Wildcats in the NFL: Who Made an Impact in Week 2
By Mark Knight
The University of Kentucky boasts 25 former Wildcats on NFL rosters and has recently turned into a program that can develop high school talent into NFL draft picks. The spectrum of these 25 UK graduates ranges from Practice Squad and IR to stars in the league. The question is who is playing and who isn't? And maybe more importantly, how are they doing? Here is a list of former Wildcats in the NFL and how they are faring in the league.
Practice Squad
There are currently six of the 25 on a practice squad around the league. These players are what the NFL considers in the developmental stage and given a year or two or an injury or two these players could be impact NFL players in the near future.
Player/Position | NFL Team |
|---|---|
Devin Leary - QB | Baltimore Ravens |
Tashawn Manning - G | Cinncinati Bengals |
Phil Hoskins - DE | Dallas Cowboys |
Kelvin Joseph - CB | Indianapolis Colts |
Quinton Bohanna - DT | Seattle Seahawks |
Chris Rodriguez Jr. - RB | Washington Commanders |
Injured Reserve
There is currently only one player from the University of Kentucky on the IR and that is offensive lineman Jeremy Flax who plays for the Minnesota Vikings. He won't be playing for the Vikings at all this season as he was cut and given an injury designation.
Earlier this week, the #Vikings cut OL Jeremy Flax and placed him on IR. They gave him an injury designation meaning he will remain on the team’s injured reserve list for the entire 2024 season. #Skol pic.twitter.com/oHMfwJN1rt
— The Norse Chronicles (@NorseChronicles) August 25, 2024
Active Roster - Backups
We turn to one of the larger sections of this list as there are currently 14 players that play mostly in a backup position. Of those 14, only five of them haven't recorded a stat and/or haven't found their way into the game. This means that the majority are making valuable contributions in the game to their respective teams. You can see the breakdown in their season production in the table below.
Player/Position | NFL Team | Season Stats (through Week 2) |
|---|---|---|
Ray Davis - RB | Buffalo Bills | 12 Rushes, 42 yards, 2 Rec 13 yards |
Mike Edwards - S | Buffalo Bills | No Stats |
Lonnie Johnson - S | Carolina Panthers | No Stats |
Trevin Wallace - ILB | Carolina Panthers | No Stats |
Keidron Smith - CB | Denver Broncos | 2 Tackles |
Josh Paschal - DE | Detroit Lions | 1 Tackle |
Carrington Valentine - CB | Green Bay Packers | 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defense |
Luke Forner - C | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 Games Played |
Bud Dupree - OLB | Los Angeles Chargers | 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defense |
Landon Young - OL | New Orleans Saints | 2 Games Played |
Brenden Bates - TE | New York Jets | No Stats |
Brandin Echols - CB | New York Jets | 5 Tackles, 1 Pass Defense |
Darian Kinnard - OL | Philadelphia Eagles | Has Not Played |
Jamin Davis - DE | Washington Commanders | 3 Tackles |
Starters
Finally, we get to the starters and stars in the NFL. The ones we get excited to see listed in the headlines and making plays on Sports Center. There are currently four such players from the University of Kentucky.
Player/Position | NFL Team | Season Stats (through Week 2) |
|---|---|---|
Za'Darius Smith - DE | Cleveland Browns | 3 Tackles, 1 Sack |
Dru Phillips - CB | New York Giants | 16 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 TFL, 1 Sack |
Wan'Dale Robinson - WR | New York Giants | 8 Receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD, 1 Rush for 14 yards |
Will Levis - QB | Tennessee Titans | 38/60 319 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 7 Sacks, 8 Rushes 74 yards, 2 lost fumbles |
All things considered, that's a pretty solid group of former Wildcats and many of those guys are going to continue getting significant playing time as the season goes on. I expect that final group of players is only going to grow as more of those backups and role players get opportunities to contribute.