DG170 - Part 2

Part 2 of dread gallery #170 features the rest of the NFL's 2017 class of rookies with dreads, specifically all of those trying to earn jobs with teams in the NFC.

The NFC West is the division with the most players with dreads drafted this year with 6; and the NFC West's San Francisco 49ers take honors for the team that drafted the most players with dreads ..... which is kind of a huge surprise, because since I started this blog the 49ers have been a team that every year consistently has very few players with dreads. And if you look at their draft history, it's easy to see why. Prior to 2017 the 49ers in their entire history had drafted only 6 players that had dreads when they drafted them. Maybe this is the year, under new management, they stop treating players with dreads like they had leprosy.

1. Three of the 49ers' 10 draft picks this year have dreads; and as he meets the media on Apr. 28 - the day after he was drafted - former Alabama LB Reuben Foster explains how he feels about being the first player with dreads the 49ers drafted in the 1st round since they picked Vernon Davis 11 years ago. No, actually he's talking about how relieved he is that he didn't fall to the 2nd round of the draft. Talent-wise Foster should have been the first player with dreads picked. But thanks to offseason surgery on his shoulder and other off-the-field issues he wasn't picked until #31 overall, the second last pick of round 1.

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2. Foster had surgery on his rotator cuff in February, so he took it easy during the offseason practices, here dropping back into coverage (right photo) on May 17 and doing the limbo drill (left photo) on May 31. None of his activities included any hitting, which probably was killing him - because if you saw him play in college, you know that hitting is his thing. He doesn't just want to make the tackle - he always wants to punish the ball carrier too.
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3. Rueben Foster, 6-1, 228 pounds, and, like a lot of athletes these days, with no more space for anymore chest tattoos, was the first of 5 LBs with dreads drafted this year and the first of the three Crimson Tide players with dreads drafted this year. He was highly recruited out of high school and lived up to expectations at Alabama, earning 1st All-America honors as a senior. He's healthy now (he played in the 49ers first preseason game) and if he stays healthy, years from now everybody will be wondering why in the world he wasn't drafted until the end of the 1st round.

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4. Just like with Reuben Foster, it's going to be a couple more years before the dreads of CB Ahkello Witherspoon are long enough to be seen with his helmet on. Witherspoon, a 6-3, 190-pounder, decided to show off his skinny frame at Colorado pro day on Mar. 19. The 49ers picked Ahkello (which is one of his middle names - his first name is James) in the 3rd round of the draft, the 4th of the 6 players with dreads (all defensive players) from the Pac-12 drafted.

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5. Ahkello Witherspoon takes a drink and does a drill in both photos during the week of workouts between rookie minicamp and the start of OTA practices, which is the best time to find photos of players with short dreads because they don't have their helmets on. Witherspoon had an outstanding senior season at Colorado, finishing with just 1 INT but leading the FBS with 22 PBU. Smart enough (his Wonderlic test score was 29, which is like really high for a CB) to have chosen Ecology & Evolutionary Biology as his major, he didn't start playing football until his senior year in high school, when he suddenly grew from 5-8 to 6-2. So now he plans to hang around the NFL for a while and put his plans to be a doctor temporarily on hold.

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6. As you can see, it's OK to have (both) photos of Adrian Colbert from OTA practices - his dreads are long enough. He's the last of the 49ers' 10 draft picks, selected in the middle part of round 7. After three seasons as a S at Texas, the 6-2, 205-pound Colbert transferred to Miami as a senior and switched to CB. The 49ers are hoping he'll be a CB, but being versatile enough to do both will give him a better chance to make the team.

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7. G Forrest Lamp was the feature attraction at Western Kentucky pro day on Mar. 27, but Darrell Williams, shown working a drill with Lamp in left photo), used Lamp's stage to show that he has pro potential too .....

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8. While Lamp was picked by the Chargers in the 2nd round, Williams didn't get drafted; but the 49ers signed the 6-6, 310-pound OT as a free agent after the draft. The blocking by Williams and Lamp helped WKU average 45 points per game last season (but only 10 at Alabama in Week 2). Darrell was a starter in his final three college seasons, mostly at RT but also at LT and G. If he shows in training camp he can be adequate at multiple positions, he might just be on the opening day roster..

While the 49ers have the most drafted rookies with dreads in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals are the NFC West team with the most total rookies with dreads ..... or at least they were

9. The only player with dreads the Cardinals drafted is former Grambling WR Chad Williams, shown at a media session (left photo) and getting his height measured (right photo), both on May 11, one day before his first day of practice. Hmm, his dreads are up to the 75-inch line on the ruler (which is 6-foot-3), but the Cardinals officially have him listed at 6-1 and 204 pounds. You may remember I was hesitant to welcome Chad to the house during his junior season in college; but not anymore. His hair has now turned into clearly recognizable dreads. Williams is the first player from Grambling drafted since 2006 and, of course, the first one with dreads.

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10. Chad Williams reaches to make a catch on the first day of the Cardinals' rookie minicamp, his dreads barely long enough to be seen outside his helmet. Hopefully by the time he makes it to his last day of practice those dreads will be as long as Larry Fitzgerald's. Williams had the kind of senior season every WR dreams about, finishing with 90 catches for 1,337 yards and 11 TD in 2016. No doubt the Cardinals took notice of the game he had right near their backyard in Week 2, when he had 13 catches for 152 yards against Arizona (Grambling led that game 21-3 at the half, and I'd love to have seen what would have happened had their starting QB not been injured and missed the 2nd half). 

