Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler, Vikings receiver Adam Thielen and Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. are former tryout players.
All three got their starts at a rookie minicamp, showing enough to get signed.
With the rookie minicamps canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some potential NFL players went unnoticed and unsigned. They may never get a chance to make an NFL roster.
This year, rookie minicamps return, but not many tryout players will get an opportunity.
The NFL informed teams that they can have only five tryout players at rookie minicamps next month, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
Some teams traditionally invite dozens of unsigned players to compete for a job, so it stands to reason that dozens of unsigned players will never see an NFL practice field.