Fresno, California
With Fresno State having a Bye Week this week we look to the NFL where there are currently 14 Bulldogs rostered. Looking at how they stack up on a tiered system.
Tier 1: The GOAT
Considered to be one of the top receivers in the last 10 years, Adams is the ultimate Fresno State GOAT. The 31-year-old NFL veteran has been torching defenses for more than 10 years. As a 2 star recruit coming out of Palo Alto, California, nobody expected him to be anything special. In his collegiate debut against Weber State, he burst onto the scene, catching 7 balls for 118 yards. From there he never looked back. Totaling a whopping 3,030 receiving yards in his two years with the Bulldogs, Davante Adams left a large impact. Then, in 2014 he was drafted in the second round with the 53rd pick. After a slow start, Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers created a bond with Adams, ending in 6 seasons with eye-popping production. Adams was then traded to the Raiders in 2022 where he reunited with Fresno State teammate, Derek Carr. Last week, Adams requested a trade looking to potentially reunite with Rodgers or Carr.
Tier 2: The Stars
The current Saints QB has been a solid starter in his 11 years in the NFL. In college, he led the Bulldogs to soar as high as to be ranked 15th in the country. That season he was electric at Fresno, throwing for a staggering 391 passing yards per game. That led him to be a second-round draft pick to then at the time, the Oakland Raiders, where he played in the Pro Bowl in just his second season. In 2023, his play earned him a 4 year $150,000,000 deal from the Saints. While he has yet to win a playoff game, Carr is one of the greatest to ever wear a Fresno uniform.
The 25-year-old bursted onto the scene intercepting a league-leading 9 passes. That solely earned his spot in this tier. After he transferred from Sacramento State, Bland had an immediate effect on the defense. Getting a key interception in a nail-biter win against Nevada and then a forced fumble in the win over a then-ranked UCLA team showed Bland was a leader of the defense. He is still awaiting his start to the 2024-2025 NFL season due to injury. Bland underwent foot surgery in August but can get activated as early as this week making him one to watch as the year continues.
Tier 3: Next in Line (Backups)
The man who torched Mountain West defenses for 3 years bringing sparks to the Fresno State program is still awaiting his first NFL start. When he arrived in Fresno it was the COVID year meaning Fresno State only had 8 games on the schedule (2 were later cancelled). Haener went 3-3 in his first season with the Bulldogs but looked extremely sharp. Throughout his other 2 years at Fresno, he was able to win a Mountain West Championship, win 2 bowl games, and knock off 2 ranked teams. While Haener is behind another Fresno State, QB, Carr he is one injury away from starting an NFL game.
A 5 year running back at Fresno State, Rivers never had a crazy explosive season but that could be due to the pass-heavy offense with Haener around. While Rivers is yet to score an NFL touchdown, he remains on the Rams active roster. As the Rams have been injury-depleted early in the year there is always a chance Rivers can step in and get an elevated roll later in the season.
The undrafted free agent is currently on the active roster for Green Bay. He was a solid 3 year starter in college with highlights of a 95-yard pick-six as a sophomore and a big strip sack against Oregon as a senior. While Mosby still is yet to earn much playing time as a professional the good news is that he remains on an active roster.
Yet another player rostered by the Saints out of Fresno. Mims was undrafted but gained interest from teams after his stellar 2022 campaign where he played a vital role in their 9 consecutive wins. Although, Mims is the third running back on the depth chart the bright sign is that he has entered the stat sheet this year.
The star linebacker just 2 seasons ago in Atlanta has regressed in the seasons since. In 2022, Walker was cut in a very surprising way with the Falcons showing no apparent reason for the roster move. While he remains on the Commander’s active roster and has appeared in a game this year he is nowhere near the level of his 2022 season with the Falcons.
Tier 4: Practice Squad
Last year, he was the starting middle linebacker and anchor of the defense and the Broncos saw something to sign him to their active roster. Unfortunately, he has been demoted to the practice squad but because he is still a rookie he still has plenty of time to work his way up to an active roster.
Jalen Moreno-Cropper (Cowboys)
Jake Haener’s top collegiate target is spending his first year practicing with an NFL team. He showed the capability of playing at a high level when he caught 14 balls for 141 yards and a touchdown against a ranked UCLA team. Even if the NFL does not work out for him his impact will be remembered by Bulldogs fans.
The rookie strung together 2 solid collegiate seasons before trying to become professional. Now, as a member of the Lions practice squad, he attempts to reach the final goal of making an NFL roster. The speedy corner who ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day brings elite man coverage to the NFL.
The slot speedster at Fresno was known for his RAC abilities and deep-threat abilities. Due to him being a bit undersized he will have to do all of the “little things” well to improve his way up the ranks and get noticed.
Tier 5: Active but on IR
While injuries plagued his college career, Muti was still able to provide a huge impact on the Fresno State offense when he was healthy. He was drafted by the Broncos in the 6th round but injuries continue to plague his career. While he is currently on the Lions IR he is still rostered showing he is capable enough to play at the professional level.
The 2-year starting linebacker at Fresno is currently on the IR for a serious knee injury. During training camp, Perales was carted off into the locker room for the injury and has since been held on the roster for the Steelers. After spending last year on the practice squad it is a good sign to see that he has improved to being thought of as good enough to remain on the team with an injury.
