Undrafted Kansas State football players sign with NFL teams as priority free agents
A grand total of four Kansas State football players were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft this week at Union Station in Kansas City.
Several more former Wildcats signed with pro teams as undrafted free agents.
Here is a rundown of where they landed after the draft came to an end on Saturday. Despite going undrafted, they will now get an opportunity to make a NFL roster just like everyone else who gets invited to training camp in the summer.
K-State’s four draft picks were Felix Anudike-Uzomah to the Kansas City Chiefs, Julius Brents to the Indianapolis Colts, Deuce Vaughn to the Dallas Cowboys and Josh Hayes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Adrian Martinez signs with Lions
Shortly after his college football career came to an end, Adrian Martinez said he was glad he finished his journey with K-State after starting out at Nebraska.
Why? Well, for starters he was able to help the Wildcats win a Big 12 championship as a “super senior” while throwing for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns last season. But he was also confident that playing for K-State would boost his chances of making it in the NFL.
Turns out, he did enough as a college player to sign with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent, according to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero.
Martinez finished his prolific college career with nearly 10,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. He will now look to utilize his dual-threat skills at the next level.
Tampa Bay takes another Wildcat
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers liked former K-State safety Josh Hayes so much that they picked him in the sixth round of the draft on Saturday. They liked one of his teammates enough to sign another Wildcat as a priority free agent.
Kade Warner, a dependable wide receiver who made plenty of big plays during his two seasons in Manhattan, has signed with the Bucs, according to his agent.
Warner is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
He caught 60 passes for 622 yards and five touchdowns during his time with the Wildcats.
Ty Zentner is suddenly a big birds fan
One of the most valuable members of Kansas State’s conference championship team is now one of the newest members of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ty Zentner, who did a little bit of everything on special teams for the Wildcats, signed a free agent deal with the Eagles on Saturday.
Zentner handled field goals, punts and kickoff duties for the Wildcats last season. It remains to be seen how much he will be asked to do with the Eagles, but his versatility is sure to come in handy.
He was a perfect 11 for 11 on field goals as a senior and he also averaged 44.5 yards per punt.
Malik Knowles heading to Minnesota
The 6-foot-2 wide receiver was passed over during the draft, but he created enough buzz to reportedly sign a free-agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Knowles could make an impact in Minnesota, as he was one of K-State’s top playmakers under Chris Klieman as both a pass-catcher and a ball-carrier.
Former Wildcats earn mini-camp invite
Former K-State tight end Sammy Wheeler will also get an opportunity to make a NFL roster as an undrafted player.
He has been invited to try out for the Chicago Bears at the team’s rookie mini camp.
Ekow Boye-Doe, a quick cornerback from Lawrence, has also been given the opportunity to try out for a NFL team with the Kansas City Chiefs.
This post will be updated as more K-State football players sign with NFL teams.
This story was originally published April 29, 2023 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Undrafted Kansas State football players sign with NFL teams as priority free agents."