September 4, 2018

#SMU2NFL

SMU Football has a long history of producing NFL players and that tradition continues for the 2018 NFL season. From Super Bowl champions Emmanuel Sanders and Thomas Morstead to rookies Courtland Sutton, Justin Lawler, Trey Quinn and Evan Brown, there are currently 15 former Mustangs on NFL rosters.

Take a look at where each former Mustang will be playing during 2018.

#33 Kenneth Acker | CB | Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars placed Acker on the Injured Reserve list on Sept. 1 with an ankle injury. Players placed on IR are ineligible to play for that team for the remainder of the 2018 season, with the exception that each team may bring back two players after they have spent 8 weeks on IR.

#31 Chris Banjo | S | New Orleans Saints
Banjo is entering his sixth NFL season and third with the Saints. In 2017, he played in every game for New Orleans, amassing 10 tackles, an interception against the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan, and a forced fumble as the Saints made the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

#68 Kelvin Beachum | T | New York Jets
Beachum will be playing his seventh NFL season and his second with the Jets. Last year he started every game at left tackle for New York.

#11 Cole Beasley | WR | Dallas Cowboys
Beasley had another productive year as a slot receiver for the Cowboys in 2017, totaling 36 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Beasley is entering his seventh season with Dallas, where he has caught 20 touchdown passes in his career.

#67 Evan Brown | C | New York Giants
Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Giants on May 10, Brown made the 53-man roster out of training camp. Able to play both center and guard, Brown will provide depth to the Giants' offensive line corps.

#92 Margus Hunt | DT | Indianapolis Colts
2017 was a career year for Hunt, who played in all 16 games for the Colts, including five starts, and compiled 19 tackles, a sack, and two pass breakups. He enters his sixth NFL season and his second in Indianapolis.

#53 Justin Lawler | DE | Los Angeles Rams
Lawler, the 244th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, made the Rams' 53-man roster out of training camp. The former Mustangs defensive end standout may also feature at linebacker for Los Angeles.

#61 Josh LeRibeus | G | New Orleans Saints
The Saints initially cut LeRibeus when they moved to the league-mandated 53-man roster on Sept. 1, but quickly re-signed him Sept. 3 to add depth to their offensive line. The six-year veteran featured as a back-up lineman in every game for the NFC South Champion New Orleans last season.

#42 Zach Line | FB | New Orleans Saints
Line returns for his second season with the Saints, where last year he played in 12 regular season games including four starts. He notched his first touchdown as a Saint with a five-yard catch against the Jets on Dec. 17. He also punched in a one-yard touchdown run in the 31-26 win over the Panthers in the Wild Card round of last year's playoffs.

#6 Thomas Morstead | P | New Orleans Saints
Morstead returns for his 10th NFL season, all with the Saints, after another solid year in 2017. He averaged 47 yards per punt, including a season-long 68 yards, and pinned 26 kicks inside the 20-yardline as the Saints made the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

#14 Trey Quinn | WR | Washington Redskins
Quinn, who earned the title of Mr. Irrelevant as the very last pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, won a roster spot with the Redskins out of training camp. The team's official website said, "he's sure-handed and has a knack for getting open."

#24 Horace Richardson | CB | Minnesota Vikings
Richardson cleared waivers and is on the Vikings' Injured Reserve list after injuring his hamstring in the preseason finale. Richardson joined Minnesota as a rookie free agent last year and spent the 2017 season on the practice squad.

#10 Emmanuel Sanders | WR | Denver Broncos
In his eighth NFL season, the fourth with the Broncos, Sanders caught 47 balls for 555 yards and two touchdowns. The Super Bowl 50 Champion and two-time Pro Bowler has totaled 464 catches for 33 touchdowns and 6,156 yards in his career.

#14 Courtland Sutton | WR | Denver Broncos
The Broncos' 2018 second-round draft pick joins fellow Mustang Emmanuel Sanders in the Denver receiving corps for his rookie year. After catching 12 touchdowns for SMU in 2017, Sutton has already put on a show of athletic catches in Broncos training camp.

#49 Zach Wood | LS | New Orleans Saints
Wood returns for his second NFL season after handling the long snapping duties in every game for the NFC South Champion Saints last year.