In addition to the five players drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft, another five Penn State players inked deals with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Given the size of this year's senior class it's not surprising to see that almost all of them found a landing spot in the NFL. Barring any last minute changes, all but three Nittany Lion seniors are with an NFL team. These are your undrafted free agents to date:
Kyle Carter - Minnesota Vikings
— Kyle Carter (@KCarter_87) April 30, 2016
It didn't take long for Kyle to find a landing spot after the draft. Carter was one of those players who showed a lot of potential early on, but injuries and a change in scheme made his output drop over the years. He now has a chance to put the work in camp and show the Vikings he can go back to his 2013 form.
Trevor Williams - San Diego Chargers
Congrats to Trevor Williams, who today signed w/@Chargers as an Undrafted Free Agent! #WeAre https://t.co/BjsXoTOvXO pic.twitter.com/XcmgN3DfPe
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) May 1, 2016
Trevor Williams had a solid career at Penn State, one which may have been overshadowed by the flashier, for lack of a better word, careers of both Adriam Amos and Jordan Lucas. Williams played all four years in his career at Penn State, starting out as a wide receiver in 2012.
Tarow Barney - New York Jets
Congrats to Wild Dog @TarowBarney for signing with the Jets yesterday. pic.twitter.com/42hBEqWZkg
— Sean Spencer (@SpenceChaos) May 2, 2016
Another player who had a solid career in his own right, but may have been overshadowed by the amazing talent ahead of him. A JuCo transfer, Tarow Barney did an admirable job spelling Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel this year, and made his firs career start against Michigan State last November, when the absence of Carl Nassib left a hole on the line.
Angelo Mangiro - New York Gians
Congrats to our guy @angelomangiro66 of @PennStateFball who will be attending @Giants rookie mini camp! Lets Go!
— Tier 1 Sports Mgmt (@Tier1SportsMgmt) May 2, 2016
The only offensive lineman to graduate this season, Angelo Mangiro saw a lot of playing time in his years at Penn State. Due to the sanction-induced lack of depth, Mangiro was ended up playin multiple positions on the line, settling at Center for most of the past two seasons. That is an asset he may be able to use at the Giants' minicamp.
Brandon Johnson - Pittsburgh Steelers
Our guy @Bjohnson_29 will be joining the @steelers at rookie mini camp next weekend! Better get used to hearing that name #SteelersNation
— Tier 1 Sports Mgmt (@Tier1SportsMgmt) May 1, 2016
A former walk-on, Brandon Johnson is not a name we've heard much of before. Used mostly on special teams, Brandon saw his first carries last season against Indiana and Illinois.
Ryan Keiser - Baltimore Ravens
So excited for our guy @rkeiser23 to join @Ravens for rookie mini camp next weekend. Long road to this point, but you earned it. Congrats!
— Tier 1 Sports Mgmt (@Tier1SportsMgmt) May 1, 2016
While not a member of the 2015 class, Keiser finding himself on an NFL roster at this point is nothing short of remarkable. You can write enough about his trajectory from walk-on to the NFL alone, but add in his injury and subsequent three-week hospital stay due to complications with his fractured rib, and this is a story of overcoming incredible odds to get here.
Keiser took a year off and served as a campus minister for Victory Christian Fellowship while he prepared to get back to the NFL. The time off allowed him to focus and get his body ready for the big league.
Good luck to all five players, and may they play for many years!