If you want an example of how close the margins are when it comes to getting drafted or not, we present the case of Dallas Cowboys safety Alijah Clark.
Clark, 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, has the size (or close enough) and talent to play in the NFL.
In his final college game for Syracuse, he was named Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP with 6 tackles and an interception in a 52-35 win over Washington State. That followed a season in which he had 61 tackles, 4 pass deflections and an interception as he helped lead the Orange to just their second AP Top 25 finish since 2001.
The problem for Clark, who was not drafted, essentially came down to his 40-yard dash time. Clark ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, which is probably faster than almost anyone you know and faster than many NFL players at his position.
It’s just slightly outside the range of what NFL teams consider draftable at the safety position.
You can make an argument that if Clark had run just .05 seconds faster and clocked in at 4.45 — or even just .01 faster and run it in 4.49 — then he might have been picked.
It’s not fair, but it’s how things are.
It’s made Clark a longshot to make the Cowboys 53-man roster, but now it seems like he has a real shot — even it means bouncing a veteran out of the way in the process.
Clark could actually be one of two former Syracuse stars to do so for the Cowboys, alongside linebacker Justin Barron, a fellow UDFA.
“Clark and Barron understand that it won’t be easy to make the Cowboys,” The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt wrote on July 9. “They still went undrafted, after all, despite being UDFA priorities. Linebacker and safety are both positions stocked with Cowboys veterans. If they both want to make the team, they’ll probably have to push one of them out. They’ll have a chance. Clark appeared at times with the starting defense during minicamp while veterans Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker dealt with injuries.”
Clark Projected As Priority Free Agent Pre-Draft
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had Clark projected as a priority free agent and he and Barron received the most money of any UDFA on the roster with contracts that include $300,000 in guaranteed money.
“Three-year starter with below-average size but potential position versatility,” Zierlein wrote. “Clark plays with solid anticipation in coverage and a feel for attacking throwing lanes when he’s in position. He lacks top-end speed but can line up over the slot. He’s willing in run support but feels small when taking on blocks or tackling, and that issue will become more pronounced as a pro.”
PFF’s Ben Cooper singled Barron out as the “One UDFA to Watch” on the Dallas roster in 2025.
“Barron garnered $234,000 in guaranteed money with a $20,000 signing bonus from Dallas, making him one of the team’s highest-paid undrafted free agents,” Cooper wrote on May 13. “It was warranted for the Syracuse product, who proved himself as a valuable coverage defender and run defender with the Orange … DeMarvion Overshown’s late-season injury and Kenneth Murray’s shaky reputation could create room for Barron in the Cowboys’ linebacker rotation.”
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