After the conclusion of the NFL draft, where quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was the only former Scarlet Knight to have his name called, several other former Rutgers football players signed undrafted free agent deals with NFL teams. These include tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr, EDGE Eric O’Neill, cornerback Cam Miller, and wide receiver DT Sheffield. After the wave of UDFA deals concluded, several other former Knights received invitations to rookie minicamps hosted by different NFL teams. These include linebacker Dariel Djabome, tight end Colin Weber, and center Gus Zilinskas.
Zilinskas and Djabome are two talents that spent their entire career at Rutgers. Zilinskas played in 48 games for Rutgers and made 41 starts at center, while starting 38 consecutive games over the past three seasons. He was a two time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, and served as a team captain during his time at RU. Zilinskas played a key role in bringing the knights offensive line up to a Big Ten level of play. He was invited to rookie minicamps hosted by both the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts.
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Djabome played in 47 games for Rutgers and made 25 starts at linebacker. He ended collegiate his career playing in 34 consecutive games totaling 192 tackles with 13 for loss and 5.5 sacks over that time. He was named to the all-Big Ten third team in 2024 and was a finalist for the Cornish Award that same year. He also served as a team captain. He was invited to a rookie minicamp hosted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Weber came to Rutgers after spending four years at Charlotte. During his one season at Rutgers, Weber caught 17 passes for 102 yards. His best performance of the season came against Washington, when he made five catches for 27 yards. He also proved himself to be a good blocker as well. He was invited to a rookie minicap hosted by the Tennessee Titans.
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