Following the last round of roster cuts over the weekend, the two former Bulldogs who were drafted have officially made it to the NFL.
With the season slated to start Sep. 10, all NFL teams had to finalize their 53-man rosters for the upcoming season.
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Linebacker Mykal Walker, a 4th round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons, and offensive lineman Netane Muti, a 6th round draft pick to the Denver Broncos, both made their respective rosters.
Following the April draft, four former Fresno State players signed with teams as undrafted free agents: running back Josh Hokit to the San Francisco 49ers, safety Juju Hughes to the Los Angeles Rams, tight end Cam Sutton to the Carolina Panthers and tight end Jared Rice to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Hokit and Hughes did not make a 53-man roster, but they were signed to the 49ers’ and Rams’ practice squads, respectively.
Players on the practice squad are allowed to practice with their teams but not play in any games. If a spot opens up on a 53-man roster, teams will often sign a player from their practice squad.
Sutton and Rice did not make it to the final round of cuts – both were cut in August.
Linebacker Mike Bell – a former defensive back at Fresno State – went undrafted in 2019 and did not sign with a team until the Buffalo Bills came calling after the 2020 draft. Unfortunately for the former Bulldog, his time in Buffalo was short as he was cut in August.
Hokit and Hughes join two other former Bulldogs on NFL practice squads: offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and safety Curtis Riley.
Wiggins went undrafted in 2011 and is currently on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. He played his first NFL game in 2014 with the Chargers, where he played through 2017. Wiggins signed with the Lions in 2018. Over his professional career, Wiggins has played in 75 games and has made 38 starts.
Riley made the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster on Saturday, but he was released and added to the practice squad on Sunday. Riley went undrafted in 2015 and has played for the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. He has played in 43 games, including 19 in which he started.
With Muti and Walker added to the mix, Fresno State now has seven former players currently on an NFL roster: wide receiver Davante Adams with the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders, defensive tackle Tyler Davinson with the Falcons, wide receiver KeeSean Johnson with the Arizona Cardinals and safety Charles Washington also with the Cardinals.
Photo: Fresno State Athletics
