UNLV Rebels defensive back Johnathan Baldwin (3) tackles Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Trevor Wilson (7) during the first half at Chase Field. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

UNLV Football: Johnathan Baldwin Signs As Undrafted Free Agent With Green Bay Packers

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 12:22 PM ET

After the 2025 NFL Draft concluded on Saturday, April 26, and the cameras went off at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, there were still plenty of talented young former student-athletes available who declared for the draft but did not hear their names called. Those athletes' stories don't necessarily end there, though.

Following the draft, teams immediately start calling the top players who went undrafted and offer them contracts to come to join the team this summer as undrafted free agents with an opportunity to compete for a roster spot. One of those players this year was former UNLV Rebels defensive back Johnathan Baldwin.

Packers are signing UDFA defensive back Jonathan Baldwin from UNLV, per @TomSilverstein pic.twitter.com/5u9xETrM2F
— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) April 26, 2025

Baldwin will find his way to Lambeau Field after all, after signing a contract with the Green Bay Packers following the conclusion of the draft. He earned this deal by having an outstanding season last year in which he earned All-Mountain West Second Team honors. The hope is that he earns himself a spot on the 53-man roster this summer or at the very least a chance to join the team's practice squad.

Defensive back is a position that historically produces a ton of highly successful players from undrafted free agents. Guys like Dick "Night Train" Lane, Emlen Tunnell, Willie Brown, and more recently, Denver Broncos star Chris Harris, all went undrafted and became some of the best the league has ever seen.

The list goes on around the league at other positions with star quarterbacks like Hall of Famers Kurt Warner and Warren Moon, or players in the conversation for greatest of all time at their position, like tight end Antonio Gates and kicker Adam Vinatieri. This under-the-radar contract that Baldwin just quietly signed could be his first step to NFL greatness.

This article first appeared on UNLV Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: