Illinois football: Illini rookies leaving a mark in the NFL

The final NFL cuts happened in the last couple of days, and there were quite a few Illinois football newcomers who made a roster.

There were a few former Illini players who were most likely going to make the cut anyways. Kerby Joseph was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round, so he is on the team heading into the future.

Vederian Lowe was a sixth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He ended up making their 53-man roster. The Chicago Bears still have Doug Kramer as he is on the injured reserve with a foot injury. He would have likely made the 53-man roster considering the former Illinois center was drafted in the sixth round.

What other former Illinois football players made an NFL team after final roster cuts?

Jake Hansen

Coming into the 2022 NFL Draft, Jake Hansen was graded the third-highest Illinois player available. But he didn’t get picked by a team and became an unsigned free agent.

His former head coach, Lovie Smith, ended up signing Hansen for the preseason with the Houston Texas. Hansen had such a good run with the Texans, that they decided to keep him on the 53-man roster. This is an impressive feat for Hansen.

The Texans would finish the preseason 3-0, and Hansen performed well. Much like his time with the Illini, Hansen was a tackling machine for Houston. In the three preseason games, he would finish with 12 total tackles. Look for Hansen to work his way up the depth chart this season and make an impact on the Texans’ franchise.

Tony Adams

Another player who made the final cut was Tony Adams. Adams went undrafted like Hansen, but the New York Jets decided to take a flyer on him.

Much like the Texans, the Jets also went 3-0 in their preseason games. Adams helped New York go undefeated with 10 tackles in the three-game stretch.

I look for Adams to be a solid depth piece for the Jets in the coming year or so. If he gives the same effort and heart he put into the Illinois program, then there is no doubt in my mind Adams will see snaps throughout the 2022 season.