NFL Draft

[Total Red]

The NFL draft is upon us. I think Zeke V. will be drafted. If not, he still has a good shot at making a team as a free agent. Will any other Redbirds make an active GameDay roster in the NFL? My answer is no. Tanner Talua could come close. I could see him being a late cut and at that point anything can happen. Best of luck to all. It takes a lot just to get invited to an NFL camp.

 

[Birdswin]

I did see an OT from ND State went to Tampa Bay and a TE from SD State went to the Packers. Any other MVFC players drafted?

 

[crazzymark]

Zeke is the first FCS defensive player of the Year not drafted by the way he didn't deserve that

 

[Adunk33]

 

[fourthandshort]

should have posted this here instead of Zeke's thread

Three Illinois State football players agree to NFL free agent contracts

Jason Lewan, Zeke Vandenburgh and Tanner Taula will get opportunities in the NFL.

www.pantagraph.com

 

[fourthandshort]

I did see an OT from ND State went to Tampa Bay and a TE from SD State went to the Packers. Any other MVFC players drafted?

Amazing dropoff in 2020 and 2021 drafts.

2021 draft would have been the pandemic draft - so this makes sense since 2020 fall season was canceled for FCS. We then played in spring .. too late in scouting/draft process I suppose to take a chance.

But 2020 draft was just a very down year for FCS.

10 FCS players taken in the 2023 NFL draft

10 FCS players selected in the 2023 NFL draft​

See every FCS player selected below:

PLAYER	POSITION	SCHOOL	ROUND (PICK)	OVERALL PICK	NFL TEAM
Cody Mauch	OL	North Dakota State	2 (17)	48	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Marte Mapu	LB/S	Sacramento State	3 (13)	76	New England Patriots
Tucker Kraft	TE	South Dakota State	3 (15)	78	Green Bay Packers
Colby Sorsdal	OT	William & Mary	5 (18)	152	Detroit Lions
B.J. Thompson	DE	Stephen F. Austin	5 (32)	166	Kansas City Chiefs
Andrei Iosivas	WR	Princeton	6 (29)	206	Cincinnati Bengals
Titus Leo	LB	Wagner	6 (34)	211	Indianapolis Colts
Travis Bell	DT	Kennesaw State	7 (1)	218	Chicago Bears
Colton Dowell	WR	UT Martin	7 (11)	228	Tennessee Titans
Isaiah Bolden	CB	Jackson State	7 (28)	245	New England Patriots

The 10 FCS players drafted are less than the 20 players selected n 2022. However, it is more than the five players selected in the 2021 draft and and six players in the 2020 draft class.

Number of FCS NFL draft picks over the last decade:

2014- 19
2015- 17
2016- 20
2017- 15
2018- 19
2019- 13
2020- 6
2021- 5
2022- 20
2023- 10

 

[fourthandshort]

PLAYER	POSITION	SCHOOL	ROUND (PICK)	OVERALL PICK	NFL TEAM
Cody Mauch	OL	North Dakota State	2 (17)	48	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Marte Mapu	LB/S	Sacramento State	3 (13)	76	New England Patriots
Tucker Kraft	TE	South Dakota State	3 (15)	78	Green Bay Packers
Colby Sorsdal	OT	William & Mary	5 (18)	152	Detroit Lions
B.J. Thompson	DE	Stephen F. Austin	5 (32)	166	Kansas City Chiefs
Andrei Iosivas	WR	Princeton	6 (29)	206	Cincinnati Bengals
Titus Leo	LB	Wagner	6 (34)	211	Indianapolis Colts
Travis Bell	DT	Kennesaw State	7 (1)	218	Chicago Bears
Colton Dowell	WR	UT Martin	7 (11)	228	Tennessee Titans
Isaiah Bolden	CB	Jackson State	7 (28)	245	New England Patriots

BTW .. reminder that when Mauch and Kraft were interviewed about the NFL draft and asked who was the toughest opponent they each faced ... they both said Zeke. Mind you, SDSU and NDSU were also in Natty Title game this year.

So when the top 2 offensive players fromt the top 2 teams in the top FCS conference both say, "Zeke can play" ... uh, it might mean something.

NFL needs to get their collective sh-t together .. Zeke can play !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DannyCooksey]

Zeke is the first UDFA that the Dolphins have signed from the MVC since Wichita State WR/Holder Chuck Cornchoke in 1979.

 

[cubird]

WOW...deep in the history books. Did Chuck make the team?

 

[Adunk33]

 

[cpacmel]

Zeke is the first FCS defensive player of the Year not drafted by the way he didn't deserve that

The first Buck Buchanan award winner not drafted? I don't think that's true.

 

[Bender]

The first Buck Buchanan award winner not drafted? I don't think that's true.

You have to go all the way back to 2021's winner when Isaiah Land won it as a Junior at Florida A&M and went undrafted this past weekend.

America's Team: FAMU football's Isaiah Land inks undrafted free agent deal with Dallas Cowboys

 

[MadBird]

I looked over the names of the draftees, didn't study the list closely -- did any of our portal guys from last year get picked? Harder to tell if anyone got UDFA, I guess, prolly no list of those. Would be interesting to see if the moves improved anyone's chances.

 

[DannyCooksey]

WOW...deep in the history books. Did Chuck make the team?

Nope. Shula hated him according to Parcells

 

[fourthandshort]

I looked over the names of the draftees, didn't study the list closely -- did any of our portal guys from last year get picked? Harder to tell if anyone got UDFA, I guess, prolly no list of those. Would be interesting to see if the moves improved anyone's chances.

Mad .. I found this site with a very comprensive list as of April 29th ... I haven't poured thru it yet. But it identifies current FCS UDFAs and those who transfered in most recent year.

"Here are leading undrafted FCS players (and those who made one-year final-season transfers to the FBS) with free agent agreements and contracts or mini-camp invites, according to announcements and reports"

FCS Undrafted Free Agent Tracker | The Analyst

A working list of leading undrafted FCS players with free agent agreements or contracts or mini-camp invites following the 2023 NFL Draft.

theanalyst.com