Nineteen Kentucky players are on National Football League active rosters for #Kickoff2022 opening weekend. The most Wildcats are on NFL rosters since 21 were featured during the 1987 season.
Team captains have also been announced for many of the teams and former All-American and National Defensive Player of the Year, Josh Allen, was voted by his peers as one of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ seven team captains.
Several Wildcats play Sunday but the NFL’s first Sunday night primetime game of 2022 will feature former Wildcat safety Mike Edwards of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers against two former UK defensive players and current Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna and cornerback Kelvin Joseph. The game will kick off from AT&T Stadium at 8:20 pm ET on NBC.
Six other Wildcats are with NFL teams as members of an organization’s practice squad: WR Josh Ali (Atlanta), S Yusuf Corker (Cincinnati), WR Lynn Bowden Jr. (Patriots), DB Quandre Mosely (Seahawks), TE Justin Rigg (Pittsburgh) and OL Jon Toth (Washington).
Kentucky had four NFL Draft picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and each made 53-man rosters – wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (2n.dNew York Giants), defensive end Josh Paschal (2n.dDetroit), offensive lineman Luke Fortner (3rdJacksonville) and offensive lineman Darian Kinnard (5thKansas City).
List of the Wildcats in the NFL and their years at Kentucky:
Carolina Panthers
Phil Hoskins, DT (2017-18, 2020)
Marquan McCall, DT (2018-21)
Dallas Cowboys
Quinton Bohanna, NT (2017-20)
Kelvin Joseph, CB (2020)
Detroit Lions
Josh Paschal, DE (2017-21)
Logan Stenberg, OG (2016-19)
Green Bay Packers
Randall Cobb, WR (2008-10)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Allen, DE/LB (2015-18)
Luke Fortner, C (2017-21)
Kansas City Chiefs
Darian Kinnard, OL (2018-21)
Minnesota Vikings
Za’Darius Smith, OLB (2013-14)
New Orleans Saints
Landon Young, OT (2016-17, 19-20)
New York Giants
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (2021)
New York Jets
Brandin Echols, CB (2019-20)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Benny Snell Jr., RB (2016-18)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Edwards, S (2015-2018)
Tennessee Titans
Bud Dupree, OLB (2011-14)
Lonnie Johnson Jr., CB (2017-18)
Washington Football Team
Jamin Davis, ILB (2018-20)
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