NFL Draft recap: EMU's Jake Julien signs with Patriots as UDFA
Six former MAC stars drafted this year, including three on Day 2.
Welcome to The Ypsilanti Eleven! The NFL Draft has come and gone, and six former players from the MAC were selected this year. The lone Eastern Michigan grad to get any real traction with a pro team after the draft is punter Jake Julien, who signed with the New England Patriots.
As we start to focus more on the 2022 season and futures ahead, make sure you stay up-to-speed with all EMU and MACtion conversations by subscribing below, and please follow @YpsiEleven on Twitter.
NFL Draft
On the 6 MAC Players selected in 2022 NFL Draft
2-54, WR Skyy Moore (Western Michigan) — Kansas City (From New England)
Skyy Moore was the first of six MAC players taken in this year’s draft. Moore’s made some ridiculous catches while using his track speed ever since he enrolled at Western Michigan, so I’m not surprised a team like the Chiefs love him as much as they do. I won’t be surprised when he’s a top-two receiver for Patrick Mahomes and KC, either.
2-57, OG Luke Goedeke (Central Michigan) — Tampa Bay (from Buffalo)
Goedeke’s gotten a lot of love this draft season alongside teammate Bernhard Haimann. Goedeke’s great, and was truly a leader for much of RB Lew Nichols’ production over the last two seasons. It’s always a good sign when a MAC lineman goes into the league and you feel confident in his ability to run block up the middle.
3-77, OT Bernhard Raimann (Central Michigan)— Indianapolis (from Minnesota)
Raimann is the Austrian left tackle for CMU that received a lot of attention for how much of an athlete he was. He’ll be a project for the Colts to finish into a gameday-ready lineman, but the ceiling’s been said to be very great with him regardless of the starting point.
5-166, S Tycen Anderson (Toledo) — Cincinnati (from Philadelphia via Arizona, Houston, and Chicago)
Anderson was Cincinnati’s second safety taken in this draft after Michigan’s Dax Hill was picked in the first round. Bengals did a lot of work to fix-up its offensive line group through free agency, but now it’s finding its core defensive back pieces for the future through the draft.
5-172, CB Samuel Womack (Toledo) — San Francisco
Womack’s a Detroit native so he’s automatically going to get the thumbs-up from me.
5-174, OLB Dominique Robinson (Miami OH) — Chicago (from Cincinnati)
Robinson received a lot of attention during the draft process for his versatility and how he eventually found his way at defensive end. He’s actually, physically built different, so Chicago drafted Robinson as an outside linebacker instead of a defensive end. That’ll be his third, new position since playing quarterback in high school.
UDFA: Eastern Michigan’s Jake Julien signs with Patriots
One player from Eastern Michigan’s roster ended up signing with an NFL team this year. Punter Jake Julien signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots on Sunday evening.
From EMU Athletics:
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Former Eastern Michigan University punter Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate) has signed a free agent contract with the NFL's New England Patriots today, April 30. Julien was previously drafted No. 31 overall by the Ottawa RedBlacks in the 2021 Canadian Football League Draft.
A special team standout in Ypsilanti, Julien was a 2021 Second Team All-Mid-American Conference selection. EMU's all-time record holder in punt average at 44.0 yards per kick, Julien had 9,726 yards on 221 tries. Additionally, Julien is the only punter in Eastern Michigan history to record two 70+ yard punts in his career.
In 54 career contests, he has 51 kicks of 50-or-more yards to go along with 71 placed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Throughout his career at Eastern Michigan, Julien garnered two Second Team All-MAC honors and seven MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors. In 2021, Julien was named fourth team preseason All-American by Phil Steele's College Football Preview and selected first-team Preseason All-MAC by Phil Steele while grabbing second-team accolades from Athlon Sports.
Since 2015, Eastern football has had three players drafted and 21 more sign free-agent or mini-camps deals. …
NFL Draft Picks Under Creighton (3)
Maxx Crosby - 2019
Pat O'Connor - 2017
Darius Jackson - 2016
NFL Free Agent Signees/Mini-camp Invites Under Creighton (21)
Jake Julien - 2022
Mathew Sexton - 2021
Kevin McGill - 2020
Steven Nielsen - 2020
Jeremiah Harris - 2019
Blake Banham - 2019
Ka'John Armstrong - 2019
Sergio Bailey II - 2018
Juan Giraldo - 2018
Brogan Roback - 2018
Ike Spearman - 2018
Andrew Wylie - 2017
Cole Gardner - 2017
DaQuan Pace - 2017
Clay Dawson - 2016
Rob Bolden - 2015
Willie Creear - 2015
Lincoln Hansen - 2015
Bronson Hill - 2015
Kevin Johnson - 2015
Tyreese Russell - 2015
Other EMU graduates still looking for a shot: TE Bryson Cannon, S Alvinoski LaFleur, CB Freddie McGee III, TE Thomas Odukoya, DE Turan Rush, DT Woo Scott Sr., DT Michael Smith Jr., and OL Mike Van Hoeven.
LB Terry Myrick is currently playing pro ball for the Michigan Panthers in the USFL, and is getting starting playing time with the team as well.
Undrafted MAC players signed, invited to camp(s)
For starters, I’m surprised that breaking the all-time receptions record across all of college football wouldn’t be good enough to be a draft pick? I’m hoping only for the best for Justin Hall, especially since he’ll be conveniently teamed up with Maxx Crosby in Las Vegas.
QBs Dustin Crum, Kaleb Eleby, and Drew Plitt all had to wait until after the draft to have their names called. Crum would signup to be a backup for Patrick Mahomes, and Kaleb Eleby — who left WMU a year early — scored a tryout with Seattle. Plitt has two tryouts so far: one with Chicago and another with Indianpolis.
And, Washington just signed Armani Rogers? No tryout? Even though the former QB has never played TE in a game before? Very interesting.
Akron
Nada.
Ball State
LB Christian Albright — Chicago
OG Curtis Blackwell — Tampa Bay
S Bryce Cosby — Las Vegas
WR Justin Hall — Las Vegas
QB Drew Plitt — Tryouts with Chicago, Indianapolis
S JT Wahee — Tampa Bay
Bowling Green
CB Devin Taylor — Washington
Buffalo
DT Josh Rogers — Seattle
LB Kadofi Wright — Denver
Central Michigan
CB Dishon McNary — Chicago
WR Kalil Pimpleton — Detroit
Eastern Michigan
P Jake Julien — New England
Kent State
WR Keshunn Abram — NY Jets
QB Dustin Crum — Kansas City
Miami OH
CB Cedric Boswell — Detroit
S Mike Brown — Minnesota
WR Jack Sorenson — Tryouts with Baltimore, Chicago, Miami
S Sterling Weatherford — Indianapolis
Northern Illinois
Nada; keep in mind that the Huskies had a million freshmen on roster last year. FB/TE Clint Ratkovich had an untimely injury, so keep him on your radar for somebody to rebound into the scene next year.
Ohio
TE Armani Rogers — Washington
RB De’Montre Tuggle — Chicago
Toledo
RB Bryant Koback — Minnesota
Western Michigan
DE Ali Fayad — Tryout with NY Jets
QB Kaleb Eleby — Tryout with Seattle
OL Kainoa Fuiava — Tryout with Chicago
DT Ralph Holley — Tryout with Chicago
OL Mike Caliendo — Kansas City
WR Bryce Nunnelly — Tryout with Kansas City
S AJ Thomas — Tryout with Chicago