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11. Chad Williams is introduced to his idol growing up, star CB Patrick Peterson, at practice on May 16, the first day rookies practiced with veterans. Actually, I don't know that Peterson was Williams' idol; I just made that up. But at least Williams probably went to a few of his games. While Peterson was starring on Saturdays for LSU, Williams was across town attending - and starring - for Madison Prep Academy in Baton Rouge. Looking on from below in jersey #18 are the new dreads of Marquis Bundy, one of 7 WRs with dreads on the Cardinals' offseason roster.

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12. The last of the 9 players with dreads picked in the 3rd round of the draft and the first of two players with dreads from FCS schools who were drafted, Chad Williams turns upfield after making the catch during mandatory minicamp on June 7.
Up next and waiting his turn to do the drill is the player with arguably the longest dreads of those 7 WRs on the Cardinals' offseason roster, #85 .....

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13. ..... Krishawn Hogan, running after the catch on June 7. A big receiver at 6-3, 222 pounds, Hogan is almost exactly the same size as the player he might be in line to replace, Larry Fitzgerald (who I think is playing his final season in 2017), on the roster and on the field. But while Fitzgerald long ago was picked close to the very top of the draft, Hogan came from much more humble beginnings.

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14. Krishawn Hogan, at practice on May 18 (left photo) and May 30 (right photo), got noticed by the NFL by producing prolific numbers at NAIA school Marian (in Indianapolis), recording three 1,000+-yard receiving seasons, making 42 TD catches, and scoring 67 total TD in three seasons. You might have already read about his incredible path to the NFL (there are a bunch of stories about him online); but if you haven't, take a few minutes to read about it and hear him tell it in this piece from Sports Illustrated from just before the Combine in early March: https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/03/03/krishawn-hogan-nfl-combine-naia-draft-prospect
The storybook finish, of course, would have been for him to be drafted by his hometown team, the Colts. I guess it's more fitting though that he wasn't drafted; it'll make his story even better if he makes the team.

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15. I lost track of WR Larry Clark after he was dismissed from the team at San Diego State before the 2015 season. I don't know if he played anywhere in 2015 before making 4 TD catches for Division 2 powerhouse CSU-Pueblo in 2016. After trying out at the Cardinals' rookie minicamp, the 6-3, 208-pound Clark was signed to the offseason roster. Unfortunately the number of Cardinal WRs with dreads dropped to 6 after their first preseason game when Clark was let go. He did some things in that game that undrafted rookies just can't do. Hopefully he'll get another shot next year.

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16. No, the Cardinals did not forget to add some dreads to their defense. Star S Tyrann Mathieu (#32) checks out CB Ryan Lewis (left photo) to see if he's any good at minicamp on May 8. Lewis, a 6-0, 200-pounder, did not become a starter until his senior season in 2016 at Pittsburgh, during which he had both of his career INT and all 8 of his career PBU.

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17. The Cardinals figure to have several players with long dreads - whether or not Ironhead Gallon makes the team. Gallon, whose real first name is Deshawntee, was a 1st team All-SBC selection as a LB last season; but at 5-10, 202 pounds, the Cardinals want him to be a safety. And at OTA practice on June 2 (right photo) he showed he can catch if necessary, although he had only 1 career INT in five seasons at Georgia Southern.

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18. After all the offseason practices were over, the Cardinals rookies took a special field trip on June 16. Chad Williams (visor), Larry Clark (brown dread tips), and Ironhead Gallon listen intently as a staff member at the Maricopa County, 4th Avenue Jail explains to the rookies exactly what their fate will be should they ever happen to get arrested in Phoenix. Let's hope, of course, that neither they nor any other member of the Cardinals decide to take up the offer.

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19. CB Shaquill Griffin waits for the signal to start a drill (left photo) and displays his catching form (right photo) on the first day of Seattle Seahawks rookie training camp on May 12. Griffin was the first of two players with dreads from the AAC drafted this year. The Seahawks picked him in the 3rd round, the earliest in the draft they've ever picked a CB with dreads. In earning 2nd team All-AAC honors during his 2016 season he racked up 4 INT and 15 PBU. Here's a video feature that UCF did on him from just before the draft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r34ekiyK31Q

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20. After Griffin had his dreads reduced at rookie minicamp, here's a good look at them at their fullest, as he gets burned by WR Paul Richardson on this play at OTA practice on June 9. That's OK, Shaq; with his speed Richardson beats everybody deep. The 6-1, 198-pound Griffin is no slow poke either. The blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash he ran at the NFL Combine no doubt is what allowed him to be picked as early in the draft as he was.

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21. What's this? Shaquill Griffin showing Richard Sherman how to do something at minicamp on June 15? Yeah, right. I'm sure that a couple of seconds after this photo was taken Sherman was going, "No no no, rookie! Let me show you how to do it right! Just listen to me, kid, and you'll reach that goal you have of playing for a long time."
I really hope Griffin earns the other starting CB job on the opposite side from Sherman. In jerseys #25 and 26 and both with long dreads, announcers won't have an easy time telling them apart.

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22. The only other rookie with dreads with the Seahawks is WR David Moore. Well, at least he was. When they took him in the 7th round of the draft, it was the first I had ever heard of him. And unless you're a fan of the East Central Tigers (a Division 2 school in Ada, OK) it was likely the first you heard of him too. The 6-2, 219-pound Moore, shown running after the catch at rookie minicamp on May 13 (right photo) and at pre-OTA workouts four days later (left photo) set the ECU record for career TD catches with 25. During his 2016 senior season - on a 1-10 team - he scored 11 of the team's 28 touchdowns. He was the only D-2 player with dreads drafted this year; but now unfortunately he's a D-2 player without dreads. As put so bluntly on his Twitter account on July 7: "Well my hair is gone". Well why did you do that?

