Last weekend, four former Wildcats achieved their dreams of making the NFL: linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (Colts) and defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo (Vikings) were drafted in the fifth and seventh rounds, respectively, and wide receiver Austin Carr (Patriots) and linebacker Joe Jones (Cowboys) were each signed as undrafted free agents. NBN Sports took a look at how Northwestern’s newest pros are going to fit in:
Anthony Walker, Jr. by Meg Pisarczyk
Anthony Walker Jr. was the first player under Fitz to declare early for the draft, and The Franchise’s decision paid off. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round and will compete for one of two starting middle linebacker positions in the team’s 3-4 setup.
Last season, the Colts’ defense was ranked 26th out of the league’s 32 teams, allowing 25.5 points and 1,072 yards per game. Edwin Jackson and Antonio Morris started four games together at the end of last season, and will likely start again in the fall, but head coach Chuck Pagano might try switching things up to be more competitive in the AFC and league at-large, which could lead to playing time for Walker.
He likely won’t be starting for the Colts (at least not yet), but expect to see The Franchise™ on the field as a backup from time to time. Walker will need to work on speed getting off blocks to make it in the pros and a little bit of NFL training and conditioning could be the answer to seeing him on the field more often.
Ifeadi Odenigbo by Tim Hackett
The Minnesota Vikings quietly have a very solid defensive front. Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter wreaked havoc on opposing offenses last year, combining for 20.5 sacks. Linval Joseph had four sacks of his own, and Brian Robison had 7.5 – those two guys can stop the run, too. The Vikes also picked up Datone Jones from Green Bay in free agency and Jaleel Johnson from Iowa in the draft.
But even with that fearsome lineup, Ifeadi Odenigbo should crack the roster. Sorry for the typical draft buzzwords, but in his time at NU Odenigbo showed great instincts, a powerful motor and a true knack for getting to the quarterback. He should relish the opportunity to learn from Griffen and Hunter; they'll make him even better than he already is. I see Odenigbo making the Minnesota roster as a rotation/depth lineman, but in a few years, people might be making defensive end draft comparisons to him.
Austin Carrby Jono Zarrilli
The former Northwestern walk-on turned first-team all-Big Ten wideout somewhat surprisingly was not picked in the 2017 NFL Draft, but that does not mean he went unnoticed. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick saw something in Carr, and the Pats signed him on April 29.
This summer, Carr, a finalist for the 2016 Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver, will compete for a spot on the stacked roster of the defending Super Bowl champions led by arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. Anyone familiar with the Patriots’ offense understands why Carr could be a great fit: For over a decade the Pats have relied on small, sure-handed slot wideouts as a key component of their attack. Carr’s stature and hard-working, competitive nature are comparable to former Pats star Wes Welker (who went undrafted in 2004) and and current star Julian Edelman (who was drafted in the 7th round in 2009). However, Carr’s critics claim he doesn’t have the athleticism to succeed in the NFL, and the depth of the Pats wide receiving core means they may not have a spot for him this year. While Carr is not likely to have an immediate impact, the Patriots are an ideal fit for him and it is certainly possible to see him catching passes from Brady in 2017 and beyond.
Joe Jonesby Trevor Lystad
Jones, certainly the most unheralded of the four Wildcat pros, faces a tough battle to the NFL through Dallas’ deep linebacking corps. A strong unit that includes Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, and Jaylon Smith, Dallas’ linebackers may not be able to make space for Jones. Not everything is going against him, though: Dallas plays in a 4-3 scheme similar to Northwestern’s, and they signed just one other linebacker after drafting none.
The Plano, Ill. native had 46 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in his final season in Evanston. Jones was the first Wildcat signed after the draft this year, but he is still following another Wildcat’s footsteps: Back in the prehistoric era, Fitz himself signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after finishing college.