UNC Football: Handful of Tar Heels picked up as undrafted free agents

A handful of former UNC football players were pickup up as undrafted free agents after the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

At the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday, a handful of former North Carolina football players were quickly snatched up by teams in need of additional help that they didn’t get signed during the three-day, seven-round selection process. That group includes Myles Dorn, Jake Bargas, Aaron Crawford, Antonio Williams and Dominique Ross.

Dorn and Bargas were both picked up by the Minnesota Vikings shortly after the seventh round concluded on Saturday evening. Dorn, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound cornerback, was a standout in the UNC secondary dating back to 2016 when he compiled 32 tackles in 10 games as a freshman. He better than doubled that as a sophomore when he gathered 71 total tackles (34 solo tackles) to go along with 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. His dominant play continued over the next couple of seasons, particularly in his final season of eligibility when he scored a career-high 83 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, six passes defended and two interceptions. He totaled 240 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 13 passes defended and six interceptions over his four-year career at North Carolina.

A 6-foot-2, 250-pound tight end, Bargas redshirted his first season at North Carolina before joining the action in 2016. He compiled just 21 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns in four seasons, being primarily used as a blocking tight end, full back and H-back throughout his time in Chapel Hill. He was also a permanent fixture on special teams, where he played all 13 games as a senior, and didn’t miss a game since his freshman season.

Crawford, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound defensive tackle, signed a free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. He spent five years at the University of North Carolina, and had 128 tackles in 40 games. He had 15.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks as a Tar Heel, highlighted by his senior campaign when he compiled career-highs in tackles (50), tackles for loss (9) and sacks (3) in 13 games. He played 685 snaps in his final season of eligibility, and the 91.2 run defensive grade he posted was No. 1 among Power Five interior defensive lineman in 2019.

Williams was signed by the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted on Saturday. A 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back, Williams spent the final two seasons of his college career at UNC after starting out at Ohio State. He ran for 826 yards and eight touchdowns in 20 games with North Carolina, and posted a 5.9 yard-per-carry average over his final two seasons. Over the course of his four-year college career, Williams rushed 202 times for 1,144 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also hauled in 23 receptions for 160 yards with the Tar Heels and Buckeyes, including a career-best 16 catches for 131 yards in 2018.

Ross is a 6-foot-4, 228-pound outside linebacker that got signed by the New York Giants on Saturday night. Ross had a terrific senior season with the Tar Heels that included career-highs in tackles (60), tackles for loss (6), passes defended (5) and sacks (2.5). For his career, he had 126 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended and four sacks. Due to a number of injuries on the UNC defense last season, Ross was used in a variety of ways, and was adept at both stopping the run and covering receivers. He had the second-most pass breakups on the team, and garnered four quarterback hurries on the season.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Tar Heel football alumni in the NFL, and everything UNC football.