Some former ‘Cats have had very interesting pro careers in recent years.
A day many football fans have been waiting for is finally here! Tonight, the 2024 NFL Draft is set to begin, with months of scouting, analysis and evaluations culminating in an incredible upcoming three days. While the first pick is very much a consensus at this point – that being USC QB Caleb Williams going to the Bears – every selection beyond that is up in the air. Over these three days, more than 250 athletes will have their dreams realized, while others will sign as undrafted free agents and attempt to fight their way onto their new team’s roster.
Northwestern has three players with the potential to get drafted – Ben Bryant, Cam Johnson and Bryce Gallagher. Some see Bryant as a potential late-round pick for a team needing a backup quarterback, but the other two are widely viewed as longshots to be selected.
Given that these three players are about to begin their pro careers, let’s look back at Northwestern’s draftees from the last decade and see how their NFL careers have fared thus far.
Ibraheim Campbell
Position: Safety
Selection: 2015, Round 4 / Pick 115
Let’s start with a less notable ‘Cat that I didn’t even know existed before writing this. After being selected by the Browns in the fourth round, Campbell spent three seasons in Cleveland and played 37 games. His best season came in 2016 – one that certainly wasn’t Cleveland’s best at 1-15 – when he started eight games and forced 48 tackles. He was released during the 2017 season after being placed on injured reserve and bounced around the league to six different teams between 2017 and 2021. Following injuries he suffered during his time with the Colts in 2021, Campbell retired from the NFL the next summer at age 30.
Trevor Siemian
Position: Quarterback
Selection: 2015, Round 7 / Pick 250
A Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos in his rookie year, Siemian surprisingly won the starting job in 2016 after Peyton Manning’s retirement and Brock Osweiler’s departure for the Houston Texans. He had a great season and was named a Pro Bowl alternate but fell off significantly the next year and lost his starting job.
Siemian was traded to the Vikings before the 2018 season and has since bounced around the league. He was most recently with the Jets for his second stint with the team, becoming the starter late in the 2023 season after Zach Wilson failed to clear concussion protocol and struggled mightily. He is now a free agent, and given his track record, he can be expected to sign with another team before or during the 2024 season.
Dean Lowry
Position: Defensive End
Selection: 2016, Round 4 / Pick 137
Lowry was drafted by the Packers and remained in Green Bay for seven seasons. He was never a star on the Packers’ defensive line but was a consistent presence who rarely struggled with injuries. His best season with the team came in 2021, when he registered five sacks and 42 total tackles.
The injury bug finally hit Lowry as he departed for the rival Minnesota Vikings in 2023. He suffered a torn pectoral in a mid-season matchup against the Broncos, forcing him out of play for the remainder of the season. As a result of the injury and cap concerns, he was released by the Vikings in March but has since signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Danny Vitale
Position: Fullback
Selection: 2016, Round 6 / Pick 197
Didn’t expect a fullback on this list, did you? Vitale was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was eventually released in September in the final roster cuts of the preseason. He later returned to the team’s practice squad a week later but was signed to the Browns’ active roster in October. Vitale spent two years in Cleveland but never played a significant role on the team and was released in 2018.
He later signed with the Packers and had the best season of his career in 2019. Vitale started four of the 15 games he appeared in and totaled nearly 100 yards in the passing game. His tenure was short-lived, however, as he signed with the Patriots in 2020 but later opted out of playing due to COVID-19. After that season, Vitale announced his retirement from the NFL after five tumultuous seasons.
Anthony Walker
Position: Linebacker
Selection: 2017, Round 5 / Pick 161
Walker was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. W Walker fought and won the starting middle linebacker position in 2018 and he and Shaquille Leonard contributed to a strong linebacking core in Indianapolis’ defense for a couple of years. However, after his rookie contract expired, Walker signed with the Browns, where he played until 2023.
His tenure with the Browns was riddled by injury, with Walker never playing more than 13 games in any of his three seasons with the team. He only played three games in 2022, when he suffered a torn quad early in the season that placed him on the injured reserve. Becoming a free agent after the 2023 season, he recently signed with the Miami Dolphins where he will likely play a backup role for starting inside linebackers David Long Jr. and Jordyn Brooks.
Ifeadi Odenigbo
Position: Defensive End / Linebacker
Selection: 2017, Round 7 / Pick 220
Odenigbo, who ended his college career with Northwestern’s second-highest sack total at 23.5, hasn’t had the same success in the NFL. He was drafted by the Vikings but only lasted a year before being released. Odenigbo returned to the team for a second stint a few years later where he had the best season of his career in 2019, making the 53-man roster and recording seven sacks. Since then, he has bounced around the league, with his most recent team being the Jets. He is currently a free agent.
