Each and every year in the NFL Draft, it’s always mind-blowing to see how many incredibly talented players go undrafted. That’s simply the highly, highly competitive nature of the sport. And it’s a testament to the depth of the talent pool that NFL decision-makers have to choose from every year. The talent in the National Football League has never been in a better spot. Former ECU star Isaiah Winstead was a special talent for the Pirates last year. The gifted wideout hauled in 88 passes for 1,085 receiving yards and six touchdowns during the 2022-2023 campaign. But the 2023 NFL Draft came and went, and he went undrafted.
Teams end up signing undrafted free agents as soon as the draft is officially over, so he thought he’d get a deal. But one hadn’t come yet. That’s when Winstead took matters into his own hands and posted his highlights on Twitter.
“6’4, 210 moving like this. No mini camp invite or UDFA deal. Behind the scenes on what I can do. With 88 catches and 1100 yards this past season….God makes no mistakes tho thank you in advance,” Winstead wrote on his Twitter page before posting his highlights.
His highlights are ridiculous. There’s an endless number of incredible players that haven’t made it in the NFL over the years, but you have to love the signing here by the 49ers. Winstead’s got some unreal ball skills coupled with some high-level route-running ability. It’s going to be fascinating to see if he can make it at the next level. It’s a low-risk, high-upside play by the San Francisco franchise. And a smart one.
Once he was picked up by the 49ers, Winstead didn’t hesitate to post a thank you message to the 49ers.
Winstead earned honorable mention All-AAC honors this season for the Pirates. He also earned third-team All-AAC honors from Phil Steele. He became just the seventh receiver in school history to haul in 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
The 6-foot-4, 213-pound wideout spent his first two seasons of college football with the Norfolk State Spartans (2017 and 2018), before transferring to the Toledo Rockets for two years (2020 and 2021). Winstead earned third-team All-MAC honors at Toledo in 2020. He spent his final season with the ECU Pirates, but that ended up being the best season of his college football career, and it wasn’t close.
It will be interesting to see if Winstead can make the roster as an undrafted free agent
It’s awesome that Winstead got his opportunity, and it will be fascinating to see if he can actually make the 49ers’ roster in fall camp. Undrafted free agents have a notoriously thin line for error. They simply don’t get the guarantees that early-round draft picks do. That’s the reality of the job. We’ll see how it works out. Regardless, he can always be thankful for the opportunity.
More must-reads: