In our early draft projections back in November, we felt no Orange would be selected on the first night. We were wrong. Ryan Nassib’s stock dropped, while Justin Pugh’s rose. We pretty much pegged Shamarko Thomas accurately. Here’s a look at where Syracuse players have been drafted through the four rounds:
Round 1: (#19 overall) Justin Pugh, New York Giants. 
Good fit for Pugh. The Giants have major issues on the offensive line as most of the hogs have been there since the ’07 Super Bowl and are old and injury prone. GM Jerry Reese was focusing on lineman, and got a smart, consistent, versatile with his first pick. Some think it’s a reach, and certainly few figured Pugh would go in the first 20 picks. But he goes to a winning organization and doesn’t have to be a savior left tackle. He does need to step in an contribute immediately though. Good to have another Orange selected in the first round. Only helps the program, and recruits with NFL dreams.
Round 4: (#110) Ryan Nassib, New York Giants.
The Giants have a quarterback in his prime in Eli Manning, and a serviceable back up in David Carr. So why did Reese trade up to snag his second Orange of the draft? To use his as a trade chip down the road. Like the Packers stockpiling quarterbacks in the Brett Favre era, the Giants clearly felt they were buying a rising stock at a low price. If Nassib starts developing into a good signal caller, New York can deal him for draft picks. Alex Smith went for a pair of second-rounders. So did Matt Schaub to the Texans. The Bengals got a second-round pick for Carson Palmer. Good news for Nassib is the pressure won’t be on to produce immediately. Bad news is he won’t be starting anytime soon. The fact he fell to the 4th round tells you NFL execs felt he was a project.
Round 4: (#111) Shamarko Thomas, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Any defensive player should love heading to the Steel City. Dick Lebeau has proven to be a Hall of Fame mastermind on D. Thomas is a bit undersized for the league at just a shade over 5’8″, but if there’s a place to succeed it’s Pittsburgh. While the Steelers have Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, both safeties are getting up there in age. Troy has been banged up for a few years now. Thomas will be able to learn under the best, and potentially be used in nickel and dime situations.
Posted: D.A.
22 responses to “Dissecting the Draft: Three Syracuse Players Taken in NFL’s First 4 Rounds”
Wow,Ron now I get to enjoy my Gmen even more going into the future….are u still gonna stay on Dougies team “Bills”lol?jus kidding Ron but ya gotta admit the Jints are gonna start looking like the SU varsity team lol..can’t hurt downstate recruiting going into the future too!I wonder if Malone is a Giant or Jet fan?I known Dipper and Terry follow the Jints too!”Go Giants” “Go Orange”..
Every Syracuse fan loves Shamarko and putting him in the Steeler defense speaks well for us and him.
Like you said I’m a huge GGGGGGGGG-MAN fan!! But I just don’t see the GGGGGGG-Man idea for Ryan?? Pugh is a reach too!! Personally I feel this years GGGGGG-Man draft says two things. Rebuild and cost cutting!! The Yankee’s are also going to turn their team up side down next year too. Great place for the Shark in Steelerville!! Love it!!
Rutgirls kicked ass in players drafted. Even UConn got 3 to. So I see little if no pick up from this years draft for promising recruits!!
@Russell MacEachern;
I know Russell,evry time I say that Buffalo is my time,I get ridiculed pretty good. It’s been that way ever since they lost the 3rd Super Bowl. I’ve taken the kidding about the Bills from a lot of people.
When ever a Syracuse player is drafted I try real hard to follow their NFL,careers. Doesn’t matter to me what team their on,I try watching. Looks like I have to add watching the NYG’s to that list.
You know the saying Russell,”it’s hard to change an old dogs habits”. Buffalo is still my team.
Good draft seeing two of my favorite players on my favorite team. Go Giants! …Would’ve loved to be greedy and see them grab Shamarko too, but I love that fit at Pittsburg.
Lemon got signed by the Texans too.
Go Cuse!
Yeah Ron I know how u feel…Ive been a Jint fan since Wellington Mara was a teenager lol and will be till I die no matter who they pick or who coaches them!Its something we call loyalty that some kids today never learn!!….as far as recruiting Ron it looks like theirs a small buzz eminating out of BC for the 1st time in 8/9 years since Adazzio took the reins so I hope we can keep pace with them cause now it looks like in addition to Pitt/RU/PSU and MD, >BC< is BACK as a player in the NJ/NY metro area and UConn seems to be losing influence even in their own state!!They need a life raft quick or sink….Im hoping someone bails them out or HS and college football is done in NE!!I wouldnt be shocked if the B1G took a flyer on there athletic department if they get AAU and expand the Rent plus lose the "mummy" and GDL lol!!Shame that guys like P who believes in loyalty and has old fashioned ethics are becoming dinosaurs!Personally,I like the guy..but he's awful stubborn…like us lol!!