Justin Jackson
Position: Running Back
Selection: 2018, Round 7 / Pick 220
Jackson was a late-round selection of the Los Angeles Chargers. He was the second-in-command to Austin Ekeler, with the two making a very formidable running back duo for the Chargers. Jackson left the City of Angels after four seasons to sign with the Detroit Lions, where he played for one season in 2022. After re-signing with the Lions in the summer of 2023, he surprisingly announced his retirement a couple of weeks later, calling it a career after only five seasons in the league.
Clayton Thorson
Position: Quarterback
Selection: 2019, Round 5 / Pick 167
As successful of a Northwestern career as Thorson had, it hasn’t been as smooth in the NFL. He was drafted by the Eagles but never made the active roster. Thorson later signed with the Cowboys and Giants – completing a trip around the NFC East of sorts – but never played a snap for those teams either. He finally got some playing time with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL in 2022, starting seven games before being released due to injury. Thorson remains a free agent, hoping a team will give his career a badly needed lifeline.
Rashawn Slater
Position: Offensive Tackle
Selection: 2021, Round 1 / Pick 13
We get to the first selection on this list of someone who has been overwhelmingly successful in the league. Slater was drafted No. 13 overall by the Chargers and has shown signs of dominance in his first three seasons. His rookie season earned him second-team All-Pro honors, along with a Pro Bowl season. Yet, his 2022 season was derailed by injury, as he suffered a season-ending rupture of his biceps tendon in the Chargers’ Week 3 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Slater returned strong in 2023, though, playing 100% of snaps and incurring zero false starts throughout the entire season.
While Slater is still under his rookie contract, it is widely expected that the Chargers will give him an extension at some point, likely next offseason. He has surely been the best player on the team’s offensive line and is quickly evolving into one of the league’s best left tackles. Should he remain healthy, expect many more Pro Bowl and All-Pro showings in Slater’s future. Also, watch for the Chargers to potentially add another tackle to partner with Slater tonight, which would certainly improve the team’s line and make Slater an even better player.
Greg Newsome
Position: Cornerback
Selection: 2021, Round 1 / Pick 26
The second of NU’s first-rounders in 2021, Newsome has been a mixed bag with the Browns since they drafted him. He’s been a fairly consistent starter for the team, yet he has been mistake-prone at times, especially highlighted in Cleveland’s playoff loss to the Texans this past year. Besides his flaws, he’s been a solid option in a deep group of corners and will likely preserve his starting role in 2024. Next season will prove pivotal in determining Newsome’s future, as a good performance may earn him a fifth-year option or extension with the Browns, while a poor showing might put him in a free-agency situation that is unfavorable for his future.
Earnest Brown
Position: Defensive End
Selection: 2021, Round 5 / Pick 174
Brown spent the first three seasons of his career with the Rams but didn’t play in his rookie season when the Rams won the Super Bowl. He only appeared in five and seven games in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and was released by the team earlier this year. The 49ers signed him in February, where he hopes to increase his role and see greater playing time on one of the deepest defensive lines in the league.
Peter Skoronski
Position: Offensive Tackle / Guard
Selection: 2023, Round 1 / Pick 11
The highest selection on this list, Skoronski had a strong rookie season with the Tennessee Titans, starting 14 games at left guard. While Skoronski can play outside as a tackle as well, it seems that new Titans head coach Brian Callahan wants to keep him at guard for the foreseeable future. Like many 2023 selections, the jury is still out on how Skoronski will fare in his career, but the early returns are encouraging to say the least.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
Position: Defensive Tackle
Selection: 2023, Round 4 / Pick 111
The first of two former ‘Cats drafted by the Colts last year, Adebawore had an encouraging rookie season. He played in 10 games, registering 1.5 sacks and 5 tackles. While not heavily featured in the Colts’ defensive line rotation, Adebawore is another player who should expect to see increased play time in 2024.
Cameron Mitchell
Position: Cornerback
Selection: 2023, Round 5 / Pick 142
Mitchell, yet another NU defensive player to play for the Browns, also had an encouraging rookie year. After backing up fellow Wildcat Newsome and Dezel Ward in 2023, most expect him to continue in a similar role next year. With the level of depth that the Browns have at the position, Mitchell will have a hard time earning a starting role but will certainly still develop and improve as a cornerback in the years to come.
Evan Hull
Position: Running Back
Selection: 2023, Round 5 / Pick 176
Hull barely played last season as he struggled with injuries. Now, with the potential to back up Jonathan Taylor next season, he should certainly run for more than the singular yard he picked up on the ground last year.