Seven Former Virginia Football Players Listed on Initial NFL 53-Man Rosters
All 32 NFL teams had to cut their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday afternoon. These initial 53-man rosters might not reflect the exact gameday lineups each team fields in week 1, but they give a good idea of which players are expected to be on the roster during the regular season.
Seven former Virginia football players were listed on an initial 53-man NFL roster:
Philadelphia Eagles - Olamide Zaccheaus
The homecoming is complete for Olamide Zaccheaus. A native of Plainfield, New Jersey, Zaccheaus went to high school at St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. After a successful career at the University of Virginia, Zaccheaus spent his first four NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before signing with the Eagles in April. Zaccheaus, who averaged career-highs across the board with 40 receptions on 61 targets (with just one drop) for 533 yards and three touchdowns last season, is one of four wide receivers listed on Philadelphia's 53-man roster, joining A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Quez Watkins.
Green Bay Packers - Dontayvion Wicks
Dontayvion Wicks became the fourth UVA wide receiver to be selected in the NFL Draft since 2000, hearing his name called with the No. 159 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Wicks impressed in preseason action and earned a spot as one of six wide receivers on Green Bay's initial 53-man roster. In year one of the post-Aaron Rodgers era, new Packers quarterback Jordan Love will have a new weapon to throw to in Wicks, who set Virginia's single-season receiving yards record with 1,203 yards in 2021.
Cleveland Browns - Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod
The Cleveland Browns have a Wahoo-filled secondary. Rodney McLeod is continuing his career trend of playing alongside fellow former Cavaliers as he joins forces with Juan Thornhill in Cleveland's safety unit. McLeod played with Anthony Harris in his last year in Philadelphia and then joined former UVA tight end Jelani Woods last season with the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Browns in May. Juan Thornhill, meanwhile, signed a three-year $21-million contract with the Browns in March after winning a second Super Bowl championship with the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2022, Thornhill had three interceptions, 71 tackles, and nine passes defended and recorded five tackles and a pass breakup in the Super Bowl. McLeod registered 96 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and eight pass deflections in his lone season with the Colts. Now, McLeod and Thornhill will look to anchor the safety position for the Cleveland Browns in the ultra-competitive AFC North.
Indianapolis Colts - Jelani Woods
Speaking of the Colts, Indianapolis selected Jelani Woods with the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft after Woods made First-Team All-ACC in his one and only season at Virginia. Woods appeared in 15 games as a rookie, including two starts, and tallied 25 catches on 40 targets and scored three touchdowns. He'll look to take another big step forward in his second season in the NFL.
New York Jets - Bryce Hall
Bryce Hall's professional career hasn't quite gone as planned through the first three years. After looking like a potential first-round pick at certain moments in his UVA career, Hall suffered a devasting injury in his final collegiate season, causing him to fall to the fifth round. Hall earned himself a significant role in the Jets' secondary in his second season in 2021, starting all 17 games, but then he was limited to just five games last season after the Jets brought in Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, pushing Hall down the depth chart. There was concern that he wouldn't make New York's 53-man roster this year, but he hung onto the spot as one of the team's five cornerbacks to start the regular season. We'll see if Hall can put together something of a resurgence as he enters his fourth season in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens - Morgan Moses
An established veteran, Morgan Moses is set to begin his 10th season in the NFL and is in the second of a three-year, $15-million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. The 32-year-old tackle and former third-round pick out of Virginia will look to help keep the jersey of former MVP Lamar Jackson clean this season.
The Ravens released former Cavalier Brent Urban, but word is that he's expected to be added back to the 53-man roster before the season begins as the team continues to make personnel adjustments. This exact scenario played out that way before the 2022 season.
A few former UVA football players didn't quite make the cut of an initial 53-man roster, but could still find a spot on practice squads. The New York Jets waived Chris Glaser and the New Orleans Saints waived Anthony Johnson, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent this year. Charles Snowden was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Chicago Bears cut both Joe Reed and Andrew Brown.
After making the 53-man roster of the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie and appearing in 11 games last year, Joey Blount suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason finale last week and has been waived. Blount will revert to injured reserve for Seattle if he isn't claimed by another team. Similarly, former UVA receiver Ra'Shaun Henry was placed on injured reserve by the Seahawks.
Stay up to date on all the former Virginia athletes playing at the professional level here: Pro Hoos on Sports Illustrated
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