3 Syracuse players earn NFL opportunities after going undrafted

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Former Syracuse defensive linemen McKinley Williams, Kingsley Jonathan and Josh Black all signed with NFL teams or received minicamp invites shortly after the league’s 2022 draft that concluded on Saturday night. No Syracuse players were selected in this year’s draft, the first time the Orange didn’t have a selection since 2017.

Black was the first to announce his opportunity after being invited to the Chicago Bears’ minicamp, which will take place from May 6-8 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Black is an Illinois native who earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention honors last season. He recorded 155 tackles, eight sacks and an interception during his six-year career at Syracuse.

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Jonathan then became the first SU player in this year’s class to sign after inking a free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills. The Baltimore, Maryland native played for five years with the Orange, notching 101 tackles, 15 sacks and three forced fumbles. His three sacks against Boston College last season were tied for the eighth-most in school history for a single game. At his pro day on March 31, Jonathan ran a 4.76 40-yard dash, notched 28 bench press reps and jumped 10 feet on the broad jump.

Williams signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Indianapolis Colts, according to his agency, Perez Sports Associates. Williams appeared in games over six seasons at Syracuse as an interior defensive lineman, registering 122 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Florida native started in eight games last season and made a season-high five tackles in SU’s last game of the season against Pitt.

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