Three players could be drafted to the NFL International Program, Louis Rees-Zammit is a free agent

Bosses are Expected signature Welsh rugby star Lewis Rees-Zammit is a participant in the AFL's International Player Pathway Programme. But not every player in this program can sign now.

Three players in the International Player Pathway program are eligible to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, and can only sign with teams if they are not drafted.

The league office told PFT that Rees-Zammit is a free agent because he did not attend college and has been more than four years removed from high school (or the high school equivalent). He could have technically been drafted during his fourth year out of high school, although at the time he had never expressed any interest in giving up rugby for the NFL and there was no reason for any team to consider drafting him.

Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata is, like Reece-Zammit, an international rugby player who has decided to join the NFL's International Player Pathway Programme. But Mailata was eligible to participate in 2018, when the Eagles beat him in the seventh round. This is because the year he entered the NFL's International Player Pathway Program was his fourth year out of high school.

Travis Clayton of England, Byron Matos of the Dominican Republic and Gotham Russell of Australia are the three players in this year's International Player Pathway Program and are in their fourth year out of high school, so all three of them could be drafted. Other players in the program, such as Reece-Zammit, are free agents.

Although NFL practice squads are limited to 16 players, the league will award a 17th practice squad spot to any NFL team that signs a player from the International Player Pathway Program and places him on the practice squad. Several players from the program will likely be on the practice squad in 2024. Reece-Zammit, who has been the program's most discussed player, may be on the Chiefs' active roster.