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23. The Los Angeles Rams have two rookies with dreads - a CB and a WR, just like the Seahawks; but their two were not drafted.
With Bradley Marquez still slowed by the knee injury he suffered late last season and unfortunately already put on the IR list, the Rams traded for Sammy Watkins to ensure they'll still have a WR with sick dreads on the team. But Shakeir Ryan is hoping the Rams have room for another one on the roster - him. Picking up most of his yards after the catch, the 5-8, 169-pound Ryan, shown running after the catch at minicamp on June 14 (left photo) and hanging on to the ball after being hit in a drill (right photo) totaled 1,193 yards and 8 TD receiving in his 4 years for Northwestern State. During his senior season the Demons found out he's an even better punt returner than a WR, and returning kicks appears to be his best shot at earning a job with the Rams.

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24. If Shakeir Ryan's dreads, which earned him a spot on my FCS dread all-America team the last time I did one in 2014, are this impressive when they're reduced, as he puts on his helmet at practice on June 14, just imagine what they look like at full blast. Hopefully we'll get the chance to see this fall. Ryan's cousin, Kevin Faulk, played in 161 games over 13 seasons with the Patriots (1999-2011). I bet Shakeir would be thrilled even if he only played in half that many games.

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25. Scouts from the Cardinals, Bills, Cowboys, and Jets observe CB Aarion Penton as he does the broad jump (left photo) and 40-yard dash (right photo) at Missouri pro day on Mar. 23. Evidently he wasn't impressive enough for anyone to draft him, even though he tied for the SEC lead with 5 INT and earned 1st team All-SEC honors in his first season with dreads in 2016. He totaled 10 INT and 31 PBU in his 4 years with the Tigers, in the last three of which he was a starter.

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26. Obviously, with Aarion Penton being an undrafted free agent, and with his dreads just getting started, there aren't many pictures of him where you can see his dreads after he signed with the Rams. In the right photo the 5-9, 187-pounder has his dreads reduced while getting his head size measured on the day before rookie minicamp began, and on May 25 (left photo) he looks on as S Isaiah Johnson tries for an interception.

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27. One of the perks of being a rookie with the Rams is the trip to Hollywood for a free tour of Warner Brothers. Aarion Penton's favorite exhibit on June 23 obviously is the one right here where you get to pretend to accept an Oscar. Actually, on second thought, I think what he's really doing is rehearsing for his appearance at the NFL Honors show at the end of the season, after he's been named defensive rookie of the year. Don't bother, Aarion. Just try to make the team first.

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28. When DE Avery Moss found himself dismissed from the Nebraska team prior to the 2015 season, Coach Pelini - who had originally recruited him to Nebraska - welcomed him with open arms at Youngstown State. And the 6-3, 264-pounder, here doing a drill at the Combine on Mar. 5, played a key role last season, finishing with 17.5 TFL, 11 sacks, and 4 FF in helping the Penguins make it all the way to the FCS championship game (before losing to JMU). Moss was picked by the New York Giants in round 5 of the draft, the second of three players with dreads drafted by NFC East teams.  

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29. And here is Avery Moss practicing with the Giants, at rookie minicamp on May 12 (left photo) and at an OTA on May 30 (right photo). The Giants are a team that always seems to have good pass-rushing DEs. Moss may be on his way to being the next one of them. In their profile of Moss NFL.com indicates that his best football is still ahead of him.

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30. I'm not sure, but I think the Giants' website has the fewest photos of all the teams. I couldn't find any of OT Jessamen Dunker after he signed with the Giants after the draft. Fortunately the 6-4, 318-pound Dunker was at the Combine, so here a couple of photos of him from Mar. 3. After redshirting at Florida in 2012, Dunker transferred to Tennessee State and was a 4-year starter for the Tigers, earning 1st team FCS All-America honors as a senior. He's one of only three O-linemen in this year's class of rookies with dreads; but unfortunately he won't be able to play this year. A foot injury early in training camp prompted the Giants to put him on the IR list.

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31. The father of Jerome Lane (Jerome Sr.) made one of the most famous dunks in the history of college basketball; but since Junior only grew to 6-foot-3, he's going to try to make a living on the football field. After Lane spent his first two college seasons on defense, the Akron coaching staff finally discovered his greater talent was as a WR. And after making 8 TD catches as a sophomore in 2015 and having a 1,000-yard, 6 -TD junior season, the 220-pounder declared for the draft - only to not be drafted. The Colts didn't like him enough to keep him beyond their rookie minicamp (left photo) but a couple of weeks later the Giants signed him (right photo, from June 6). It's going to be very difficult for him to make the Giants' opening day roster. Hopefully he'll impress enough to be added to the practice squad.

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32. Nearly identical in size to Jerome Lane at 6-2 and 222 pounds, WR Noah Brown declared for the draft after his sophomore season at Ohio State, during which he made honorable mention All-Big 10. After a broken leg forced him to redshirt in 2015, Brown, shown here at the Combine on Mar. 4, made 7 TD catches in his first season with dreads in 2016, four of which came in the Buckeyes' Week 3 road win over Oklahoma.

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33. Noah Brown is shown here in both photos from rookie minicamp in May after being drafted in the 7th round by the Dallas Cowboys. He's the last of the five WRs with dreads drafted this year, and he's the only rookie with dreads on the Cowboys' roster this year. Hopefully he'll still be on the roster when these dreads get long enough to be visible outside of his helmet.

