Last year, on the fourth Thursday of April, all eyes in the 315 were glued to the television. The anticipation of Andre Cisco, Trill Williams and Iffy Melifonwu moving on to the NFL unified all the Syracuse faithful, regardless of how the 2020 season went for SU football. But this year, when it comes to NFL-caliber talent, the cupboard is pretty bare. According to Drafttek.com, one SU player resides in the top 50 ACC prospects. It’s not last year’s crop of prospects leaving the Hill, but let’s take a look at who could possibly get drafted.
Cody Roscoe
Roscoe is that one player in the Drafttek top 50. The McNeese State transfer was a first-team All-ACC honoree in 2021, bursting onto the scene after spot duty in 2020. Roscoe recorded 8.5 sacks, third best in the conference. He also had a banner showing at Syracuse’s pro day in late march. The Houstonian ripped off 33 consecutive bench press reps at 225 lbs, and told reporters afterwards his personal best was 37. He also ran a 4.8 40-yard dash, and a 4.32 shuttle. There are still questions about his frame (6-foot-1, 275 pounds). Roscoe certainly projects to be a day 3 draftee, but his perseverance and work ethic which he showed at Syracuse could see him become a rotational player and starter down the road.
Prediction: 6th Round
Kingsley Johnathan
Johnathan is another imposing physical presence. He also passed that 30-rep bench press benchmark, and standing 6-foot-4, 278 pounds, there aren’t as many worries about his stature.
Johnathan can also impress scouts with his dedication to his off-the-field studies. The native of Nigeria won the 2020 Jim Tatum Award as the best senior student-athlete in the ACC. On the field, Johnathan picked up 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The question for Johnathan from NFL scouts will be: “Do you fit in our scheme?” He’s spent the last two years in the 3-3-5, and will need to adjust his technique to fit in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. However, his smarts and experience should at least garner him a chance.
Prediction: UDFA signing
Airon Servias
Servias showed Orange fans his durability throughout his five seasons in Orange. His streak of 60 consecutive games started set an FBS record. However, he was a turnstile last season. His move to center at the end of the year hid some of his flaws, but the Wisconsinite did not fare well on the outside. Staying healthy is a huge plus in the NFL, where O-line injuries are extremely commonplace, but unfortunately it does not feel like his technique is up to snuff.
Prediction: Undrafted, Unsigned
Abdul Adams
Adams was RB3 behind Sean Tucker and Cooper Lutz. He has never been the number-one guy at the collegiate level. Not gonna cut it at the next level.
Prediction: Undrafted, Unsigned
Josh Black
Prediction: WWE Superstar
