Cougars in the NFL: Updated after 2023 roster cuts

Cougars on NFL 53-Man Rosters

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Despite the fact that he rushed for over 1000 yards as a rookie last year, Allgeier's position in Atlanta was muddled by the Falcons' decision to draft Doak Walker Award-winning Texas RB Bijan Robinson eighth overall. Still, there's hope yet for Allgeier to get significant touches in year two. While Robinson will likely be the Falcons' lead back barring injury, Atlanta runs an unbelievably rush-heavy offense. This isn't necessarily by choice—the Falcons' QB room has been absolutely brutal for a couple of years now, currently consisting of Desmond Ridder, Logan Woodside, and Taylor Heinicke. That's not exactly the kind of signal-caller collection that lends itself to an air raid scheme. Atlanta is going to run the ball and then run it some more. Even without lead back touches, Allgeier could still sniff the thousand-yard mark before the season's out.

Zayne Anderson, S, Green Bay Packers: Anderson was waived by the Buffalo Bills as part of roster cuts on August 29, but the Packers have now claimed him off waivers and (per Hans Olsen) added him to their 53-man roster. After originally signing with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Anderson played 110 snaps for the Chiefs before being waived following the 2022 season. He spent this offseason with the Bills before they, too, cut him. To be waived twice in one offseason and then land on an active roster is no mean feat!

Christopher Brooks, RB, Miami Dolphins: Raise your hand if you thought Chris Brooks was going to make an NFL 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie this year. (Hands down, liars.) Candidly, after a solid but unspectacular senior season at BYU, it was hard to imagine Brooks making it far in the NFL, even after Miami gave him a shot in free agency. That all changed when preseason play began and Brooks absolutely exploded. He used his size and power to feast in short yardage situations and racked up touchdowns with ease. His ascent surprised a lot of observers—BYU and Miami fans alike—and he now finds himself on the Dolphins' full-time roster. Brooks has clearly put in major work in the offseason, and his meteoric rise over the past couple of months is the stuff sports movies are made of.

Brady Christensen, OL, Carolina Panthers: Not much has changed for Brady Christensen since my last look at Cougars in the NFL. A 17-game starter for the Panthers in 2022, Christensen is pretty much on track for a repeat performance in 2023 as long as he stays healthy. His only worry might be fourth-round rookie Chandler Zavala, who the Panthers drafted this year with the implicit intent to challenge him. For the time being, though, his starting job seems pretty secure, particularly now that he has a consistent position—the Panthers' tendency to move him around the line hurt his production at times, but they appear to have settled on left guard as his spot going forward.

Michael Davis, CB, Los Angeles Chargers: Davis has cemented himself as a fixture of the Chargers' defensive backfield, so it's no surprise to see him on their 53-man for 2023. Expect him to be a starter yet again this season as he enters the final year of his existing $25.2 million deal.

Blake Freeland, OL, Indianapolis Colts: The second consecutive BYU starting left tackle to be drafted into the NFL, Freeland has turned heads with his insane athleticism. Look for the Colts to potentially use him as a swing tackle, playing on both sides of the line as necessity dictates.

Jaren Hall, QB, Minnesota Vikings: Jaren had an up and down preseason, flashing his brilliant arm and athleticism but also making some painful mistakes. Still, the Vikings apparently liked enough of what they saw to keep him on their 53-man roster. He will most likely be QB3 heading into his rookie season, but given that he was drafted by Minnesota and that they've chosen to keep him as a developmental piece, he might just have the inside track to inherit Kirk Cousins' starting job someday if he continues to improve.

Taysom Hill, All of the Above, New Orleans Saints: Though he continues to be officially listed as a tight end on the Saints' roster, Hill has been taking quarterback reps in training camp this offseason, despite (of course) not wearing a traditional quarterback no-contact jersey. It seems the Saints aren't quite ready to remove him from the QB room altogether, which makes sense given his past success as a starter. But in the meantime, his Swiss Army Knife role should continue pretty much unchanged for the time being.

Dax Milne, WR, Washington Commanders: Another year, another Commanders 53-man roster that somehow still has Dax Milne on it. Ever since Milne was drafted by Washington late in the 7th round back in 2021, he's seemed perpetually on the edge of being cut. He's avoided the sword thus far for one simple reason—he's very, very good at catching punts. Dax isn't the most explosive return man, but he's a reliable and experienced presence and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. And because of his special teams value, he once again finds himself with a roster spot.

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams: When Puka was drafted by the Rams earlier this year, many observers—myself included—pointed out that Los Angeles would be a perfect environment for him because, other than Cooper Kupp, the Rams are pretty thin at WR. It looked like there might be a good chance that he could contribute immediately, and that appears to be the case. In fact, it seems he's so important to the Rams' future that they actually shut him down entirely towards the end of their preseason slate, wary of potential injuries. If not a starter, Puka should be expected to receive heavy rotational snaps in a Rams offense in serious need of pass-catching talent.

Sione Takitaki, LB, Cleveland Browns: A 12-game starter in 2022 before an ACL tear ended his season, Takitaki is back to full health and signed a new one-year deal with the team in March. It's not clear how his ACL rehab will affect his playing time, but if he's at 100%, expect him to be a starter. As he enters his fifth season with the Browns, Takitaki is an established presence and a consistent contributor when healthy.