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34. Ondre Pipkins was well on his way to being a Michigan man; but things changed as soon as Coach Harbaugh showed up before the 2015 season and decided he wasn't going to let an often-injured senior keep his scholarship when it could be put to better use on somebody else. Pipkins took the hint and transferred to Texas Tech, started growing dreads, and in 2016 the 6-3, 321-pound DT had 32 tackles (9 more than his 3-year total at Michigan), including 4 TFL, in his only season with the Red Raiders. Now we'll see if Ondre, shown at OTA practices on May 25 (left photo) and June 5 (right photo), is good enough to play for the Redskins.

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35. The only other Redskin rookie with dreads, like Ondre Pipkins, also was undrafted. In fact, CB Tevin Homer wasn't even signed to a contract until after trying out at rookie minicamp and doing well enough to be signed. The 6-2, 191-pound Homer had normal hair during his two seasons at FAU (after transferring from junior college), so these dreads - shown at rookie minicamp on May 13 (left photo) and pre-OTA workouts on May 18 (right photo) sprouted up pretty quickly. In the only article I read about him Tevin says he already knows he needs to stand out on special teams. But he also needs to show he at least has a clue how to cover somebody if he wants a roster spot.   

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36. The bad luck award for this year's class of rookies goes to CB Sidney Jones. A week after the Combine and just a few weeks away from being picked in the 1st round of the draft - and probably being the first CB picked - disaster strikes at Washington pro day. After Jones goes down during a routine drill, S Budda Baker (who would be picked by the Cardinals in round 2) offers him a hand up (left photo) then watches in horror (right photo) as he is helped off the field after tearing his Achilles tendon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv-sBQTFSco
And just like that, and only because of the injury, even though he's likely to recovery fully from the injury, NFL teams (all of them) immediately decide they can't possible pick him in the 1st round anymore.

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37. After striking out on the first night of the draft (as expected), Sidney Jones spends the next night in front of the TV again and glued to his phones again, waiting for the call. And at last, he gets it - from, ironically enough, the Philadelphia Eagles, the team rumored to pick him in round 1 before he got injured. The Eagles take Jones with the 11th pick of the 2nd round (43rd overall), making him the highest drafted player with dreads ever in team history (Trevor Laws was the previous highest, 2nd round, 47th overall in 2008) and the first player with dreads they've taken in any round since Brandon Washington 5 years ago.
You can experience Jones' draft day experience - as well as read about all the success he had during his career at UW - in the article (link below) from Sports Illustrated.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/05/03/nfl-draft-2017-sidney-jones-philadelphia-eagles
As you probably already know, there's a huge difference between getting drafted in the 1st round and 2nd round; and just because he was injured he'll get paid several million dollars less than he would have had he gone in the 1st round (ouch!). Sorry, Sidney; that's just the way it is in the NFL.

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38. With his foot still immobilized 7 weeks after surgery, Sidney Jones walks away after doing his introductory media session at the Eagles' practice facility (left photo) on the first day of rookie minicamp then tries to pass the time while doing nothing but be a spectator at mandatory minicamp (right photo) on June 14. It's uncertain when he'll be able to do more than just watch. Hopefully he'll be able to play late this season; but that's only going to happen if he's a fast healer.
Other than Asante Samuel, I can't think of any star players with dreads to ever wear an Eagles uniform. It's well past time for another. Hopefully Sidney will become that next one.

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39. The only other rookie with dreads with the Eagles also is a DB - S Tre Sullivan, who was not drafted after recording 6 INT and 24 PBU in his career at Shepherd, a Division 2 school in West Virginia. If you saw the Eagles' first preseason game, you saw Tre waste no time trying to get noticed. But mercy, Tre, that vicious hit could very easily have injured you even worse than the guy you hit. Being a graduate of the Brandon Meriweather school of tackling (with your head) is a dangerous way to make a living.

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40. With the 1st round pick they didn't pick Sidney Jones with, the Eagles took DE Derek Barnett, shown here filling out paperwork (left photo) on May 11 before participating in rookie minicamp and walking off after practice on June 13 (right photo). Barnett didn't have dreads during his three seasons at Tennessee but looks like he's trying to grow them now. If he is, he's going to have to do better than what I've seen so far. Hopefully I'll be able to welcome Barnett to the house in the near future. But for now I'm going to wait and see and be sure that these really are dreads that he's growing.

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In a bit of a surprise the NFC South is the NFC division with the fewest rookies with dreads this year - just 7. And it ties the AFC East for the fewest drafted rookies with dreads with only 2. The second of those two was one of the players featured in my draft preview .....

41. ..... RB Alvin Kamara, with a smile, reduced dreads, and not one but two nose rings as he meets the media on Mar. 2, one day before doing his workout at the NFL Combine. As mentioned in my preview, I would have preferred that Kamara be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. And the Chiefs indeed did pick a RB with dreads in round 3 - but not Kamara. By the time they picked late in the round Kamara was already gone - gone to .....

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42. ..... The New Orleans Saints, much to my disappointment. How can I cheer for him now now that he's with the Saints? Kamara, a 5-10, 215-pounder shown here in both photos from OTA in late May, was the second of 5 SEC players with dreads drafted this year and the first of two from Tennessee.
By the way the number 96 on the helmet was worn by all the Saints players during OTA practices in remembrance of Cortez Kennedy, who wore the number during his career with Seattle in the 1990's. Kennedy, who died at age 48 on May 23, never played with the Saints but had been with them in an advisory role after his playing days were over.

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43. Alvin Kamara catches a pass at mandatory minicamp on June 13 - something he did often during his two seasons in college. And something he figures to do often on Sundays from now on. With his elusiveness in the open field, he'll be an added weapon to the already prolific Saints' offense - and an added headache for opposing defenses.

