Two former Syracuse players, defensive end Alton Robinson and punter Sterling Hofrichter, were drafted in the 2020 NFL draft that concluded on Saturday. After the draft’s end, though, four past Orange also signed contracts to join NFL teams. They’ll now join each team’s 90-man roster and compete for a spot on the final 53-man roster. 

Here’s a round-up on Syracuse’s undrafted free agents.

Kendall Coleman, Indianapolis Colts

Coleman, a former Syracuse defensive end, signed with the Colts and was the first Syracuse undrafted free agent following the draft’s conclusion. He was a four-year starter, the first pass rusher to do so since SU switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in 1996. 

In 44 career games — 43 of which he started — Coleman totaled 137 tackles (70 solo), 26.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. As a junior, he and Robinson both tallied 10 sacks, the most of any duo in the ACC. Coleman’s sack total was cut from 10 to four his senior year.

“They’re a fabulous combination,” head coach Dino Babers said of his defensive ends in camp before the 2019 season. “I think sometimes Kendall doesn’t get his due because of the way Alton carries himself and rightly so.”

Coleman ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash at the NFL draft Scouting Combine in February, and also had a vertical jump of 32.0 inches and a broad jump of 114.0 inches. NFL.com gave him a prospect grade of 5.43, 32nd best of all edge rushers.

Ahead of the draft, Coleman trained with former Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler and 2013 AFC Defensive Player of the Year Robert Mathis, per a video posted to Mathis’s Twitter account. Mathis is currently working with the Colts as a pass-rush consultant.

The Colts were No. 15 in the NFL in sacks last season and lost Jabaal Sheard (4.5 sacks last year) in free agency.

Trishton Jackson, Los Angeles Rams

Jackson, a former Syracuse wide receiver signed with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday evening. He declared early for the draft, foregoing his senior season, and many mock drafts had him pegged as a seventh rounder. Jackson, who transferred from Michigan State to Syracuse after his sophomore year, hauled in 66 catches for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Orange last year as a redshirt junior.  

Now, he’ll join a wide receiving corps in Los Angeles that includes Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds. The Rams recently traded veteran receiver Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans but also spent a second rounder on LSU wideout Van Jefferson. Jackson will have to compete for a spot on the Rams’ week 1 roster. 

The Detroit native’s career at Syracuse began and ended in memorable fashion. In his first game of eligibility, in Syracuse’s 34-18 Camping World Bowl win over West Virginia, Jackson snagged a touchdown on a back-shoulder pass from Eric Dungey. In SU’s 2019 season finale, Jackson caught 10 balls for 111 yards and scored in an overtime victory.

At the NFL draft scouting combine, the 6-foot-1 Jackson ran an unofficial 4.5-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 36-inch vertical. He logged five 100-yard games for SU and holds the program record for most yards in a junior season.

Sean Riley, New England Patriots

Riley signed a contract with the New England Patriots after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL draft on Saturday. The four-year player for the Orange primarily served as a special teamer for his first two seasons in the return game before transitioning to a larger, all-purpose role as a wideout and returner in his final two years. 

The Patriots didn’t draft any wide receivers and were already relatively thin at the position entering the draft, giving Riley a chance to compete for a spot on the Patriots 53-man roster. Given his return and special teams experience, Riley could be a specialist even if his production as a traditional wide receiver is limited. His best season as a receiver came as a junior when the Orange won 10 games and Riley caught a team-high 64 passes for 756 yards. 

As a wide receiver, Riley caught 119 passes for 1,265 yards and four touchdowns in his career, but he also returned a punt for a touchdown and blocked two punts defensively. Riley was a four-year kick returner and three-year punt returner, finishing third in ACC history for total kickoff returns.

Evan Adams, Baltimore Ravens

Adams became the fourth Syracuse undrafted free agent to sign, joining the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, according to a tweet from Syracuse Football.

After redshirting his first season with the Orange,  the offensive lineman started his last four years for the Orange, three as a right guard and one as a left guard in his final season. He started 45 of his 49 games in four eligible seasons. 

He was one of just two returners in 2019, along with Airon Servais, to an offensive line that struggled with both run block and protecting quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Clayton Welch. After the offensive line was dominant in 2018, their performance was part of SU’s five-win drop-off from 10 to five last season.

The Ravens also drafted two offensive linemen, tackle Tyre Phillips (Mississippi State) and guard Ben Bredeson (Michigan), with their picks in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

This post will be updated with additional reporting.

Published on April 26, 2020 at 12:29 am

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman