How former Rutgers Football players performed in the NFL's Week Seven
The 2025 NFL season is through seven weeks, with plenty of head-turning action, and teams hitting their bye weeks for the first time.
Here is how every former Rutgers standout performed in Week Seven of NFL action.
Former Scarlet Knights currently on 53-man rosters
| PLAYER | POSITION | NFL TEAM (WEEK FOUR RESULT) | WEEK SEVEN PFF GRADES (# of SNAPS) | WEEK SEVEN STATS |
| Isiah Pacheco | RB | Kansas City Chiefs (defeated Las Vegas Raiders) | 54.4 (45) | 15 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD, one reception, -3 yards |
| Kyle Monangai | RB | Chicago Bears (defeated New Orleans Saints) | 73.8 (31) | 13 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD, two receptions, 13 yards |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DL | Tennessee Titans (lost to New England Patriots) | 67.3 (36) | Four tackles, one tackle for loss |
| Max Melton | CB | Arizona Cardinals (lost to Green Bay Packers) | 65.8 (54) | Four tackles, one tackle for loss |
| Bo Melton | CB | Green Bay Packers (defeated Arizona Cardinals) | 60.3 (14) | Two kickoff returns, 43 yards (21.5 yds per att.) |
| Jude McAtamney | PK | New York Giants (lost to Denver Broncos) | 60.0 (4) | 2-for-4 on extra points |
| Eric Rogers | CB | Los Angeles Chargers (lost to Indianapolis Colts) | N/A | DNP (on Injured Reserve) |
| Christian Braswell | CB | Jacksonville Jaguars (lost to Los Angeles Rams) | 61.4 (18) | No stats recorded |
| Christian Izien | S | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (lost to Detroit Lions) | 60.0 (2) | No stats recorded |
| Andrew DePaola | LS | Minnesota Vikings (lost to Philadelphia Eagles) | 63.9 (7) | No stats recorded |
| Mike Burton | FB | Denver Broncos (defeated New York Giants) | N/A | DNP (on season-ending Injured Reserve) |
| Kyonte Hamilton | DL | Houston Texans (lost to Seattle Seahawks) | N/A | DNP (on season-ending Injured Reserve) |
| Robert Longerbeam | CB | Baltimore Ravens (BYE) | N/A | DNP (on season-ending Injured Reserve) |
Week Seven saw an uptick in production, with two brothers facing off, and some more touchdowns on the board.
Super Melton Brothers
For the second year in a row, Bo and Max Melton faced off against one another on opposite sidelines. Just as they did in 2024, Bo and the Packers came away victorious 34-13 in the Sunshine State.
According to Bo, during the week, there were roughly 20 to 25 friends in Glendale for the game, including parents Gary Sr. and Vicky, who both sported classic house-divided jerseys for the occasion.
In the game itself, Bo continued his special teams duties as a gunner and kick returner, while Max ranked as the Cardinals’ top-graded cornerback in the loss, according to PFF. He played all but two snaps and recorded four tackles.
“When it gets to the game, we just play,” Bo said to PackersOnSI. “We’ve been playing the game for a long time, so we just go out there and compete. We’ve played with each other all our lives, so it’s nothing different, really.”
Touchdowns Galore
Two more former Scarlet Knights found the end zone on Sunday, including a milestone score in the early window. Both former Rutgers running backs Kyle Monangai and Isiah Pacheco reached paydirt on the ground, as part of big-time wins for both the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs.
Monangai scored from a yard out to put Chicago up 20-0 in the waning minutes of the first half, recording his first NFL touchdown after being selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. The rookie built on last week’s career performance and outdid himself, nearly mirroring starter D’Andre Swift in snaps and statistics, even in a game that the New Orleans Saints kept relatively close. He also recorded the best PFF grade of his young career.
As the Chiefs’ offense continues to find its classic form led by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, Pacheco’s role has stabilized, as well. He has maintained his number of carries and yards, and has also scored in two of the last three weeks. The fourth-year back did heavily outnumber the usual lead man Kareem Hunt in snaps 45 to 15, so it appears Pacheco may be wrestling the starting job back. He scored from seven yards out to effectively seal a dominant victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, made even more impressive by the fact that the Raiders were whistled for a penalty after the play for having too many men on the field.
Special Teams Struggles
While it was a rosy day for a few former Scarlet Knights, another struggled on a bigger stage.
Kicker Jude McAtamney missed two extra points in the Giants’ wild 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos, where the home Broncos scored all 33 points in the fourth quarter. He also missed an extra point in last Thursday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, making it three in two games. His second miss came after New York had scored a go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left to keep the score at 32-30. Denver miraculously drove down the field and won the game three plays later.
The second-year kicker from Northern Ireland had been filling in for the usual starter Graham Gano after he had been placed on the Injured Reserve with a groin injury ahead of Week 4. McAtamney has attempted only three field goals in his career, the longest being from 31 yards, and is 10-for-13 on extra-point attempts, with all three misses coming in the last two weeks.
“Got to make the kicks. I’m not going to shy away from that. I’ll take full responsibility,” McAtamney told reporters after the game. “If the snap’s not perfect, the hold’s not perfect, I’m a professional kicker. I’ve got to be able to make those… The ball was there, the laces were good. I’ve just got to make a play.”
Gano is eligible to be activated off the IR this upcoming week, though his injury status is not currently known. McAtamney could be in line for another start if the 38-year-old is not yet ready to return.
Bonus: Early 2026 NFL Draft Outlook
Pro Football Focus released its 2026 NFL Draft Big Board last week, and multiple current Rutgers players made the list. A full breakdown can be found here.
Below are the following players who made the board, which has been updated since its initial release.
WR Ian Strong, No. 43
QB Athan Kaliakmanis, No. 209
EDGE Eric O’Neill, No. 246
RB C.J. Campbell Jr., No. 292
WR DT Sheffield, No. 462
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