Almost three weeks removed from the NFL draft and there are still plenty of teams signing players that didn’t get their names called.
Three Red Raiders recently found new homes. Travis Koontz signed with the Oakland Raiders, Riko Jeffers signed with the Arizona Cardinals and Colin Schooler signed with the Buffalo Bills.
UDFA’s usually have an uphill battle making a roster, especially guys that get signed later in the process. I’ll be going over each guys potential impact and what they could bring to the table if they make the roster.
Travis Koontz- TE
When I saw that Koontz signed with the Oakland Raiders, there were very few teams that he could’ve gone to instead that would’ve provided a solid chance to make the roster. Besides the obvious Darren Waller and Foster Moreau, the only noteworthy player on the roster would be Jacob Hollister.
Koontz can help a team with both his receiving ability and run blocking. He was never dominant at either but he had some big plays in his career and showed enough promise to get a shot in the NFL. He might be a sneaky possibility to make the 53-man roster if he can beat out Hollister.
Riko Jeffers- LB
When Jordyn Brooks left Texas Tech I had some high expectations for Jeffers to produce and eventually be a high draft pick whenever he entered the draft. After the addition of Schooler to the linebacker room I thought that would elevate Jeffers game and allow him to roam free and have a huge impact on games.
Jeffers never really was able to get anything going and was exposed from time to time in the passing game. He signed on with the Cardinals and reunites with the guy who drafted him in Kliff Kingsbury. Jeffers will have to excel on special teams to make the roster, but he should still be heavily considered for a practice squad because of his high motor.
Colin Schooler- LB
One of the most exciting players for Tech during his time with the team, Schooler was a highlight machine who played with a motor like nobody else. He truly had a nose for the football and made some key plays in the passing game as well that showed off how versatile he can be.
His frame isn’t exactly what NFL scouts are looking for, but he looked fast at his pro day and I thought that he’d either get drafted in the seventh round or signed right away. I was happy to see him go to a team like Buffalo where he could earn a spot on the roster with special teams play. They have a solid couple of linebackers there, but Schooler might surprise some people and find his way onto the field one way or another.
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