As I've done most years, here's a post tracking where all of our former Noles are in the NFL. It's been quite the year of movement. Last year, there were only 24 Noles rostered on various teams at the start of preseason, but a few others signed as training camps continued. As of this writing, there are 32 Noles in 19 different camps, buoyed by thirteen rookies that have joined the fray. If it wasn’t clear from last year’s results on the college gridiron, this number should indicate that FSU is back as a national power.

Vet Without a Job

The number of Noles currently in camps means there’s only one veteran who logged many snaps last season still looking for work: Dalvin Cook. Cook, who had the misfortune of playing for the Jets last season before being allowed to head to the Ravens to add depth to that injury-riddled squad, has been taking calls, but hasn’t found a home of his liking yet. Running back is the most frequently injured position in football, so you’d think it’s only a matter of time.

[Update: Dalvin Cook is now a Dallas Cowboy.]

[Update: Another unemployed Nole was signed into camp, as the Houston Texans picked up Cam Erving. Cam now gets to fight for a spot on the 53 man roster.]

[[Update Update: Cam was cut during the final roster cut down.]]

Vets Not Worried About Their Jobs

Brian Burns was traded by the moribund Carolina Panthers to the moribund New York Giants, currently roasting themselves on Hard Knocks. He won’t get many NFL wins or playoff appearances from the trade (though no worse a situation than he was in when a Panther), but he did get a nice new 5 year, $150M contract for his troubles. He’s currently absolutely killing the Giants’ inept offensive line in training camp.

Burns is now teammates with Graham Gano, who’s made his way back from a knee injury. Fellow kicker Dustin Hopkins is also coming back from a late season injury suffered trying to make a tackle on Christmas Eve, but Cleveland still signed him to a 3 year, $15.9M contract extension, making him one of the top 5 paid kickers in the league. Neither kicker is facing any competition this training camp.

DHop was joined by Jameis Winston on the Browns roster. Jameis provides Cleveland one of the best backup QB situations in the league as he sits behind the oft-injured, oft-ineffective Deshaun Watson. Jameis has become a minor Twitter hit this training camp with his daily footraces against team consultant (and former Titans head coach) Mike Vrabel at every practice. Looks like he’ll be in good shape to take over as starter if the season yet again offers no happy ending to Watson.

Winston’s old roommate, Ronald Darby, has found himself in a reliable employment situation in Jacksonville, proving himself one of if not the most effective member of a relatively weak Jaguars secondary. He has been having a great training camp so far.

Former Jaguar Jalen Ramsey likewise is leading his secondary. He turned in yet another Pro Bowl season (his ninth straight) despite the Dolphins defense struggling a bit under Vic Fangio. Ramsey was vocal about his dislike of last year’s scheme and relief that Fangio was let go. The team will have a new defensive scheme this year, hopefully one more to Jalen’s liking.

Derwin James and Asante Samuel will be implementing a new scheme with the Chargers as well, with Jim Harbaugh taking over the franchise and bringing his Michigan defensive assistant, Jesse Minter, to remake the LA defense. Minter has already stated that he intends to use Derwin all over the field to take advantage of his star safety’s versatility. The Chargers defense should be a fun one to watch.

One player not getting used to a new defensive scheme is Derrick Nnadi. Entering his sixth year under DC Steve Spagnuolo (seventh overall), Nnadi signed a new one year contract that is fully guaranteed to help the team attempt to threepeat as NFL champions. If they are successful, Nnadi will collect his fourth Super Bowl ring. In his career, he’s only failed to reach the Super Bowl twice and has never not reached the AFC Championship Game. Not a bad resume for this quiet and earnest dog lover. He is currently on the Physically Unable to Participate (PUP) list while working his way back from a triceps injury that ended his season early last year.

Hoping to make it back to the Super Bowl is Josh Sweat, who agreed to take a pay cut to remain with the Eagles this season. A year after setting a career high in sacks for a historic defense in Philadelphia, Josh regressed significantly in a defense that faded overall in 2023. He has a new DC this year (Jalen Ramsey’s favorite coach Vic Fangio), so he’ll hope to get back on track before looking for a new contract in the offseason.

In contrast, Jermaine Johnson took a significant step forward last year for the Jets, tripling his sack totals from his rookie season. He’ll look to improve those numbers further this year. He has stated that getting the chance to go up against All-Pro LT Tyron Smith every day in training camp is helping him hone his technique greatly.