Derek,yeah its a nice spot for Ryan to sit and learn w/o pressure to perform right away and sharpen his skills!It would have been tough for him to go somewhere where they needed an instant “saviour” cause that was’nt what he was but given time he could become a servicable starter if surrounded with enough talent…now JP will need to help right away and I think tho a reach at 19 by midseason he’ll get plugged in at OG/C and stick for 8/10 years!He would’nt have been on the board in the 2nd rd if we passed on him tho in most years hes a 2nd rounder!
Ron,I have a hunch the Bills are gonna continue improving and surprise people!!Keep the faith…outside the Jints Ive been rooting quietly for them in the AFC after all I dont like the Jets and arent they a NY team too? lol..I hate Boston teams!
Ryan Nassib reminds me a lot of Todd Philcox who was our quarterback in the 1988/89 season. Todd led Syracuse to an 10-2 record and a victory over Lousiana State in the 1989 Hall of Fame Bowl. Todd goes on to have a “journeymans career” by playing 9 years in the NFL as a backup QB for Cincinnati,Cleveland,Tampa Bay,Jacksonville,San Diego and New England.
Ryan Nassib too had an outstanding senior year at Syracuse,breaking all sorts of school records on his way to leading the school to an 8-5 overall record and berth in the Pinstripe Bowl where they would beat West Virginia soundly.
Both were drafted late,Todd only threw for 7 TD’s over his 9 years in the league. I’m hoping that Ryan has a more stable career and gets a chance to stay at one team and gets his chance as a starter. I know playing for the Giants isn’t going to allow him that oppourtunity and I see him getting traded after a year or two and starting his own “journeyman career”. On a more positive note both will have earned their millions by setting the bench for 9-10 years.
I wish Ryan well and hopes that he gets his chance as a starter.
Ryan Nassib and Todd Philcox are and always have been good ambassadors for the school,Syracuse University should be proud of these two young men,very proud.
Thanks for the memories Todd & Ryan.
@Russell MacEachern;
Thanks Russell for the support. Just like the college game,I believe thatthe NFL teams go through their ups and downs and no one team dominates for a long period of time. I truly believe that Buffalo will return to glorious past. I just don’t know when but I do know it will happen at some point.
Thanks again Russell.
GO CUSE
Syarcuse added another recruit to the class of 2013. I think that makes the 25th or 26th commit for 2013.
6’0″ 170 lb WR Sean Avant out of Miramar HS Miramar Fl. committed on Saturday.
This is great for me, though I wanted all three to end up on the NYG.
I’M a Cuse FB fan that loves his NYG. Look forward to Pugh becoing a mainstay on the OL. Nassib at worst should become a quality backup.
Saw that Lemon, Chibane and Goggins landed on teams at FA…Hoping that Marcus Sales gets an invite to camp with the NYG, that Brandon Sharpe and the man from the BX Siriki Diabate gets a look.
Sorry Ron and your Jills allegiance. You need counselling?? LOL!! GGG-Man fan for years. But for football SU is number 1 in my heart. Just a solid Pee Wee, HS,College and NFL fan. But still not happy with the G-MANS draft this year. But still excited because I’ll always see Ryan and Justin when looking up GGGGGGGG-MAN stuff.
Rutgirls had one hell of a draft this year. That will not hurt their program at all!!!
@terry;
over the last 25-35 years I’ve been laughed at,called a damn fool and on top of it all ridiculed because of me being a “Buffalo Fan”. Getting harassed one more time by another sports fan isn’t going to change history one iota. Let there be no misunderstanding,my first love for football is the college game and Syracuse University is my team.
Ron,I agree w/u and Terry….I still prefer College football to Pro but since fantasy football leagues came into vogue my pro interest has intensified!!I.., like Terry love HS football too as with me they bring back the memories and smell’s of burning leaves,fall and young girls (cheerleaders) of my youth!!
Ron,Ryan reminds me of Chad Pennington w/o the “touch”…Chad had good football iq and medium range passer but limited in mobility and long passing….no star but servicable in pro’s!I think he went to Marshall U!!I like Ryan more than Philcox myself as a producer and leader!
@Russ – I am a long time Giants fan (although being from Jersey, I was a bit disapointed when they put the NY back on the hats).
I feel for Nassib in that he won’t see the field much if at all. The Giants have always had a veteran back up. Coughlin is too intollerant of mistakes to let a rookie be his only option. Even Eli sat behind Warner for a bit, and then Warner behind him.
Downstate has been hungry for a respectable BC and SU and I think those days are again ahead of us, just around the bend. I don’t think muh of the BC rivalry, but I believe I will given the potential and trajectory of the two schools.
@Malone,keep a close eye on BC now that Addazzio is there…Ive seen an uptick already in their recruiting…RU and BC are in rivals and espns top 20 at this early point in time!!Just our luck that just as we go ACC they start to look like their improving…it (BC) was one school I thought we could dominate along w/Wake and Dook!!But watch out ACC…Cuse is coming!!
>recruiting top 20!!<
I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found
any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me.
In my view, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net
will be a lot more useful than ever before.
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having
trouble locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail.
I’ve got some suggestions for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it grow over time.