Once upon a time it was a much bigger deal for "tryout" players in rookie minicamps to be signed to the 90-man roster, because back then it truly was ROOKIE minicamp. But now that the rules for practice squad eligibility have expanded, so have the rules for rookie minicamp eligibility. Linebacker Caleb Johnson was originally a UDFA in 2021 and has appeared in 65 NFL games - and yet he was a "tryout" player during Atlanta's rookie minicamp. He's a special teams ace. He has never started a game, and he hasn't played a single regular season snap on defense in the last three years - but played 281, 277 and 360 snaps on special teams for the Jaguars in those seasons. So... he'll at least have a chance of making the roster, likely has a practice squad spot waiting for him, and will at least be competition for guys like Josh Woods and DeAngelo Malone during preseason.