Finally, let’s appreciate what a difference a few years and changes of scenery can do for a career. DeMarcus Walker struggled to really find his place in Denver and in subsequent short stays in Houston and Tennessee, but that changed when he joined the Bears, where his snap count nearly doubled his previous career high. Now entering his eighth pro season, he is ensconced in a relatively thin Chicago defensive end group and has shown his natural leadership, already coming to the defense of his new rookie QB Caleb Williams in the press.

Rookies Locked in with Their Teams

Jared Verse and Braden Fiske made for a heartwarming story when they were both selected by the Los Angeles Rams with their first two picks. The video of Verse walking in from the airport to welcome his new teammate on the phone, Fiske crying at the sound of his once and future teammate’s voice became an instant classic on social media and sports airwaves alike. They are tasked with making the Rams’ rebuilt defensive line a success. Braden particularly has the significant task of replacing no-doubt Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. It should be an interesting first season for the duo.

Keon Coleman is also helping to rebuild a unit, in this case Buffalo’s wide receiver corps, which lost 83% of its catches, 78% of its receiving yards, and 89% of its receiving touchdowns when all but one of its players departed in the offseason. Keon has been wowing Bills Mafia with his physical attributes, his playing ability, and his big personality so far this training camp. He is well on his way to becoming a beloved figure for a storied franchise while catching passes from one of the league’s top quarterbacks.

Trey Benson is not heading toward a starting job right away, but he is positioned well to be the backup and share carries with current starter James Conner, and if he plays the way we’re used to seeing him at FSU, it’s likely just a matter of time before he becomes Arizona’s primary weapon out of the backfield.

Renardo Green and Jarrian Jones find themselves in similar circumstances. Both are getting a lot of run by their franchises on the inside covering the slot, and both have excellent chances of becoming the primary option at that spot with the frequency their teams are playing them with the first team defense in that role. For Renardo, he has the slightly tougher spot given he’s part of a stellar Niners defense, but one with most of its cornerback talent more specialized for the outside. For Jarrian, he is positioning himself within a relatively thin secondary while also getting significant reps in special teams coverage. There is little doubt they’ll see their share of snaps this year.

Johnny Wilson is not battling for a starting spot – Devonta Smith and AJ Brown are unequivocally the starters in Philadelphia. However, his physical attributes and playing style brings something unique to the Eagles’ receiver corps, so it’s likely that he will not only make the roster, he’ll earn some offensive snaps. But that assumes he continues to have a decent training camp – of all the rookies in this category, he’s the closest to being in an actual battle for a place on his team.

Jordan Travis will likely not play this season, but will likely not be cut, either. The Jets presumably knew what they were getting when they drafted the injured quarterback, so should have patience with him as he works to return to playing form to become an understudy to Aaron Rodgers. The team recently announced that his recovery was taking longer than expected, so he will likely go on the reserve/non-football injury list once the season starts or, if it becomes clear it will take significantly more time to become ready, they might place him on the reserve list early, ending his season entirely.

[Update: The Jets announced that they were not going to take him off the injured list, so he will start the season on IR. They said his recovery and rehab was taking longer than expected and they'd revisit his status later in the season.]

Rookies Battling for Jobs

You would think that being drafted at all by a horrible team should be enough to guarantee you a roster spot, but Jaheim Bell is not quite so lucky. The tight end was picked in the seventh round by the Patriots, who already have veterans Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper primed to lock down the first and second string spots assuming no significant backslide. Besides those two, there are three other candidates vying for a roster spot against Jaheim. It is by no means clear that he will be on the 53 man roster at the end of camp. It probably would have worked better for him to have sailed through the seventh round and instead signed as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) with a team of his choice. Instead, we’ll have to see if he beats out the competition, ends up on the New England practice squad, or goes through the post-camp free agent meat market.

[Update: Jaheim made the initial 53 man roster and seems primed to get at least some snaps this year.]

Tatum Bethune is in a similar situation. Drafted in the seventh into a loaded linebacker group in San Francisco that Pro Football Focus (PFF) calls the best in the league, he’s going to have to impress either as a linebacker or special teams contributor to be assured of a spot on the 53 man roster. Given how the Niners normally handle their personnel, I doubt they drafted him to cut him outright, but there’s no guarantee they won’t cut him out of training camp and try to sign him to the practice squad this season.

[Update: Bethune did in fact make the initial 53 man roster.]

