Syracuse football: 2022 NFL Draft preview

Which former Orange have a shot to go pro?

With the NFL Draft ready to kick off in Las Vegas, we’re taking a look at Syracuse players that are hoping to have their names called this weekend. Last year, we saw defensive stars Andre Cisco and Ifeatu Melifonwu both get selected in the third round. While this class doesn’t have quite the same pop of the 2021 group, there’s still several potential Day 3 picks on the board.

Abdul Adams, Running Back

Although he played in a much more limited role than the other five players on this list (a Heisman candidate at the same position will cause that), Adams participated in NFL Pro Day all the same. He has 393 rushing yards for SU and will likely be remembered for his team debut: a two-TD performance in the 2018 Camping World Bowl.

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Josh Black, Defensive Line.

Black has been a familiar face on the SU defense for a long time. He closed out a six-year collegiate career by starting all 12 games at Defensive Tackle in 2021. The All-ACC Honorable Mention had a total of 155 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, eight sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries, and two blocked kicks.

Kingsley Jonathan, Defensive Line

The Baltimore native was another recognizable face on the defensive front. During the 2020 season, when racked up a career high 32 tackles, Jonathan won the Jim Tatum Award for best football student-athlete in the ACC. In his career, Jonathan has 101 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Cody Roscoe, Defensive Line

Though he wasn’t here as long as the rest of this bunch, Roscoe made a serious impact all the same. During his two years in Syracuse, Roscoe had 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, ten sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 2021 and led the team with 8.5 sacks.

Airon Servais, Offensive Line

One of the more underrated players of this class simply due to his consistency, Servais played in 60 straight games for the Orange on the o-line, the most in D-1 FBS. He split time between center and tackle over that time but started more games at center last year. Servais’s ability to create wide running lanes inside played a big part in Sean Tucker’s breakout season. In a league where it seems good blockers are becoming rarer (and more expensive), I’d be shocked if nobody takes a flyer on him, even as a UDFA.

McKinley Williams, Defensive Line

Rounding out the five prospects is another departing d-lineman. Like Black, Williams stayed a full six years with the Cuse, stockpiling 122 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, four sacks and one fumble recovery.

2023 Prospects

Next year is when the Orange could be faced with a major talent drain. Guys like Mikel Jones, Garrett Williams, and even Sean Tucker could possibly be on the way out,

As for last year’s seniors… we wish you all the best of luck with making it in the big time.