Cutdown day left 17 former Arizona players on initial NFL rosters, a solid showing for the Wildcats as teams trimmed their camps down to 53 players on Sunday.
The group is headlined by a cluster of defensive backs from Arizona’s 2025 team. Rookie free agent Ayden Garnes earned a spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an August preseason camp that included an interception return for a touchdown against the New York Jets. Tampa kept Garnes as one of five cornerbacks on its roster.
Two more members of that same 2025 secondary, Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes, made the Las Vegas Raiders, while Genesis Smith landed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Johnson, Stukes and Smith were all selected in the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
Another Arizona corner, Michael Dansby, was taken in the 7 th round by the Seattle Seahawks, but the defending Super Bowl champions waived him on Sunday. He is expected to sign with Seattle’s practice squad on Monday, along with other former Arizona players who may end up on practice units around the league. NFL teams can assemble a 17-player practice squad.
A fifth player from last year’s Arizona team, defensive lineman Deshawn McKnight, is on injured reserve with the Buccaneers after suffering a hamstring injury in a preseason game on Aug. 22.
Here’s the full list of former Wildcats on initial rosters:
*RB Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos
WR Jacob Cowing, San Francisco 49ers
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
*CB Tacario Davis, Cincinnati Bengals
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Buffalo Bills
K Nick Folk, Atlanta Falcons
CB Ayden Garnes, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DB Dalton Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders
K Tyler Loop, Baltimore Ravens
DL Roy Lopez, Arizona Cardinals
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
OL Jordan Morgan, Green Bay Packers
*CB Ephesians Prysock, San Francisco 49ers
*CB Christian Roland-Wallace, Kansas City Chiefs
OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Miami Dolphins
S Genesis Smith, Los Angeles Chargers
DB Treydan Stukes, Las Vegas Raiders
On injured reserve: *LB Tony Fields II, Chicago Bears
DL DeShawn McKnight, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
*-finished college career at another school
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