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44. The Saints added another RB with dreads after the draft, signing former Maryland (and Virginia Tech) RB Trey Edmunds as a free agent. After playing three seasons at VT, Edmunds left behind his two younger brothers (both also with dreads) and, in search of more playing time, transferred to Maryland, where his father starred as a TE in the 1980's before being a 3rd round NFL draft pick. Trey starred himself as a freshman, scoring 12 TD with the Hokies before being beset by injuries. Last season he was on his way to getting more playing time but then broke his foot in mid-October and missed the rest of the season. at 6-2, 223 pounds, Edmunds is big and fast and just might make it in the NFL if he can get healthy and stay healthy.

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45. Who would have thunk it? Adrian Peterson with the Saints. At an OTA practice on May 25 Peterson jogs alongside his fellow RBs, all with dreads - Travaris Cadet, Trey Edmunds, and Alvin Kamara. The Saints also have Mark Ingram on the roster; so it's not likely all four of these guys will be with the Saints on opening day. Who will be the odd man (or men) out? .

The paucity of rookie dreads in the NFC South does not extend to Atlanta. The Falcons have three rookies with dreads this year.

46. After showing his stuff at the Combine on Mar. 5 (left photo), DE Takkarist McKinley decided he better get surgery done on his shoulder right away (for a torn labrum) so he can be ready for the start of the season; so he wasn't able to participate at UCLA's pro day on Mar. 21 (right photo). After playing one season in junior college, McKinley had 28 TFL and 16 sacks during his three seasons with the Bruins, 18 and 10 of which came in his sensational 2016 senior season. He also had 10 PBU and 6 FF during his career.

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47. As Takkarist McKinley comes onstage to be greeted by Commissioner Goodell after being pick by the Falcons in round 1 on Apr. 27, he brings with him a large, framed picture of his grandmother - just to let everyone know how important she was in his life and that by being drafted he had kept the promise he made to her just before she died. And then McKinley was interviewed by Deion Sanders on the NFL Network's coverage of the draft and was so emotional that his words included a couple of expletives. If you haven't already seen it, you can by clicking on this link (and don't worry, the FCC non-approved words he shouted on live TV that night have been silenced here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBpCl8Mhdqc

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48. On his first day of practice on May 12 Takkarist McKinley warms up a bit (right photo) and meets the ATL media (left photo). The 6-2, 250-pounder was the first of six players with dreads from the Pac-12 drafted; and when they picked him it marked the 5th year in a row the Falcons have drafted at least one player with dreads as well as the 3rd time in the last 7 years they've drafted a player with dreads in the 1st round.

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49. Also at rookie minicamp on May 12 Takkarist McKinley chats with a couple members of the Falcons' coaching staff - Raheem Morris and Eric Sutulovich, I think. McKinley, who now has dyed his dread tips brown - didn't do anything in the offseason practices but is close to 100% now and is expected to be ready on opening day to help a defense that allowed 25.4 points per game last season get better.

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50. S Jordan Moore is so impressed with himself that the congratulatory handshake has to wait until after the selfie as he "graduates" on May 26 from Falcons U, the orientation program Falcons rookies go through.
I had thought the Falcons had only two rookies with dreads before seeing this photo of Moore, who was more of a track and field star in college until 2016, when he earned honorable mention All-CUSA after recording 49 tackles, 1 INT, and 3 PBU for UTSA.

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51. It's hard to see Jordan Moore's dreads at mandatory minicamp on June 14 (right photo) and June 13 (left photo, getting set to do a drill with CB Jalen Collins) because he has them reduced; but (as you can see if you go to his Twitter account) he has a small number of locks on the top of his head, with none on the back or sides. Says Moore about himself, "I'm a great guy off the field, but on the field I don't think nobody wants to see me. I'm your worst nightmare ... I'm going to hit you, I'm going to keep hitting you and keep hitting you." Moore has great speed for someone his size, which is 6-3 and 225 pounds. You might see him on the practice squad to start this year, and we'll see if he improves enough to become a regular contributor.  

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52. After trying out at rookie minicamp, Jack Lynn, the 6-2, 246-pound former Minnesota LB, left without a contract. But three weeks later the Falcons changed their mind and decided to sign him. He had 25.5 career TFL, including 3 sacks, for the Gophers; but it'll be a big surprise if he makes the Falcons' opening day roster. 

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53. The Carolina Panthers' two undrafted rookies with dreads have names that rhyme. First up, former Notre Dame CB Cole Luke, in action here at rookie minicamp on May 5 (right photo) and at OTA practice on May 31 (left photo). After the 5-11, 200-pound Luke finished with 8 INT and 24 PBU in his 4-year college career, a writer in a Notre Dame blog said that "He's shown too much during his time in South Bend to be passed up for seven rounds." Oops. Sounds like me making one of my predictions. Probably the reason he was passed up for seven rounds was that he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at ND pro day, which is kind of slow for a CB. But the Panthers' secondary got shredded last season, so they're looking for any help they can get, fast or slow.

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54. WR Austin Duke signs his autograph for a fan at one of the Panthers' offseason practices. After three seasons without dreads at UNC-Charlotte, the 5-9, 170-pound Duke twisted his hair into partial dreads sometime after the 2016 season was underway (I don't know exactly when, and I'm not going to bother to find out). Duke led the 49ers in receiving in all four of his seasons, earning an honorable mention for the All-CUSA team last season. in which he had 59 catches for 803 yards and 4 TD.

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55. Austin Duke earns congratulations from QB Cam Newton after a play at mandatory minicamp on June 15. Duke is attempting a rare hat trick: making TD catches for a Charlotte high school team (Independence), Charlotte college team, and Charlotte pro team. Two down, one to go. Basically he went undrafted because he's too small; but he's tough to cover as a slot receiver, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him in uniform on opening day.

