James Brockermeyer wasn't invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and he wasn't drafted. But yet, he's somehow becoming one of the more talked about names in the entire undrafted free agent class.
CBS Sports analyst Josh Edwards named the Miami center the top UDFA to watch for the Atlanta Falcons entering mandatory minicamp now that OTAs are done.
"The NFL Scouting Combine selection process snubbed Brockermeyer, and he should have been drafted," Edwards wrote. "Atlanta gave him the fifth-highest practical guarantee ($230,000) among this year's undrafted class."
Brockermeyer was a First Team All-American in 2025 as he kept Carson Beck upright, helped power the Hurricanes' rushing attack, and played a central role in Miami's run to the national championship game.Â
James Brockermeyer is carving out a real role on Atlanta's depth chart
Edwards noted that gave Brockermeyer the fifth-highest practical guarantee in this year's undrafted class at $230,000--which isn't nothing for a player who never got a combine invite. Still, the knock on him is simple: he's 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds, which is undersized by NFL standards and likely why he fell out of the draft entirely.
During a recent practice session, starting center Ryan Neuzil was present but not participating. Rather than turning to 32 year old veteran Corey Levin, the Falcons handed Brockermeyer every first team rep at center for the day and he delivered.
So much so that Falcons offensive line coach Bill Callahan had this to say after: "I'm really proud of the job he did today. He had to step up and step in and take over the controls. He did a great job. He was like the air traffic controller today, so he landed all the planes safely, which was great."
Edwards noted the competition question directly: Neuzil is a proven commodity who ranked inside the top 10 at his position in both overall PFF grade and run blocking grade in his first season replacing Drew Dalman. Brockermeyer isn't walking onto the field Week 1.
But Neuzil hits free agency after 2026. Levin, the backup, got lapped on the depth chart by a UDFA before OTAs were even finished. And Callahan, who coached Levin previously in Tennessee, is clearly more interested in what Brockermeyer brings.
History suggests bigger guarantees matter. Over the past three years, just eight undrafted players received practical guarantees over $300,000. Four of them played in 12+ games as rookies, a 50% hit rate that crushes the 10.3% average for lower guarantee UDFAs. Brockermeyer's $230,000 puts him just below that tier, but squarely in the conversation.
The realistic ceiling in 2026 is a backup center spot. The realistic outcome if Brockermeyer keeps this up is he pushes for a starting job in 2027 if/when Neuzil walks. That's not bad for a guy who wasn't good enough for a combine invite three months ago.
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