Jean Sifrin may not have been drafted Saturday but he’s found a landing spot in the National Football League.
The 6-foot-5, 242-pound tight end went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, but signed with the Indianapolis Colts shortly after the final pick was made. Following his workout at the Massachusetts football team’s Pro Day, Sifrin said the Colts were one of the many teams that had expressed interest in him.
Sifrin will join tight ends Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener and Jack Doyle on the Indianapolis roster. If he does make the team in the fall, he could be a unique target for star quarterback Andrew Luck.
After having a subpar showing at the combine – he ran a 4.84 40-yard dash and didn’t participate in the bench press – Sifrin improved his test scores at UMass’ Pro Day where he improved his time to 4.75 seconds and finished with 15 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. His 11-inch hands were the largest of any of the draftees.
However, many teams were not willing to take the risk drafting him with those test results.
Sifrin, 27, spent one season with the Minutemen, appearing in 11 games where he had 42 receptions for 642 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He first became a known commodity after week two against Colorado when he had a pair of touchdown catches, including a one-handed grab that was the No. 7 play on SportsCenter’s top 10 plays of the day.
Prior to arriving at UMass, Sifrin spent time at El Camino College where scouts discovered him and eventually offered him a scholarship. He also spent time at ASA College in Brooklyn in 2011 where he played both football and basketball.
Former Minutemen tight end Rob Blanchflower was selected last season in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 230.
Andrew Cyr can be reached at [email protected], and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.