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56. It looked like undrafted CB Maurice Fleming was on his way to bringing back the dreads he had when he redshirted as a freshman at Iowa in 2012 but then cut off before the 2013 season. But shortly after looking like this at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie minicamp on May 6, Fleming, who finished his college career at West Virginia after three seasons at Iowa, decided against having dreads again and went back to short hair. That left the Buccaneers with no rookies with dreads at all this year.

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57. Star (dare I say superstar?) RB Dalvin Cook carries the ball and also tries to show he knows how to block while performing at Florida State pro day on Mar. 28. Cook is arguably the best RB the Seminoles ever had. In three seasons he established a new career rushing record with 4,464 yards (rushing for over 1,000 yards all 3 years), had close to 1,000 yards receiving, and scored 48 TD. In an interview at pro day he said, "This is what I've looked forward to since I was a kid. I just keep working hard and stay patient about it so I can get my name called early." Unfortunately for him it wasn't called as early as he would have liked.

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58. Dalvin Cook is all smiles at rookie minicamp with the Minnesota Vikings on May 6 (both photos); but I bet he wasn't smiling on the first night of the draft, when nobody picked him in the 1st round. The Vikings took him with their pick early in the 2nd round, making him the first of five RBs with dreads to be drafted.

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59. Tackling is not allowed during offseason practices, so I guess S Anthony Harris' two-hand touch counts as the tackle on this carry by Dalvin Cook during mandatory minicamp on June 15. Dalvin, a 5-10, 210-pounder, has excellent speed and breaks tackles well too.
For most of the past 10 years the Vikings' offense has had a RB that's obviously headed to the Hall of Fame. And as Cook prepares to replace Adrian Peterson, they might have another one for the next 10 years. 

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60. Dalvin Cook takes the handoff from QB Sam Bradford at OTA practice on May 25, something he figures to often on Sundays for (hopefully) a long time.
The last RB with dreads from Florida State drafted into the NFL was Devonta Freeman, who ironically is from the same high school as Cook. As outstanding as Freeman has been so far, Cook has the potential to be even more outstanding; so maybe he will be the one to help Bradford get his first winning season.

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61. I don't know why, but there just aren't a lot of TEs with dreads in the NFL. In 2016 there were 112 tights ends with at least 1 reception, and only three of them had dreads. Two others with dreads played but had no catches. Bucky Hodges, shown here at the Combine on Mar. 4, was the only TE with dreads drafted this year, and he's talented enough to actually do some damage in the league. In his 2016 junior season at Virginia Tech he had 48 catches for 691 yards and 7 TD, numbers very similar to his freshman and sophomore seasons.

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62. Bucky Hodges runs after the catch at rookie minicamp on May 7 (left photo) and at mandatory minicamp on June 13 (right photo). Hodges is 6-6 and 257 pounds and the Vikings didn't draft him in the 6th round to be a blocker. No, they drafted him because, as his NFL.com draft profile says, "He has the tools to be a long-time starter and touchdown-maker in the league."
Hodges and Dalvin Cook are the only Viking rookies with dreads; but with them on the roster the Vikings no doubt are the favorite to lead the NFL this season in TD scored by rookies with dreads.

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63. The ODU Monarchs haven't exactly been known for good defense since restarting their program in 2009, but Rashaad Coward did well enough to earn 2nd team All-CUSA honors last season. Coward, a 6-5, 320-pound DT, had 12.5 career TFL, 7.5 of which came in 2016, and 4 career sacks. The only photo I could find of him from the offseason practices was the one on the left, as he (#68) watches a drill at minicamp on June 14. Finally right before training camp began the photographer for the Bears' website took a shot of him (right photo) getting some weight training in on July 20. But I'd be very surprised if there are any more photos of him once the regular season starts - at least this season anyway.

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64. For a long time it looked like Rashaad Coward would be the only rookie with dreads with the Bears; but then a couple of weeks ago, after training camp was already underway, they signed former Tennessee WR Pig Howard. Remember him? Shown in both photos at his first day of practice on Aug. 7, Howard led the Volunteers in receptions in his sophomore and junior seasons before being kicked off the team early in his 2015 senior season basically because he couldn't stay away from the marijuana. Nobody signed him last year, so he's still a rookie this year. And it's likely the Bears are taking a look at him only because their new WRs coach was Howard's position coach at UT. I'd certainly love to see Howard make it, but we're talking long shot here.

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65. Evidently the Detroit Lions identified LB as the position at which they needed the most improvement, because after drafting former Florida LB Jarrad Davis in the 1st round, they picked another SEC LB in round 4 - former Tennessee Volunteer Jalen Reeves-Maybin. The two, shown at rookie minicamp on May 12 (left photo) and at OTA practice on May 24 (right photo) no doubt spent a lot of time learning together during offseason practices. Reeves-Maybin, a 6-0, 230-pounder, had back-to-back 100+-tackle seasons as a sophomore and junior but suffered a serious shoulder injury early in his 2016 senior season, which caused him to be drafted lower than he should have been.

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66. Jalen Reeves-Maybin charges ahead during a drill at OTA practice on May 24 (left photo) and has a talk with his position coach, Bill Sheridan, on May 31 (right photo). Before he went to Tennessee, JRM starred on defense and offense in high school; so if he gets a FR or INT this season, he'll be taking it to the house.
A couple of months ago, while searching for photos of MLB player Cameron Maybin, I stumbled upon an article that mentioned the he and Reeves-Maybin are cousins. It figures, but it never had occurred to me that they're related. Hopefully Jalen can play as long in the NFL as his cousin has in MLB.

