Marshall University football players Mike Green, JJ Roberts, Jeremy Jones and Elijah Ellis were all drafted, signed or invited to camps during NFL Draft weekend.
Green was the only player from the Sun Belt Conference to be drafted ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” chosen at No. 59 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round.
Roberts was signed moments after the draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. Jeremy Jones received an invite to the New York Giants camp, and Ellis received an invitation from the Minnesota Vikings.
Green headed to Baltimore
Green was initially a projected first-round talent but slid to day two. But as many say, it is not about where you go but what you do with it. In a post-draft press conference, Ravens coach John Harbaugh applauded GreenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s hunger.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMike really expressed that he wants to make the most of this opportunity,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Harbaugh said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe was really grateful for the opportunity.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Harbaugh also says that Green can be a first-day contributor alongside the RavensÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ first-round draft pick, safety Malaki Starks.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a guy thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s going to come in here day one and make a mark,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Harbaugh said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s going to be really exciting.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œLook at these first two defensive guys ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to notice them. Malachi is going to be flying around, and Mike is going to be flying around. (Green) wonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t be calling defenses back there, but he comes off the edge and is physical on the run.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Tape and numbers speak for themselves with Green. He led the FBS in sacks with 17 and was originally rated as a top-20 prospect by Mel Kiper ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” ESPNÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s draft projecter gave Green a less than 1% chance to be available at pick No. 59.
The Ravens were the fourth-worst team in the league in pass rush win rate last season depite getting 54 total sacks. Green provides spark to the edge in HarbaughÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s eyes.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe comes off the ball and is very physical,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Harbaugh said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe doesnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t stop playing until the final echo of the whistle. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s physical. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s aggressive. He plays the kind of football that we like to play. The football IQ and character is very high.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The Ravens had two double-digit sack getters last season and have a history of physical defenders that Harbaugh says Green can be part of.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe first thing that jumped out to me is his motor,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Harbaugh said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a relentless player. YouÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re talking about a guy that plays the way our fans like to watch football be played. He plays like a guy that really cares.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The Ravens also selected offensive tackle Carson Vinson from Alabama A&M in the fifth round. Vinson became the first HBCU prospect to be selected since Isaiah Bolden was picked in 2023 in the seventh round. He was the only HBCU player to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl.
Of course, fans of Marshall and Green will remember the Senior Bowl for GreenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s viral moment in running over first-round selection Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon.
When asked what he saw from Green, Vinson says he didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t get a chance to go against Green but knew all about him.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThat dudeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a dog,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Carson Vinson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t get to match up at the senior bowl, but I saw clips of him. Especially the viral one that everybody was talking about. That man is an animal. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s going to help our organization, and weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to win the super bowl.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
JJ Roberts signs with Bucs
Roberts joined now-Jacksonville Jaguar Wyatt Milum, selected in the third round of this yearÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s draft, as former prep locals to be signed once he was picked up by Tampa Bay in the post-draft signings phase.
Roberts was a star at Cabell Midland, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors for West Virginia in his senior season. After starting at Wake Forest, Roberts transferred to Marshall and became one of the teamÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s premier defenders ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” totaling 94 tackles and tying the national average with 14 pass breakups.
Former Cabell Midland coach Luke Salmons, now the coach at Corbin High School in Kentucky and a former offensive lineman at Marshall, speaks highly of RobertsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ work ethic.
He says that while Roberts didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t contribute much until his junior season at Midland, he quickly became one of the stateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s best on both offense and defense.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe kept working, he kept getting better, he kept growing, and he was already talented. He just kept believing in the process of what it takes. It was neat to see,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Salmons said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAnd then he really started becoming a physical player. That was one of the things we talked about was, if you become physical, youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re special. You turn on the (high school) junior film, and boom, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s like, bang, heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s physical. So that set him apart. And his athleticism has always been there.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
RobertsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s play at quarterback as a senior helped lead the Knights to a state championship game. Salmons said his adaptability to pick up the position ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” as he primarily played corner for much of his career ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” was paramount to that run.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe led us to a state championship (game) as a quarterback and had never played there,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Salmons said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe overcame a lot of those things, and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s why we put him there.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Of course, Roberts has become an even better player since then.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s neat to see the development and just how far heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s come. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s neat to see how as a coach, to see the things that he became in high school is the things heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s doing now,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Salmons said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s the coolest thing, I think. Yeah, he was always special talented, but to see his growth, as far as turn on film and watching him play at Marshall and smack people, thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what he was doing when he was a (prep) sophomore and junior, and he really took off. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œ
Salmons said the sky is the limit.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHe has ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s tough, and to me, thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what has separated him from being good to great, and thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a lot of good athletes, but JJÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a freak athlete,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Salmons said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe know that, but he works, and the main thingÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s still the main thing, and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s why we say heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s got ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™
