1st Round- WR Patricia Shifflett. +14/+7 The Orange may finally have an elite offensive playmaker. He boomed and will be someone to push the ball downfield almost immediately.
Day 1 Starter.
2nd Round- RG Theodore Hensley. +7/+4 A bit of a forced signing at the time by Syracuse. They felt the run on OL would leave them holding an empty bag if they waited another round. Hensley won't be elite against the run, but will hold his own while being a brick wall against pass rush with his incredible strength and technique. He'll be trained at both Guard positions and is the starter of the future.
3rd Round- TE Kenton Williams. +16/+6 Syracuse has suffered for years without a viable #1 TE who could be used in the passing game. Kenton Williams changes that almost immediately. He will start from day one while he learns the position. His hands may lead to some costly drops, but development is the goal this season for Syracuse.
4th Round- LDE Jacob Hudson. +10/+1 The Orange needed to find the replacement for longtime DE Gauthier, who graduates at the end of the season, and they got their man here. He will gain another point, maybe two, in speed as he drops down to playing weight. Hudson will play solid against both the pass and run when he's finished developing. He may miss a tackle here and there, but considering the lack of production under current rules by defensive ends, Jacob will be a solid starter next season and will get playing time this year as he learns the position.
5th Round- QB Lawrence Duhon. +7/+6 Having lost Hemphill to the transfer portal following his longtime career, Syracuse needed to find a capable backup for Minshew. Mission success. Duhon will be a great backup and may even push Minshew for starter once his accuracy development is finished. Estatic over finding him this late in the signing process.
6th Round- LG John Cervantes. +1/-1 A converted FB, Cervantes will be depth on OL and an occasional starter due to injury.
7th Round- DT Stanley OConnor. +5/-4 The only real bust for Syracuse from Signing Day. He'll be cut and they will scan the transfer portal for depth at that position.
Walk-On SLB Jeffrey Jeffries +6/-6. He has a big heart, but his skills just didn't progress enough in camp to warrant a roster spot. He may find a spot on another team who could use his talents more effectively.
Walk-On LG Richard Hogan +2/+1. Syracuse convinced the former High School FB Hogan to transition to LG and he had a productive training camp. He could be timed in the 40 with a sundial, but his progress indicates his potential as possibly a future starter in a couple seasons. Worst case, he's depth on the interior at either guard position.
Overall, we are over the moon about our training camp results. All we need now is the right game planner to take the step back to prominence. In other words, the Orange are screwed...
