Utes in NFL: Every former Utah player who's rostered for Week 1

Over a dozen former Utes find themselves on NFL rosters ahead of opening night

Denver Broncos linebacker and former Utah Utes standout Karene Reid (47) made the Broncos' initial 53-man roster. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The class of former Utah football standouts in the NFL received a shake-up earlier in the week, as teams around the league trimmed their rosters down for the 2025 regular season.

While some Utes — like Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson and Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, for example — didn't have to worry about their employment status, several veterans and first-year pros striving to make a 53-man roster found themselves in precarious situations heading into Tuesday's deadline.

In total, 17 Utah players survived the round of cuts, including a pair of undrafted rookies in Karene Reid (Denver Broncos) and Connor O'Toole (Seattle Seahawks). Plus, another handful of Utes who were previously waived have since signed onto practice squads.

With the busiest day in the NFL in the rear view mirror, here's a look at where former Utah players stand heading into Week 1.

Utah alumni who made initial 53-man rosters

ILB Cody Barton — Tennessee Titans

S Cole Bishop — Buffalo Bills

S Julian Blackmon — New Orleans Saints

OT Garrett Bolles — Denver Broncos

LB Mohamoud Diabate — Cleveland Browns

OLB Jonah Elliss — Denver Broncos

DT Leki Fotu — Las Vegas Raiders

K Matt Gay — Washington Commanders

CB Jaylon Johnson — Chicago Bears

TE Dalton Kincaid — Buffalo Bills

LB Devin Lloyd — Jacksonville Jaguars

OLB Connor O'Toole — Seattle Seahawks

WR Tim Patrick — Jacksonville Jaguars

CB Clark Phillips III — Atlanta Falcons

ILB Karene Reid — Denver Broncos

RB Sione Vaki — Detroit Lions

WR Devaughn Vele — New Orleans Saints

Latest scoop on Utes who were cut

• Second-year cornerback Miles Battle, whom the New England Patriots waived as part of their roster cuts, was named to the team's practice squad on Wednesday.

• The Baltimore Ravens brought back veteran signal-caller Tyler Huntley to their practice squad after he was released by the Cleveland Browns earlier in the week. Huntley played for the Ravens from 2020-2023 and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 as Lamar Jackson's injury replacement.

• The Denver Broncos added tight end Caleb Lohner to the team's 16-man practice squad on Wednesday, granting the former college basketball standout another shot at carving out a career in pro football.

• Undrafted wide receiver Dorian Singer returned to the Jacksonville Jaguars to be on the team's practice squad. Singer, who signed with Jacksonville in April, recorded seven catches for 59 yards across three preseason games with the Jaguars.

• The Houston Texans made defensive tackle Junior Tafuna a part of the team's practice squad on Wednesday. Tafuna recorded three tackles with the Texans during the preseason.

• As expected, the Minnesota Vikings placed cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn on the practice squad after releasing the former all-conference player during roster cuts.