VALDOSTA — A pair of Valdosta State alumni followed in the footsteps of former Blazer Ryan Schraeder on Saturday afternoon and signed contracts as undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kenny Moore signed with the New England Patriots and Donatello Brown inked a deal with the Green Bay Packers.

Moore, a defensive back at Valdosta State, has dominated the Division II level over the past two seasons, with 116 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, eight interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — and 14 broken up passes in his final two seasons with the Blazers.

During that span, Moore was named to the USA College Football All-American second team as a junior and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American first team as a senior to cap off a career that included two All-Region and three All-Gulf South Conference selections.

Making Moore’s achievement’s more impressive is the fact he didn’t begin playing organized football until his senior year at Lowndes High.

Standing 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, it’s Moore’s diminutive size that likely hurt his chances of being drafted, but it’s also likely the only measurable that Moore doesn’t check the box NFL teams are looking for.

At Valdosta State’s pro day, Moore’s arms measured 32 5/8 inches and his hands measured 9 3/8 inches, which would have ranked fourth and tied for eighth among safety prospects at this year’s NFL combine.

Moore also flashed elite athletic ability at the pro day that would rival those of any safety at the combine. He ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash (tied for fifth among safeties at combine), 6.86 in the 3-cone drill (second), 11.51 in the 60-yard shuttle (fourth), posted a 127-inch broad jump (fifth), a 40.5-inch vertical (third) and completed 15 reps on the bench press (t-13th).

Brown isn’t as accomplished as his former Blazer teammate, but at 6-1, 195 pounds, he’s closer to the mold of a NFL cornerback.

As a junior, the speedy Brown recorded 30 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and broke up five passes.

Teams rarely challenged Brown as a senior, but he still notched a pair of interceptions and broke up four more passes to go along with 11 tackles and all-conference honors.

Both Moore and Brown helped their draft stocks by competing in the Tropical Bowl in Daytona Beach, Florida on Jan. 15.

The Tropical Bowl is a FBS Division I college football all star game that showcases the top seniors to NFL scouts and general managers. Moore and Brown, along with teammates Jamar Simpkins and Egim Etta-Tawo, also received invites, and they took advantage of the week of practice to impress scouts.

Moore and Brown still have to go into their respective teams’ training camp and show the coaching staff they’re worthy of a roster spot, but it’s not a far-fetched proposition, and they have another former Blazer to look at for motivation.

Following his career at Valdosta State from 2011-12, Schraeder went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, but he quickly signed on with the Atlanta Falcons once the draft came to an end.

Injuries opened up a chance for Schraeder to start four games as a rookie, and by the end of the 2-14 season, he’d become the Falcons full-time starter at right tackle.

Last November, Schraeder agreed to a five-year contract with Atlanta worth up to a maximum of $33 million.

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.