Kalen DeLoach, one of Tampa Bay’s UDFAs, had a stellar minicamp, helping his case to make head coach Todd Bowles’s defensive squad. He does have multiple options if he doesn’t make the 53 man roster, as he was selected by the Arlington Renegades in the third round of the UFL draft.

[Update: The Bucs cut Kalen at the very start of cut downs. He was waived/injured, made it through waivers, and is currently on Tampa's IR.]

Akeem Dent also has that same set of options if he doesn’t make it through camp to be a backup for Derwin James as a Charger. The Michigan Panthers picked him in the seventh round of the UFL draft.

[Update: Akeem Dent was cut by the Chargers.]

Fabien Lovett is unlikely to make the 53 man roster in Kansas City, as the Chiefs have a deep DT rotation under contract. However, given everything the coaching staff and GM said about him when they signed him as a UDFA makes me think he will be a priority for them to sign to their practice squad. The team really likes his size and prowess against the run game.

[Update: The Chiefs cut Fabien during final cut downs then signed him to their practice squad.]

Vets Battling for Jobs

If he had been signed just a little earlier or if I had decided to do this post just a little bit later, it’s possible that Cam Akers would be appearing with the other vets who are ostensibly safe. However, he was signed just as training camp started, so he’s had little opportunity to make a splash in Houston. The Texans signed Joe Mixon as a free agent and already had past starter Dameon Pierce on the roster. They also drafted Jawhar Jordan in April to join several others. It’s a crowded room, so there’s no guarantee that Cam will make the roster if he doesn’t return to his old form after recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered last season.

[Update: Not only did Cam make the team, but he has pushed for an active role in the RB rotation. It definitely looks like he's back from his injury.]

Jashaun Corbin is in a similar bind when it comes to a crowded running back room on the Giants, even with former star Saquon Barkley now in Philadelphia. Jashaun only logged 15 offensive snaps over six games last season, making most of his impact on special teams. He’s not been able to break through to a regular role his past two seasons, and though this is his best opportunity yet, it’s still an uphill battle to stand out.

[Update: The Giants waived Jashaun with an injury settlement. He now can focus on getting healthy again and looking for a new team.]

Mario Edwards Jr is in a slightly better situation with Houston. Though listed as a defensive end here, he’s likely to be kept as depth at defensive tackle for the Texans defensive scheme if he wins a spot on the 53 man.

[Update: Not only did MEJ make the roster, he's listed as the starter with prior starter Denico Autry serving a PED suspension.]

Janarius Robinson also has a pretty good shot at catching on as a depth pass rusher in Las Vegas. He has no shot cracking the starting lineup without significant injuries occurring, but the Raiders have cooperated with giving him a fighting chance to stick around and get a share of the defensive snaps thanks to the overall lack of depth across the entire roster.

[Update: With a strong push especially in the final preseason game, Janarius beat his competition for a spot on the Raiders' 53.]

Jammie Robinson also has a favorable depth of talent situation in Carolina, though to date he’s made his biggest contributions on special teams. The Panthers can use reliable talent in most spots on their roster, so he has a decent shot to stick around on the 53 man roster and dress on Sundays.

[Update: Jammie did in fact make the 53 man roster.]

Keir Thomas has more of an uphill battle making the Rams final roster, and he partly has his fellow Noles to blame. As mentioned above, the Rams have been rebuilding their pass rush, so he has a lot of young talent around him in camp. It’s unlikely he’ll be pressing Jared Verse for playing time, but if he can show that he’s expanded on his pass rush repertoire, he’ll have his best chance for sticking around this year.

[Update: Keir Thomas was cut, then signed to the Rams' practice squad.]

And then there’s Eddie Goldman. Oh my. He was signed by Atlanta in 2022 and then announced his retirement. He came back for the Falcons’ 2023 camp, but left in the middle of it despite "looking great" according to the team. After they placed him on the Reserve/Left list, he essentially retired again. But guess what? He’s back again! It is unknown at this time if he’ll decide to stick around to play in the new Raheem Morris/Jimmy Lake defensive scheme. Goldman was at one point a solid presence in the middle of the line for the his teams, but those days are now several years ago thanks to all the retirement hijinx. It will be fascinating to see what happens this time around.

[Update: Eddie did make the final 53 and does not seem to be retiring again.]

That's everyone currently in camp. If you'd like a handy reference, see the table below.