Ranking Arizona's NFL Draft Departures, How They'll Impact Next Year
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The 2026 NFL Draft was a successful one for the Arizona Wildcats, as four players were selected to continue their football careers at the professional level, marking the second consecutive time that many prospects were taken.
All four players picked up were defensive backs and helped push Arizona to the seventh-best passing defense in the NCAA, first in passing efficiency, and second in interceptions. Their impressive skills in coverage and downhill tackling ability will be much needed by their new teams.
Three of the four players were there when Arizona struggled heavily in 2024 and chose to stay with the program despite the uncertain outlook, making them that much more special to Wildcats fans. Now that the draft is over and all four players will be reporting to training camp soon, let's take a look at whose presence will be missed the most by ranking them all.
4. Michael Dansby
Dansby made an immediate impact after transferring over from San Jose State and playing a single season with the Block A on his helmet. During that season, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound shutdown corner was a wet blanket to those who lined up across from him, defending a team-high 10 passes and snagging two interceptions through all 13 games played.
Dansby's superb coverage skills will be of great use to the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him with the 255th pick in the seventh round. Seattle has a loaded defense already, as they were the sixth best all around and 10th as a passing unit, so Dansby has a long way to climb up the totem pole. Still, his razor-sharp coverage skills and willingness to tackle should grab the attention of his new coaches.
3. Dalton Johnson
A physical defensive back that can go downhill to stop the run and drop back into deep coverage, Johnson possesses all the tools to have a successful career in the NFL. Although he is somewhat undersized at the safety position at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, he makes up for it by never straying away from contact and locking down receivers to the best of his ability.
Johnson led the Wildcats in tackles for two consecutive seasons, posting 94 in 2024 and 97 in 2025, demonstrating the level of consistency he has shown. What makes Johnson special to Arizona is that he chose to continue playing for the program after a tumultuous 2024 season, when the Wildcats went 4-8, even though he could have found a new home through the transfer portal.
The former three-star recruit out of Katy, TX, was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fifth round with the 150th pick, and his style of play matches the Raiders' identity well. He will have the opportunity to compete for playing time on a team in the rebuilding process.
2. Genesis Smith
Smith was, and forever will be, regarded as a special player for the Wildcats due to his consistency, durability, and versatility on the field. Smith began his collegiate career with the Wildcats in 2023, and ever since then, he has continued to elevate his game and become one of the better safeties in the Big 12.
After a modest freshman year where he posted 24 tackles and one pick, those numbers skyrocketed. After his sophomore year was over, he had 64 tackles, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions.
Smith snagged just one interception in his junior year, but had 77 tackles and deflected eight passes. Smith broke his foot against Oklahoma State, but elected to continue playing and finish out the regular season, which shows the dedication he had to the Wildcats.
The Third Team All-Big 12 player was taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round with the 131st pick and will have the opportunity to learn and play alongside one of the more physical safeties in Derwin James. His talent and skill set will be missed by Arizona fans across the country.
1. Treydan Stukes
From walk-on to the team captain, Stukes has had quite the journey in his career with the Wildcats. Now, he gets his storybook ending as a second-round draft pick for the Raiders. That nearly did not come into fruition as the sixth-year senior suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2024 and had to miss the first two games in 2025.
TREYDAN STUKES: TAKE A BOW pic.twitter.com/0eWu4Mt6I3
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 29, 2025
Stukes' absence will be felt as he became one of the focal points of an Arizona defense that prided itself on stopping the pass and creating turnovers through the air.
This season, Stukes came back in a big way after his injury and posted four interceptions and six pass breakups that went along with 52 tackles. His athleticism and ball-hawking skills will be greatly needed on a Riders defense that is trying to become a dominant one in the AFC West and the NFL.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.