Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Allgeier is still RB2 in Atlanta. But as Bijan Robinson's star rises, it's worth questioning whether Tyler really has a future with the Falcons. He proved as a rookie that he has the potential to be a RB1 on the right team. If he can keep developing and be solid this season, he could get that opportunity elsewhere. It's just a shame that he isn't getting RB1 reps right now, as they would be great for that development.
Zayne Anderson, S, Green Bay Packers: One of the craziest NFL odysseys ever by a BYU alum continues, as Zayne Anderson has once again made the cut on the Packers' 53-man roster. Anderson still has yet to play a down at the safety position in a regular season game, but he put in a lot of work on special teams last season and the Packers apparently liked what they saw. I'm just happy for Zayne—I don't think even the most rabid, blue-goggled BYU fan would have expected him to still be on an active NFL roster at this point. His staying power has been remarkable, evidence that you really can still make it in the NFL by putting in your best effort when you're given the chance.
Brady Christensen, OL, Carolina Panthers: After a couple of seasons as a starter in Carolina came to an end last year due to a season-ending injury, Brady Christensen is in a bit of career limbo right now. He's currently listed as the #2 left tackle on the Panthers' depth chart. However, I wouldn't be shocked to see him climb back into a starting role somewhere on the offensive line as he gets back into rhythm.
Michael Davis, CB, Washington Commanders: As expected, Michael Davis is listed as a starter in the Commanders' young and struggling defensive backfield. Washington has presented him with a golden opportunity to reinvigorate a career that had begun to lose steam in Los Angeles. If he can seize that opportunity, he may be able to put in a few more good years as a significant rotational contributor in the NFL.
Blake Freeland, OL, Indianapolis Colts: Freeland is back to the second string heading into his sophomore season, and that's honestly probably for the best. Thrust into a starting role that he wasn't really prepared for as a rookie, Freeland held his own for the most part but certainly showed his inexperience. Now, he will have the opportunity to develop behind veterans and polish his game. His insane athleticism means that as long as he keeps improving, the Colts are likely to keep investing in his future.
Taysom Hill, Everything, New Orleans Saints: Perhaps the best thing possible for Taysom's career came to pass in the 2023 season—against one of the weakest schedules in the NFL, the Saints barely scraped together a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs. This downer of a season placed Saints HC Dennis Allen squarely on the hot seat, and among his responses to renewed pressure has been giving Taysom the ball more. Taysom had a great preseason this year, and it was really fun to see him lined up in the I-formation with his longtime BYU backfield-mate, Jamaal Williams. It wasn't all hunky-dory—Dennis Allen publicly admitted that he had considered playing Taysom at linebacker, which I doubt would have benefited him or the team at all and probably would have shortened Taysom's career.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams: What a difference a season can make. A year ago, Puka was an untested 5th-round rookie expected to maybe get some playing time because of Cooper Kupp's injury. Now, he's one of the most desirable WRs in the league in fantasy drafts, a real-deal star expected to be the centerpiece of the Rams' pass attack in his second season. Turns out that when you set the all-time rookie records for receptions and receiving yards, people notice! If he takes a step forward in year two, he could be a top-5 WR in the NFL by season's end.
Ryan Rehkow, P, Cincinnati Bengals: Cut by the Chiefs in favor of Matt Araiza, Ryan Rehkow didn't have to wait long to find a new team—the Bengals scooped him up and named him their starting punter in short order. He's looked like an NFL punter since his freshman season at BYU, so it's no surprise that he'll get an opportunity to start as a rookie. Hopefully, this will be the start of a long, successful career.
Kingsley Suamataia, OL, Kansas City Chiefs: Kingsley was essentially drafted as the left tackle of the future for the Chiefs—the latest entry in Andy Reid's saga of signing BYU products. But once the Chiefs staff got to watch Kingsley work in practice, it became clear remarkably quickly that the future is now. And following the release of the Chiefs' final roster, it looks very likely that his first NFL game will be a start...at left tackle...in the Chiefs' season opener. Absolutely incredible stuff. Kingsley's impact at BYU was sometimes hard to identify as the rest of the line struggled around him, but as his success this offseason has proven, he's a very special talent.
Sione Takitaki, LB, New England Patriots: There was some buzz around Takitaki's arrival in New England, as he was expected to bolster an already strong linebacker room. But all of that is on hold for now, as Takitaki's long-running knee issues flared back up and caused the Patriots to place him on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list on August 28. If he's able to get his knee back to where he wants it, he will be eligible to return for week 5.
