ASU Football: Gonzalez Drafted, Others Signed Post-Draft

Zane Gonzalez was the only ASU football player drafted during the 2017 NFL Draft, but four others sign as undrafted rookies.

Gonzalez, Matt Haack, Gump Hayes, Tim White and Kody Kohl were the five Sun Devils who had NFL homes come the end of Saturday. While Gonzalez was selected by the Browns in the seventh round, the other four received phone calls shortly after the draft ended and began their journey to NFL stardom.

With each player the NFL is getting something special.

With Gonzalez, you are getting possibly the best FBS kicker in history. He will look to continue making history at the next level and will have a good opportunity in Cleveland where the Browns don’t have another kicker waiting in the wings if Gonzalez misses an extra point.

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Haack is an underrated punter. If there was one other person from Arizona State that should have been taken in this year’s draft, Haack was the guy. He consistently ranked near the top in most categories and he has a keen ability to place the ball exactly where it needs to be. The Miami Dolphins may have just signed their punter of the future in Haack.

Hayes brings the grittiness that head coach Todd Graham has shown to be the one thing that every Arizona State player has in common. While he may not light it up day one, Hayes will at least contend for hardest worker on the team. The good thing for Hayes is that he gets to stay local as the Arizona Cardinals will give him a chance to show them what he’s got.

White will be a nice receiving option that will most likely get his shot when an injury occurs. Blessed with the ability to come down with the ball in key situations, White may end up being someone who makes a difference right away. The Baltimore Ravens can always use receivers for Joe Flacco to throw to, and White is a nice tall target that Flacco will be able to find.

Kohl is going to be a player that we may not hear about for a few years. While he is suited for today’s pass-catching tight end position, he has a tendency to drop the ball. If he can figure out that issue and if he continues to be a hard worker, than the Tennessee Titans may have found a tight end that Marcus Mariota can rely on for years to come.

Next: Sun Devil Stadium Upgrades will Add to Experience

It doesn’t matter if you are the first pick in the draft, or if you sign as an undrafted free agent. In the end everyone ends up at the same place with the same opportunity ahead of them, to make a difference in the NFL.

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