Qwauntrezz Knight, Alec Anderson Among UCLA Players to Sign UDFA Deals After NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers scooped up the Bruins' defensive back while their starting right tackle joined the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted.

The Bruins may have paced the Pac-12 with the most NFL Draft picks in the conference, but the program wasn't done sending alums to the pros just yet.

UCLA football had six prospects selected over the course of the draft's seven rounds in Las Vegas, but there were still eight players who did not hear their names called. That doesn't mean their NFL dreams were over, though, as some Bruins started signing with teams as undrafted free agents right after the San Francisco 49ers made the final selection.

The 49ers stayed active, though, and signed UCLA defensive back Qwuantrezz Knight to a deal within the hour.

Knight started his collegiate career at Maryland, where he played three seasons before transferring to Kent State. After one season in the MAC, Knight came to UCLA in 2020. Knight played another two seasons in blue and gold as his third team's starting striker – a nickel/safety hybrid role – racking up 106 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five pass breakups, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 19 games.

Offensive tackle Alec Anderson announced he had signed with Buffalo Bills just a few minutes after Knight went public with his deal.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Anderson started in 17 games for the Bruins over the past two seasons and played in 30 games across his career in Westwood. With Anderson starting at right tackle, UCLA has boasted the top offense and No. 1 running game in the Pac-12 since 2019.

The Inland Empire native celebrated his deal with Buffalo with a traditional Bills Mafia table smashing, popularized at the team's tailgates before the trend spread throughout the fanbase.

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247Sports' Bruin Report Online reported that former walk-on receiver-turned-running back and special teamer Ethan Fernea had signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts not long after.

Hula Bowl Co-Assistant Director of Scouting Jimmy Williams reported offensive guard Paul Grattan had agreed to attend minicamps for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, setting him up for a potential contract down the line as well.

Knight, Anderson and Fernea – and possibly Grattan – are now on their way to suiting up on Sundays along with their teammates who got picked in the 2022 NFL Draft. Tight end Greg Dulcich went to the Denver Broncos, offensive lineman Sean Rhyan went to the Green Bay Packers, defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia went to the Los Angeles Chargers, wide receiver Kyle Philips went to the Tennessee Titans, safety Quentin Lake went to the Los Angeles Rams and running back Brittain Brown went to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Defensive lineman Datona Jackson, linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath, cornerback Obi Eboh and cornerback Cameron Johnson are the UCLA players who remain on the market.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon was the Publisher and Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s All Bruins from 2021 to 2023. He is now a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s Fastball. He previously covered UCLA football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country and golf for The Daily Bruin from 2017 to 2021, serving as the paper's Sports Editor from 2019 to 2020. Connon has also been a contributor for 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' BruinBlitz, Dash Sports TV, SuperWestSports, Prime Time Sports Talk, The Sports Life Blog and Patriots Country, Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s New England Patriots site. His work as a sports columnist has been awarded by the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon graduated from UCLA in June 2021 and is originally from Winchester, Massachusetts.