The NFL Draft period doesn’t stop after the 256th pick at the end of the seventh round. NFL teams immediately start working the phones to bring in undrafted rookie free agents. This is the part of the draft process where some true diamonds in the rough are found. Players like current Saint Ken Crawley and former Saint Sammy Knight.
Most of these players will never take the field in a regular season game. For many of them it’s merely a chance to get on a practice squad and have a chance to show what they can do. That’s how it happened for Willie Snead.