Former Oregon Ducks Verone McKinley III, CJ Verdell, Anthony Brown sign UDFA deals
Immediately following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft, a trio of former Oregon Ducks signed undrafted free agent deals with teams.
According to reports, defensive back Verone McKinley III has signed with the Miami Dolphins, running back CJ Verdell has signed with the Indianapolis Colts, and quarterback Anthony Brown has signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
Former Oregon safety Verone McKinley is signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, per his agency @_SportsTrust https://t.co/PTU4PtSnSm
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 30, 2022
The Indianapolis #Colts are signing #Oregon RB CJ Verdell as a UDFA, per source. @oregonfootball #NFLDraft | @TheDraftNetwork
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 30, 2022
Former Oregon QB Anthony Brown is signing with the #Ravens, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 30, 2022
McKinley was a player some draft analysts thought could have been taken well before the draft ended. When Day 3 began, he was a guy ESPN labeled as one of the 25 best available players. Over the course of the next four rounds, no one picked him. McKinley was a consensus All-American at Oregon and a Jim Thorpe Award finalist after leading the nation with six interceptions last season. In four seasons and 38 appearances with the Ducks, McKinley totaled 168 tackles, 21 pass breakups, 11 interceptions, two tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Verdell closed out his Oregon career with 2,929 career rushing yards (the sixth-most in program history) and 27 career rushing touchdowns (seventh in program history). In 2019, the 5-foot-8, 211-pound running back became just the fifth Oregon player to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
The 6-foot-1 Brown completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,989 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, helping lead the Ducks to the Pac-12 title game. The former Boston College quarterback also ran for a career-high 658 yards and nine scores last season.