Michigan State’s streak of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft was extended to 80 years last weekend when cornerback Josiah Scott was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round. Later defensive end Kenny Willekes was taken by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round and that’s where the drafting ended for former Spartans.

There are a number of MSU alums who ended up signing with teams as undrafted free agents. Some are poised to stick around with their current franchises and some will have an uphill battle to keep their jobs. Today I’m going to look at the players that have signed and broadly rank them by which ones landed in the best spots based on fit, need, talent, and the depth chart they have entered onto.

The best spot

Brian Lewerke – Quarterback, New England Patriots

Former Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke was one of a handful of passers that were fringe draft picks last weekend. Had Lewerke gotten picked, it wouldn’t have been a shock. It also makes sense that he wasn’t. From a talent perspective he’s probably got the most NFL traits of any undrafted Spartan, it’s just a matter of putting it all together and cashing in on the promise of his early college career. What better place to do that than the best franchise in the NFL that has a glaring need a quarterback?

First, New England wins a ton. We all know that. They are regarded for having perhaps the greatest breadth of institutional knowledge in the NFL. Bill Belichick is as good as it gets at the top and they’ve got plenty of great positional coaches. Lewerke couldn’t have picked a better place to sit and develop for a year or two to see if he can stick in the league. The Patriots are also notorious for not giving a damn about where you were drafted. All NFL teams like to say that, but the Patriots exemplify that to the nth degree with their actions. And as we all know, quarterbacks are not exempt from that. The best man wins the job. So that’s a good start.

Then we factor in the current depth chart at the position. Tom Brady is gone. Fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham, who the Patriots are seemingly high on, is I guess in the lead to start? Maybe? Behind him is veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer, who also signed with the Patriots as an undrafted quarterback leaving Michigan State. The Patriots didn’t draft a quarterback, instead opting to sign Lewerke and Louisiana Tech QB J’Mar Smith. Those are the quarterbacks on the roster. Right now it’s probably the worst QB room in the league. That’s a pretty good place to go to try and earn a job, at the very worst, as the third quarterback. That is unless the Patriots opt to sign a veteran free agent (Andy Dalton or Cam Newton are two possibilities, although Newton doesn’t mesh with the Patriots’ current salary cap situation), which certainly would throw a wrench into things.

Great Spots

Darrel Stewart Jr.  – Wide receiver, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers had a weird draft. Everybody and their mother knew the Pack needed to add at least one new receiver to help out Aaron Rogers and Davante Adams. Instead, Green Bay drafted a quarterback, running back and tight end with their first three picks and all hell broke loose. The Packers didn’t draft a single receiver. Darrell Stewart is the only receiver they signed as an undrafted free agent.

The Packers’ receiving depth chart is a mess behind Adams. It’s a bunch of guys who are some combination of young and unproven. All of them have had professional chances, and none of them have done more than have a few good moments here or there. Jobs should be up for grabs on the receiving depth chart and Stewart being the only rookie receiver they’ve added thus far bodes well for him.

The receiving class of rookies was absolutely loaded this year and some NFL-worthy pass catchers ended up slipping out of the draft because of it. Stewart is one of those guys.

Joe Bachie – Inside linebacker, New Orleans Saints

Joe Bachie has a real shot to make the Saints. At the very worst I expect him to easily make the practice squad and at some point play in the NFL in 2020. Bachie’s draft stock was a bit all over the place, but many analysts felt he had a good shot at being drafted. Him slipping out of the draft was a bit of a surprise, so the NFL talent is there.

New Orleans is a really good spot to be a young linebacker as well. The top of the depth chart is set, but jobs could be available behind the top five or six. Bachie could very well be the seventh linebacker on the 53-man roster and suit up as a special teams player for his rookie year. Also, 2020 3rd-round pick Zack Baun is the only Saints linebacker under contract beyond this season. Middle linebackers Kiko Alonso and Craig Robertson are older veterans that are reaching the end of their productive playing days.

good spots

Raequan Williams – Defensive tackle, Philadelphia Eagles

Raequan is probably not quite in a “good” spot, but it’s OK. I left him in this slot because I think he has a path to a roster spot and will get a chance based on his ability. Raequan is another one of these guys that was predicted to get picked in the fifth or sixth round, but ended up slipping all the way out of the draft. He’s probably the best player among the Eagles’ undrafted class. He’s also the only undrafted DT on the roster.

The problem is the Eagles have a very good defensive line room. The jobs are spoken for. At the back end there is some vulnerability and Eagles reporters think Williams will be one of three or four names competing for a single roster spot. That’s always a tough position, but even if that doesn’t work out, I would almost guarantee Williams lands on the Eagles’ practice squad. He has too much talent not to. His strength and athleticism testing at the combine absolutely killed his stock and those are two things that can be improved with a year or two in an NFL strength program.

tough spots

Cody White – Wide receiver, Kansas City Chiefs

This one is all about the log-jammed depth chart at receiver in Kansas City. Five of the six receiver spots on the team are spoken for, assuming Byron Pringle is still a part of the plans, which I imagine he is. That means White’s odds to make the team are long. White is another one of those fringe-NFL draft guys that certainly possesses some NFL traits so there’s a shot he can stick around on the practice squad. Consider this though, White probably isn’t the best undrafted receiver from Michigan State on the Chiefs. Felton Davis III is finally healthy and one of the top handful of guys with a shot to get that last receiver spot. Also hurting White is that the Chiefs singed SIX receivers as undrafted free agents. It’s going to be a war to stay on the Chiefs as a receiver next year.

Mike Panasiuk – Defensive tackle, Las Vegas Raiders

It’s good news, bad news for Mike. Good news: The Raiders didn’t draft a defensive lineman and only signed one (Panasiuk) after the draft. The bad news: The Raiders didn’t address the position in the draft or with other rookies because they didn’t need to. In the NFL teams will carry seven or eight defensive lineman total–depending on scheme and roster builds. Before the draft the Raiders had twelve defensive linemen under contract. Mike Panasiuk makes it 13. And he’s probably 13th out of 13 on the depth chart. Maybe he makes the practice squad because some of the guys ahead of him on the depth chart are veterans and wouldn’t be as intriguing to keep around as developmental prospects. Either way, Panasiuk is stuck at the back of a packed depth chart.

Tyler Higby – Offensive line, Minnesota Vikings

Between holdovers and draft picks the Vikings have 13 linemen on their current roster. Add in they spent some decent money on undrafted tackle Brady Aiello and also signed offensive lineman Jake Lacina with Higby and the climb to a roster spot starts to look daunting. In the NFL the 53-man roster will usually carry ten linemen, which means the Vikings are going to be either moving on or stashing some of the young players they’ve made draft and financial investments in. It’s just a really tough spot. With expanded practice squads, Higby has a shot to land there or on another team’s practice squad if he wants to give that a go.

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