Purdue Football: NFL Draft / Free Agent Recap

Marcus Mbow is off to the Big Apple. A couple of his fellow offensive linemen will be looking to catch on as unsigned free agents.

It was a quiet four days for former Purdue athletes hoping to hear their name called in the NFL draft. This was expected, with Marcus Mbow being the only Purdue player from the 2024-25 season with a solid draft grade. Again, not surprising considering the overall lack of talent on display in West Lafayette last season. Losing all but one Big 10 game is hard work, and that work starts with a lack of draftable talent.

That said, while Purdue was bereft of experienced, high-end talent, the NFL was interested in kicking the tires on a few former Boilermakers. Since the draft, several Purdue players have caught on with NFL teams via rookie free agency. The goal of an undrafted free agent is to find the best situation available to make the practice squad. Hang around the outskirts of the NFL for three seasons, and you become a vested member of the NFLPA. Getting a piece of that sweet, sweet NFL pension fund can set you up for life.

Here are the Boilermakers trying to start their three-year journey to vested status:

Drafted

Marcus Mbow – 5th Round – Pick 154 – New York Giants

Outlook: Should make the roster. Could make the gameday roster because of his versatility. Potential long-term starting upside as a guard if he continues to get stronger.

Mbow spent a couple rounds as one of the “best available” players on the draft board, which can’t be a fun experience. His wait ended on Sunday when the Giants decided they wanted Purdue’s versatile guard/tackle on their roster. The G-Men hit mid-round gold last season with Tyrone Tracy and decided to see if the Boilermaker talent vein is still producing.

Versatility is the name of the game for Mbow. He played both guard and tackle at Purdue, and while he projects as a guard long term, his ability to slide out and play right tackle gives him a leg up over the competition. Gameday rosters in the NFL are limited to 48 players, and Mbow’s ability to fill a couple of different roles is a valuable commodity.

Outside of his versatility, I see potential upside in Marcus’s game. The former high school basketball star has incredible feet for a man of his size. He needs to get stronger, but the good news is the NFL pays trainers a bunch of money to get their guys stronger. I see Mbow as a versatile sub early in his career with long-term starting guard potential if his strength improves.

Free Agents

Corey Stewart

Outlook: Fighting for a spot on the practice squad.

I don’t think we saw the best version of Corey Stewart at Purdue. At one point, it looked like he was playing in an ankle cast, and you could tell he was occasionally frustrated with his mobility.

Stewart has to prove he is strong enough to move inside and compete. If he does that, he can bring value as a multi-positional O-lineman. That might be good enough to land a spot on the practice squad.

Gus Hartwig

Outlook: Practice Squad Potential

You won’t find many linemen with as much experience as Gus Hartwig. I don’t know the official stat, but you’ve got to figure he was towards the top of the 2025 class in terms of snaps executed.

If he’s going to stick, Gus must prove he’s strong enough to hold up at guard and center. I’m not sure he has the physical traits of a starter in the NFL, but his ability to snap the ball is valuable. I think he’ll find a practice squad somewhere, and he has a solid shot to make it three years if he can show potential as a guard.