special camp performance from him to make it through roster cutdowns.
OLB Isaiah Smith, SMU
2025 stats: 13 games, 53 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks
Isaiah Smith spent all four of his college seasons with SMU and got better every year. He had 10 tackles and three sacks as a freshman and his season ended with a loss to BYU in the Independence Bowl (okay, no more BYU references, I promise). As a sophomore he had 26 tackles and five sacks, then 32 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a junior, followed by an impressive 53 tackles and 8.5 sacks last year, with 18 tackles for loss. In all he racked up 121 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and 23 sacks for the Mustangs.
He earned All-ACC Second Team honors last year for his excellent play.
It’s going to be interesting to see if his college success in the ACC translates to the NFL. At 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds he has the size to play more of a traditional outside linebacker. He’s roughly the same size as Panthers outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen, but about 10-15 pounds lighter than the rest of Carolina’s outside linebackers. His Relative Athletic Score is wonky because he was measured against defensive ends rather than outside linebackers.
Smith’s calling card in college was his ability to get into the backfield and make plays, either in tackles for loss or sacks. He’s going to need to show he has the size and strength to do the same in the NFL.
CB Jaylon Guilbeau, Texas
2025 stats: 12 games, 40 tackles, 1 interception, 3 passes defended
Guilbeau spent all four of his college seasons at Texas. He contributed as a a freshman and sophomore with a combined 26 tackles and four passes defended in his first two seasons for the Longhorns. But he broke out in his 2024 junior campaign with 58 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three passes defended. This past season he added 40 more tackles and an interception.
His Relative Athletic score of 6.95 puts him squarely in the “okay” to “good” categories measured by RAS. His 4.53 40-yard dash is pretty “meh”.
The NFL’s website was relatively high on him as a prospect and labeled him as a “candidate for the bottom of the roster or practice squad.” If Guilbeau can achieve either of those distinctions in 2026, that would be a successful UDFA season.
CB Cam Miller, Rutgers
2025 stats: 12 games, 47 tackles, 1 interception, 6 passes defended
Cam Miller spent the first three seasons of his college career at Penn State where he was a solid contributor, but not a superstar. In 40 games at Penn State he registered 56 tackles, one interception, and eight passes defended. He also had four sacks, which is impressive for a cornerback. He then transferred to Rutgers in 2025 where he nailed down a starting gig and in 12 games had 47 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception.
Most of Miller’s Relative Athletic Score of 6.77 is fine, but not overly impressive. His explosion grade, however, is “elite” with a 40.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot-8 broad jump. His 4.5 second 40-yard dash is adequate, but not advantageous. Miller will need a strong camp to stick in Charlotte.
CB Devonta Smith, Notre Dame
2025 stats: 8 games, 20 tackles, 3 passes defended
Devonta Smith spent four years at Alabama before transferring to Notre Dame for his fifth and final college season. He played sparingly over his first three seasons at Alabama, but in 2024 he blossomed as the starting nickel back with 30 tackles and five passes defended. Despite the traction he was making with the Crimson Tide, he opted to transfer to Notre Dame last year. In his lone season with the Fighting Irish he appeared in eight games with 20 tackles and three passes defended.
His Relative Athletic Score of 8.48 is solid and could be just enough to catch on with the Panthers as a nickel back. His 4.57 40-yard dash probably won’t let him hang with deep threats, but his explosion grade (vertical and broad jumps) is considered “elite” while his agility grade (shuttle and 3-cone) is “great”. He’s a bit undersized at just under 5-foot-11, but he has the quickness to check receivers coming over the middle.
Devonta Smith could be a name to watch for the practice squad.
