Three undrafted Duke football alums get shot to make NFL rosters

Three Duke football alums will have an opportunity to earn their way onto NFL rosters after not being selected in this weekend's NFL Draft. However, only one has signed a contract as an undrafted free agent.

Myles Jones signs as UFA with Jets

Corner Myles Jones has signed a free-agent deal with the New York Jets. The Texas native began his career at Texas A&M before coming to Duke.

As a Blue Devil, he made four appearances with one start. He totaled only seven tackles but did have two interceptions.

One thing Jones has going against him is his age. Already 25 years old, he spent seven years at the college level where he redshirted twice due to injuries and utilized his free COVID-19 season.

On the other hand, his 6-foot-4 frame has to intrigue NFL teams. That's the type of size that is rare for a cornerback and it could make him an intriguing option for the Jets.

Hornibrook invited to minicamp with Colts

Another player who spent only one season in Durham, Jake Hornibrook is headed to the Indianapolis Colts' minicamp as a non-roster invitee. There, he will try to earn a contract and an opportunity to head to training camp this summer.

In 2023, he started 12 games splitting his time between right tackle and right guard. Prior to making his way to Duke, he started four years at Stanford where he appeared in 36 games making 23 starts.

Jeremiah Lewis gets a shot with the New York Giants

Another Duke defensive back, Jeremiah Lewis, is headed to the New York Giants minicamp also hoping to get a contract and an invite to training camp. Unlike Hornibrook and Jones, though, this is a player who Duke fans got to know well during his career.

Playing five of his six college seasons in Durham (only spending 2022 at Northwestern), he was a fairly productive collegiate. Ending his career with 205 tackles, he had six interceptions and 19 pass defenses.

He appeared in 61 career games with 29 starts. In all, he played 2,308 career snaps at Duke.

It will be difficult for these undrafted players to make their way onto NFL rosters but plenty of players have gone that route before. Such notable NFL players as Wes Welker, Tony Romo, Drew Pearson, Jason Peters, Priest Holmes, Antonio Gates, Warren Moon, and Kurt Warner all had fantastic NFL careers despite not being selected in the draft.

Now, these three Blue Devils hope to follow in those players' footsteps. Here's hoping each finds a way to make his NFL dream come true.