Three former Cardinals are now NFL players.
The Cleveland Browns signed wide receiver Willie Snead as an undrafted free agent.
Record-setting quarterback Keith Wenning was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens with the 18th pick of the NFL Draft's sixth round.
One round earlier, the Indianapolis Colts selected former Ball State defensive end Jonathan Newsome.
SNEAD
Snead left Ball State a year early to enter the NFL Draft, but all 256 picks went by without him being picked.
Shortly after 8 p.m., Snead tweeted, “It feels great to be a Cleveland Brown!!!”
Snead had a record-breaking 2013, breaking the single-season Ball State records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
He was a member of the All-Mid-American Conference First Team in 2013.
WENNING
Wenning played four years at Ball State, graduating in 2014 as the school’s most decorated passer. In 49 games, Wenning owns the school record with 11,402 passing yards, 1,035 completions and 92 touchdowns.
During his career at Ball State, Wenning also won numerous awards, including being named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team in 2012 and 2013, winning the MAC’s West Division Offensive Player of the Week three times and being a finalist for the 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for the most outstanding senior quarterback in college football.
At the NFL Combine in February, Wenning ran a 5.00 40-yard dash, posted a 28-inch vertical jump and a 100-inch broad jump.
Wenning is expected to compete with Tyrod Taylor in training camp for the backup position to starting quarterback Joe Flacco.
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said Wenning is a “developmental prospect.”
“He can work on his mechanics,” McShay said. "He doesn’t always step to his targets. He doesn’t always transfer his weight. But those are correctable things.”
McShay went on to say that the positives of Wenning are his measurables. Wenning has prototypical size at 6-foot-2.5 and 218 pounds. McShay also praised the fact that Wenning was a four-year starter at Ball State.
NEWSOME
After transferring from Ohio State, Newsome played in 23 games during his two seasons at Ball State, accumulating 116 total tackles, 16.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Newsome was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team in 2012 and was an All-MAC First Team selection in 2013.
On ESPN's broadcast of the draft, former Colts general manager Bill Polian said, "[The Colts] see Robert Mathis-like abilities here. He's not as fast as Robert. That will tell the tale. Is he fast enough for the NFL?"
"[The Colts] see Robert Mathis-like abilities here."
- Bill Polian, former Indianapolis Colts general manager on Newsome
The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Newsome ran a 4.73 40-yard dash and benched 225 pounds 21 times at the NFL Combine in February in Indianapolis.
Newsome looks to be an outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme.
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