Football: Quartet of Army seniors receive free agent NFL contracts
WEST POINT – Four Army seniors have been offered free agent contracts in the NFL following the conclusion of the three-day draft.
Punter Zach Harding was offered by the New York Jets, linebacker Malkelm Morrison by the Las Vegas Raiders and defensive back Cedrick Cunningham by the Indianapolis Colts and defensive lineman Nolan Cockrill by the Baltimore Ravens. They will all have an opportunity to participate in upcoming rookie camp workouts.
Should the clubs sign them for 2022 rosters, they would be eligible to apply for a deferment of their five-year military obligations upon approval by the Pentagon. West Point 2021 graduate and linebacker Jon Rhattigan is a prime example, having made the roster of the Seattle Seahawks and made 10 solo tackles in 14 games; he recently signed an extension.
Harding has been one of the nation’s top collegiate punters for the past three seasons. He averaged 48.6 yards as a sophomore in 2019 (on 20 tries), 43.3 yards as a junior in 2020 (on 41 tries) and 44.1 yards as a senior in 2021 (on 38 tries). With power and the ability to place his punts, Harding has been very capable of pinning opponents inside their own 20 – he did that five times at Wisconsin on Oct. 16, four times against Liberty on Nov. 27, twice against Navy on Dec. 11 and three times against Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22.
Harding, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder out of suburban St. Louis, represented Army at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl showcase at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 29.
Morrison could become something of a legacy story – his father, Patrick, started one game with the 1987 New York Giants. Both are New Rochelle products. Malkelm played scholastically for Iona Prep.
Malkelm Morrison has seen regular action for the past three seasons on an Army team that has been stacked with linebackers. He had 44 stops (34 solo) in 2019 when he played at cornerback, 33 stops in 2020 (15 solo) and 51 stops in 2021 (32 solo). He had two total sacks in his career, though none as a senior. He posted four pass deflections last season. He capped his Army career with six tackles against Missouri in the bowl game; he also had four stops against Navy.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-1 defensive back, also capped his Army career on a high note, posting 13 tackles against Missouri. He had nine tackles (seven solo) as a freshman in 2018, 45 in 2019 (30 solo), 70 in a breakout year of 2020 (37 solo) and 58 last season (38 solo). He was a co-captain in 2021, a season in which he received All-Independent first team status.
Late Sunday, Cockrill was invited to the Ravens' mini-camp. Last season, he posted 40 tackles, including seven-and-a-half for lost yardage. He also posted 2 1/2 sacks. A nose guard for Army, Cockrill was one of the team's co-captains.
Long shunned by the NFL due to military obligations, Army football veterans have been finding their way into rookie camps and onto NFL rosters in recent years. Alejandro Villanueva, a 2011 grad, may be the most celebrated, having just retired from a successful career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Brett Toth, a 2018 grad, tried out with the Arizona Cardinals, was a late cut and signed as an offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles. Elijah Riley, a 2020 grad, played five games at defensive back with the Eagles in 2020 and one contest in 2021 before joining the Jets. Linebacker Cole Christiansen saw action in seven games over the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army seniors receive NFL free agent deals