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67. RB Tion Green, shown in both photos on his first day of practice on May 12, was not drafted but has a decent chance to make the team. The 6-0, 230-pounder, scored touchdowns in all 5 of his seasons as a Cincinnati Bearcat (including when he redshirted in 2014) - a total of 19 in all. He rushed for 700+ yards in both 2015 and 2016 despite sharing carries both seasons. And as a senior he showed he can catch the ball, finishing with 29 receptions.
The Lions' leading rusher had just 357 yards last season; so the opportunity is there if Tion can seize it.

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68. Tion Green looks on from behind Jalen Reeves-Maybin as Coach Caldwell addresses the Lions' rookies at the end of mandatory minicamp on June 15. Caldwell: "It has been 22 years since this team has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and 26 years since we've won a playoff game, and I'm tired of hearing about it. So when you come back for training camp, be ready to kick ass, because we're ending those streaks this year and I'm counting on you to help us do it."

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69. Of the 21 players who showed up at the draft in person on Apr. 27 expecting to walk across the stage after being picked, five suffered the disappointment of sitting in the green room, and sitting, and sitting, and not being picked at all in round 1. Of those five, CB Kevin King was the only one who came back the next night. Fortunately here on Apr. 28 King didn't have to wait around for long, being interviewed (right photo) after being chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 1st pick in round 2.

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70. After not being able to participate in any OTA practices (because school was still in session at Washington), Kevin King is happy to be on the field for the first day of mandatory minicamp on June 13. Eight cornerbacks with dreads were drafted this year - the most of any position. King was the first of the eight. And I take back all of those nice things I wrote about him in my draft preview, because I don't want him doing any of them for the Packers. When it was rumored that they were going to take him, I hoped, I wished, I prayed that he would be picked by some other team, but I just couldn't do anything to make it happen. It's no secret that the Packers were among the worst in the league at pass defense last season; and they view the 6-3, 200-pound King as part of the solution to their woes.

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Over the past five years or so the Packers have changed from a team with the most players with dreads to among those with the fewest. They've must have noticed too, because this year in addition to King there are 7 other rookies with dreads trying to make the team (although only one of the 7 was drafted).

71. I try to make as few mistakes as possible; but I sure made a big one near the end of my draft preview when I referred to him as Alvin Jones. Alvin Jones doesn't have dreads, but his twin brother, Aaron Jones does. Aaron is the player I was talking about that had loose braids when he began his career at UTEP. I don't know when he converted to dreads (you may have noticed I haven't followed college football much the past two seasons); but I got confirmation of the switch at the Combine, as he meets the media (left photo) on Mar. 2 and broad jumps 10 feet, 7 inches on Mar. 3 (right photo).

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72. Aaron Jones carries the ball on his first day of practice on May 5 (left photo) and has his dreads reduced while stretching with teammates at OTA practice on June 1 (right photo). Three of the top 5 FBS RBs in yards rushing last year had dreads. D'Onta Foreman was 2nd, Dalvin Cook was 5th, and Jones was 4th. The Packers picked the 5-9, 208-pounder in the 5th round - the last of the five RBs with dreads drafted - after his school record 1,773-yard junior season, during which he also had 233 yards receiving and scored 20 TD.
While Jones is his school's all-time leading rusher .....

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73. ..... So is Kalif Phillips, who rushed for 4,020 yards and scored 43 TD in his 4 seasons for UNC-Charlotte. While his college teammates, Austin Duke (Panthers) and Larry Ogunjobi (Browns), likely will be playing on Sundays as rookies this fall, Phillips has an uphill climb if he's planning on making any more house calls. The Packers are in need of RBs; but they drafted two others besides Jones, so the  Phillips is going to really have to excel to make the team.

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74. WR Montay Crockett does an interview with a reporter from a Savannah TV station at Georgia Southern's pro day on Mar. 30. Crockett is another player featured in my draft preview that I wasn't pleased to see land with the Packers. He scored only 5 TD in his college career; but when you're as fast as he is (4.25 in the 40), you're going to get a chance to show if you can do anything other than just run.

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75. Montay Crockett, 6-0 and 184 pounds, makes a catch at rookie minicamp on May 5 (left photo) and kicks back while stretching at mandatory minicamp on June 14 (right photo). Unlike with DBs and RBs, the Packers don't need anymore WRs; so I thought it was strange that he decided to sign with them. He has very little chance of making their opening day roster. What I hope happens is that they cut him and he ends up with a different team.

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76. While Izaah Lunsford (#71) heads one way, Ricky Jean Francois goes the other (right photo) as the Packers' D-linemen do a drill at OTA practice on June 1. Jean Francois you've heard of, of course; he's about to play his 9th NFL season and his first with the Packers after signing as a free agent. Lunsford you probably haven't heard of. The 6-3, 310-pound DT had 12 career TFL at Bowling Green and showed enough promise during his senior season in 2016 - his only season as a starter - for the Packers to bring him in and see if he can help them stop the run.

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77. With Johnathan Calvin about to begin his first season with dreads, I was going to need a photo of him without his helmet on. But I couldn't find a single one from the offseason practices. Thankfully the AP took this shot of the 6-3, 266-pound LB/DE taking part in the traditional riding of kids' bicycles to practice at training camp on July 27. Hey, it beats walking. After transferring from junior college, Calvin had 17.5 TFL and 8.5 sacks in his two seasons with Mississippi State and showed enough promise for the Packers to bring him in and see if he can help them rush the passer better.

