Two Rhode Island football players sign with NFL teams. Who are they?

Providence Journal

Two University of Rhode Island football players have landed with NFL teams.

Offensive lineman Lorenzo Thompson has signed with the NFL's Cleveland Browns as a rookie free agent, and safety Jordan Colbert has signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent, both teams announced on Friday morning.

A Syracuse, New York, native, Thompson played in in 46 games at URI, with 37 consecutive starts. He was a 2023 First Team All-CAA Football selection, anchoring a URI offensive line that allowed teammate Ja'Den McKenzie to break a nearly 70-year-old record when he rushed for 13 touchdowns in 2023.

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Lorenzo Thompson, URI football
Lorenzo Thompson, URI football

The Rams ran the ball for 133.3 yards per game, with McKenzie averaging 6.58 yards per carry - good for 10th in the country. Behind its line, Rhody was also 10th in the nation in passing offense (284.8 yds. per game).

An All-New England honoree and a Phil Steele Third Team All-American, the Syracuse, N.Y. native capped his Rhody career with 37 consecutive starts. He also represented the Rams at the Hula Bowl.

Thompson becomes the second URI player on the offensive side to sign with an NFL team in the past two years. Former teammate and wide receiver Ed Lee was signed by the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent last summer. Lee is now on the BC Lions (CFL) roster.

RI's Jordan Colbert wraps up UNH tight end Kyle Lepkowski last October.
RI's Jordan Colbert wraps up UNH tight end Kyle Lepkowski last October.

Colbert is a Clinton, Maryland. native, who started all 10 of the games that he appeared in at URI, playing a key role in the secondary. He made 57 tackles in 2023, the fourth-most on the team, and notched 3.0 TFLs along with two interceptions. He also recorded a 49-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown opposite Stony Book (Sept. 8) and finished the year with three pass breakups.

He is the second safety to sign with an NFL organization in as many seasons, joining former teammate Jordan Jones who signed as a rookie free agent with the Los Angeles Rams following the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones is currently playing for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island football's Lorenzo Thompson, Jorden Colbert head to NFL

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