Khyiris Tonga, DT, Minnesota Vikings: A waiver wire pickup by Minnesota early in the 2022 season, Tonga surprised a lot of observers (and left the Chicago Bears, who waived him, looking extremely foolish) by immediately contributing and earning major rotational playing time—even starting the last two games of the regular season. He did enough to seriously impress the Vikings' coaches, and the consensus around the team is that he will most likely be Minnesota's week 1 starter at nose guard. That's not a glamorous position, and it won't lend itself to the pass rushing success Tonga experienced last year, but the fact that he's cemented himself as a likely starter is a very big deal. He's gone from a 7th round pick to a practice squad stash to a starter in an incredibly short period of time, and his future looks bright.

Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers: There isn't much to say here. Warner is arguably the best linebacker in football right now, and has already probably cemented himself as a top-5 NFL talent ever produced by BYU. He was recently ranked 15th in the NFL's Top 100 Players for 2023. All hail the best Cougar in the league.

Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints: It's been quite the offseason for Jamaal. Fresh off a 2022 campaign where he eclipsed 1000 yards for the first time and broke Barry Sanders' Detroit franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season, he signed with the Saints in free agency, launched a new charitable foundation, and got himself named to the NFL's Top 100 Players list at #95! With Alvin Kamara suspended for the first three games of the 2023 season, Jamaal will be the Saints' feature back. However, when Kamara returns, Jamaal will most likely take on a secondary role. That seems to suit him just fine—you'll rarely meet an NFL player as adept as Jamaal Williams at enjoying the moment.

Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets: Do I detect a glimmer of hope in the darkness that has perpetually clouded Zach Wilson's NFL career? The arrival of Aaron Rodgers at One Jets Drive has certainly shaken things up, both for the team in general and for Wilson specifically. Rodgers and Wilson have made no secret of their mutual respect, and Rodgers has made it clear that he wants to be a mentor for Wilson. As for Wilson himself, well, things are still up and down. He does at least appear to have locked down the QB2 spot (in fact, he's the only other QB on the 53-man roster right now) and he got some scattered playing time during the preseason, making a couple nice throws but mostly keeping quiet. The best case scenario for Wilson is that he spends a season or two learning and developing behind Rodgers before stepping into the starting job upon Rodgers' retirement.

Cougars on NFL Practice Squads

Matt Bushman, TE, Kansas City Chiefs: This one is no surprise. Bushman was electric during training camp and the preseason, making multiple highlight reel catches. Waived during the team's August 29 roster cuts, he was signed to their practice squad a day later. It's no secret that Chiefs HC Andy Reid loves his undrafted BYU guys, and Bushman will have a chance to continue developing and potentially earn a roster spot in the future.

James Empey, OL, Green Bay Packers: A 41-game starter at center during his lengthy and distinguished BYU career, Empey was a key component of two of the best offensive lines in school history in 2020 and 2021. After being signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he was waived during last year's roster cuts and spent the 2022 season on the Dolphins' practice squad (he was elevated to the active roster for one game but did not play). The Dolphins waived him at the end of the season, and he spent training camp with the Tennessee Titans before they, too, waived him back in July. On July 31, the Packers claimed him off waivers and added him to their preseason roster. They cut him on August 29, but signed him to their practice squad a day later. For now, at least, his NFL dream continues!

Kaleb Hayes, CB, New York Giants: Kaleb Hayes turned heads at BYU's 2023 pro day thanks to his dazzling speed and athleticism, and the Jacksonville Jaguars ultimately signed him as an undrafted free agent. Despite grading out as one of PFF's top rookie defenders in preseason play, Hayes was released by the Jaguars during their August 29 roster cutdown. Two days later, the New York Giants signed him to their practice squad. Given his preseason performance, it's no stretch to imagine him earning a roster spot in the future.

Chris Wilcox, S, Los Angeles Chargers: A 7th-round pick by Tampa Bay from BYU's legendary 2021 draft class, Wilcox was cut by the Buccaneers following training camp and spent his rookie season—and the subsequent offseason—with the Indianapolis Colts, though he was never elevated to their active roster before being cut prior to the 2022 season. He was out of the NFL entirely for much of that season, but signed with the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad for the last couple of weeks. He spent this offseason with the Steelers before being waived on August 29. Now, his odyssey of an NFL career continues with the Chargers, where he will once again try to work his way up from the practice squad to an active roster opportunity.

Roster Cuts

August 29 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. Zayne Anderson, Matt Bushman, James Empey, Kaleb Hayes, Tomasi Laulile, D'Angelo Mandell, Chris Wilcox and Ty'Son Williams all found themselves on the outside looking in when the final 53-man rosters were released. A couple of these cuts were surprising—Hayes was one of PFF's top-rated defensive rookies during preseason play, and Bushman stood out with multiple highlight catches. All is not lost, though—many, if not most, of these guys are likely to find spots on practice squads or even active rosters if claimed off waivers. As they do, I'll add them to the lists above.

Free Agents

Daniel Sorensen, Harvey Langi, and Kyle Van Noy have all had productive NFL careers. Van Noy, in particular, enjoyed two distinguished stints in New England (and has a pair of rings to prove it) before spending last season with the Los Angeles Chargers and former BYU teammate Michael Davis. But now, for whatever reason, all three of these guys find themselves between teams. It's unclear where they will end up, but I would expect Van Noy at least to be on a roster before long, with Sorensen and Langi potentially being picked up as well (Sorensen spent 2022 with the Saints; Langi with the Raiders).