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78. CB Donatello Brown does a drill with fellow long shot CB Raysean Pringle, during an OTA drill on June 1 (left photo) and makes the catch at minicamp (right photo) on June 13. The bio on the Packers' website is the only place I could find out anything about Brown. He played at Division 2 school Valdosta State, where he had 3 INT and 15 PBU in his career, coming on strong after being academically ineligible in 2012 and 2013.
If you don't subtract the number of yards lost on sacks, the Packers allowed a league-worst 4,603 yards passing last season. So it's understandable why they're going anywhere and everywhere to improve their secondary. Brown certainly will get a chance to show if he's any good.
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Let's see: CB, check. RB, check. WR, check. LB, check. DT, check. What are the Packers missing? Of course, a rookie safety with dreads .....

79. ..... check! S Aaron Taylor is front and center in this drill as his fellow safeties look on (left photo) during mandatory minicamp on June 13. Doesn't look like his position coach, Darren Perry, is very happy, does it? With these dreads Taylor, as you may remember, made my Dread All-America team a couple of times when he was at Ball State; but I guess he's a pretty good player too. Playing more like a LB instead of a S, he had totals of 18 TFL, 0 INT, and 4 PBU in his 4 college seasons. The only article I read about the 5-11, 206-pound Taylor mentions his versatility to play both S and LB will increase his chances of making the team. We'll see.

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80. Fun and games on the final day of mandatory minicamp on June 15. Actually this is just games, because there's no fun in having a raw egg explode as you try to catch it, as Aaron Taylor finds out. But don't worry about it, Aaron. Star S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix broke his egg too!
http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-daily-news-story/article-1/Packers-wrap-minicamp-with-egg-toss-competition/eafbaec8-67a9-4874-b5cc-9a36ee0f5fa0

Despite the obvious intent to increase their number of players with dreads, my guess is the Packers will end up with more dreads on the practice squad than on the active roster.
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Now, to finish up DG170, here are a few bonus shots, most of which are of players hoping to be part of the 2017 class of rookies with dreads but who for one reason or another are not - at least not yet. Maybe some of them will emerge later in the season as attrition sets in, so hopefully this won't be the last we see of them.

81. This picture (on left) of FB/LB Alex Armah from West Georgia pro day on Mar. 13 led me to include him in my draft preview. But by the time he got to rookie minicamp he had already untwisted these beginner dreads, and at mandatory minicamp, the Panthers' 6th round draft pick was back to normal hair (right photo) while helping 1st round pick Christian McCaffrey do a drill. As a result of this, I didn't count Armah as one of the players with dreads drafted.

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82. I don't know for sure; but I don't think there's ever been a player with dreads from Penn State in the NFL. I mean, players that had dreads while they were at Penn State, not ones who started their dreads after they were in the NFL. LB Nyeem Wartman-White, shown here at Penn State pro day on Mar. 16, has the potential to be the first; but it won't be this year, if ever. He tore his ACL early during his 2016 junior season then declared for the draft. He wasn't yet recovered enough to show anything at his pro day, so no team signed him; and the last I heard he was suing the insurance company he took out a policy with last year when they refused to pay out his claim.

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83. OT Nick Callender runs his 40-yard dash at Colorado State pro day on Mar. 8. Callendar's marginal chance of being drafted ended and his NFL hopes got put on hold when he, just like Sidney Jones, tore his Achilles tendon right near the end of his pro day workout. Maybe next year, Nick.

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84. The Kansas City Chiefs' rookie minicamp included the oddity of two different players with dreads wearing jersey #62 - former Wayne State (Division 2) O-lineman Robert Kelly and the even longer dreads of former FAMU LB Curtis Alexander. Both were tryout players, and unfortunately neither was signed at the end of camp.

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85. Safeties Devin Centers (on left in left photo) and Marquan Ellison go against each other in a drill at Utah State pro day on Mar. 31. After not being drafted, Ellison got a tryout with the Seahawks (right photo, from rookie minicamp on May 12) but was not signed. I don't think Centers even got a tryout with anyone; so these two have a lot of improving to do if they want to play in the NFL.

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86. TE Trey Foster had the sickest dreads at Nebraska's pro day on Mar. 14, but his performance on the field wasn't as impressive as his dreads. Foster's career numbers were remarkably consistent - he had 1 catch in each of his 4 seasons. Two of those 4 catches went for TD, but it'd be a big surprise if the 6-2, 250-pounder ever makes any house calls on Sundays.

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87. And speaking of sick dreads ..... At North Carolina pro day on Mar. 21 RB Khris Francis' dreads really showed out. But sadly it looks like Francis, who was never higher than 3rd string on the UNC depth chart, just isn't talented enough for the NFL. He had a total of 348 yards rushing and 2 TD in his 4-year career with the Tar Heels.

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88. And finally ..... Trenton Smith's attempt to be the NFL's tallest CB ended (for now, at least) when the Colts didn't offer him a contract after their rookie minicamp was over. After transferring from junior college to a college in Canada, the 6-6, 210-pound Smith tried out with the Colts, and apparently his dreads stood out more than his playing ability.
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As for the 2016 class of rookies with dreads ...... of the 69 rookies who had dreads when training camp started, 38 appeared in at least one regular season game. 21 of the 26 drafted players with dreads played; the other 5 spent the season on an injured list. And 18 who weren't drafted made it onto the field at some point during the season. 7 of the 69 scored touchdowns (although Demarcus Ayers had cut his dreads off by the time he scored in Week 17), led by undrafted Rob Kelley with 7. Only 10 of the 69 rookies with dreads were cut during or after training camp and then not signed to the practice squad.
38 out of 69 is 55.1%, which is slightly better than the last two seasons and which I expect the 2017 class to reach this season.