Khyiris Tonga, DT, Arizona Cardinals: Having survived roster cuts, Tonga is expected to be the Cardinals' #2 nose guard this year. If he can show some of the spark that got him attention early in his tenure in Minnesota, he might contend for a starting role as the season progresses. The Cardinals don't have a ton of defensive line depth, which might provide him with opportunities to make progress.
Kyle Van Noy, LB, Baltimore Ravens: The greatest BYU linebacker in history re-signed with the Ravens this offseason after (incredibly) posting arguably his best season yet in year 10 of his career and after spending the entire 2023 offseason and the first three weeks of the season unsigned! As he enters his eleventh NFL season, the Ravens are hoping that his pass rushing numbers continue to be elite—but they also hope he'll be able to mentor their relatively young linebacker corps and help to secure their future at that position.
Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers: If KVN was the best BYU linebacker of all time, Fred Warner is the best pro linebacker ever to come out of BYU—in fact, a Super Bowl ring would go a long way toward making him competitive for the title of best pro player from BYU at any position. Warner came in at #11 on the NFL Top 100 list this year—a jump from #15 last year that secures him the title of the NFL's highest-rated pure linebacker (TJ Watt is listed at OLB but is more of a hybrid pass rusher). He should be in for yet another All-Pro season this year, which is an incredible thing to be able to say about a BYU alum.
Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints: Though his thoughts during fall camp seem to have mostly centered on his cats, Jamaal nevertheless put together a decent performance. He may get the chance to put in some RB1 reps early on if Alvin Kamara's contentious contract situation remains unresolved, though indications right now are that Kamara will probably play whether he gets a new deal or not. If Kamara does miss either practice or game snaps because of the dispute, Jamaal is probably in line to take the majority of them.
Zach Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos: An entirely new Zach Wilson took the field for Denver this preseason. Gone was the shaky, indecisive signal caller who suffered through three utterly miserable seasons with the Jets. This version of Zach looks familiar to anyone who watched him tear through the Cougars' 2020 schedule. He's currently slated as QB2 behind Bo Nix, but the Denver coaching staff has been raving about his performance, and he's likely to get the opportunity to start if Nix struggles.
Chris Brooks, RB, Green Bay Packers: Brooks showed flashes during his time as RB3 in Miami, including a huge breakaway run during the preseason, but he never quite hit the level needed to permanently stick on the active roster. Being picked up by Green Bay will give him the opportunity to stick around the league, continue training and improving, and work towards making it back onto an active roster.
Jaren Hall, QB, Seattle Seahawks: As a result of a possibly season-ending injury to presumed Minnesota QB1 J.J. McCarthy, Jaren got significantly more preseason playing time than anyone expected him to. He acquitted himself well in that action, throwing the ball with confidence and moving the offense relatively easily. Unfortunately, he suffered some kind of minor but impactful leg injury towards the end of the preseason, which caused the Vikings to drop him in favor of the healthy Brett Rypien. The Seahawks, who have been tied to Jaren in various draft and trade rumors for some time, happily added him to their practice squad. As he gets healthier, it wouldn't surprise me to see him elevated to Seattle's active roster.
Kedon Slovis, QB, Houston Texans: Of the five BYU players initially picked up as UDFAs this offseason, Kedon was, admittedly, the one I thought least likely to stick with an NFL team. He was taken 12th overall in the UFL draft, and I felt like the most probable outcome would be a few preseason reps with the Colts followed by a move to the UFL. Instead, the Houston Texans decided to take a flyer on him and added him to their practice squad, where he joins fellow rookie former Cougar Max Tooley. I'm curious to see whether Kedon can carve out a place for himself in the league—this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Max Tooley, LB, Houston Texans: After a solid if unspectacular offseason as an undrafted rookie, Tooley made enough of an impression on the Texans staff to earn their first practice squad spot. He totaled eleven tackles and a forced fumble over his four preseason appearances. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get an active roster opportunity sometime soon.
August 28 marked the deadline for NFL teams to cut their rosters down to 53 players, and several BYU alumni who had been signed to training camp rosters were victims of these cuts. Kaleb Hayes (Denver), Dax Milne (Las Vegas), Samson Nacua (New Orleans), Isaac Rex (LA Chargers), Aidan Robbins (Cleveland), and Chris Wilcox (Carolina) have all found themselves on the outside looking in following the release of their teams' 53-man rosters. Any of these guys could still find spots on practice squads or even active rosters if claimed off waivers. As they do, I'll remove them from this section and add them to the lists above.