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Boston College: The Top 10 Eagles players in the NFL

By Logan Jakubajtys

Nov 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback and former Boston College Eagle Matt Ryan during his jersey retirement ceremony during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback and former Boston College Eagle Matt Ryan during his jersey retirement ceremony during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets punter Ryan Quigley (4) kicks the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports /

6. P Ryan Quigley, Minnesota Vikings

Surprised to see a punter on the list ahead of some skill position players? I was too, but when putting this list together I had to give Ryan Quigley his fair shot at cracking the top 10.

Quigley is now with the Minnesota Vikings, but he has spent time with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals in the NFL. He’s in a battle for the punting job with Taylor Symmank, and that will likely last throughout training camp. Vikings Special Team Coordinator Mike Priefer likes the way the competition is playing out.

"“Ryan is an experienced punter with a couple of years under his belt,” Priefer said. “With Taylor, he’s got the benefit of being young, he doesn’t overthink things. Taylor probably has a little bit stronger leg, but Ryan is more consistent right now. We’re looking for a guy that when we’re indoors, he’s very good at directional punting.”"

In the league, Quigley has averaged 44.6 yards on his punts, with a long of 69. His competition is Symmank could be stiff, but he’s never punted in the NFL before.

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Sep 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

5. S Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos

We begin our top 5 of BC Eagles in the NFL with Broncos safety Justin Simmons. As a rookie last season, Simmons carved out a nice role for himself with the team. He had a total of 30 tackles with a sack and 2 interceptions.

In 2017 Simmons will look to improve and gain even more playing time alongside Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. He’ll have the chance to become a true member of the “No Fly Zone” but for now he says he’s still learning and improving.

"“Myself, Will (Parks) and a few others consider ourselves ‘Baby No Fly.’ We’re still in the works, we’re still learning a bunch of the tools of the trade to carry that No Fly Zone,” Simmons said. “Those (veterans) truly are the most selfless guys I’ve ever met, with the standard they hold being the best. They just want to win. They don’t care who is on the team to help them win. They just want to win.”"

Simmons will have to overcome a sophomore slump, and I think he will. He has the skills and ability to become a major factor on the Denver Broncos defense.

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