The NFL preseason is in the books, which means teams across the league will be forced to cut their roster down to 53 players. For former Tennessee football players, this means some will be relegated to practice squads or have to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Ahead of the final cuts, ESPN predicted what these 53-man rosters will look like. Here’s what they think about former Tennessee players.
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Arizona Cardinals – DL Elijah Simmons
- Not projected to make roster
Atlanta Falcons – LB James Pearce Jr.
- Projected to make roster
- “The Falcons have 30 fewer sacks than any team in the league since 2019, but there is finally hope going into 2025 in the form of rookies Pearce and Walker.”
Buffalo Bills – WR Josh Palmer
- Projected to make roster
- “Sean McDermott said that they are trying to figure out the room behind the top three (Shakir, Coleman and Palmer) and there are still some major lingering question marks.”
Carolina Panthers – OL Cade Mays
- Projected to make roster
Carolina Panthers – DL Shy Tuttle
- Not projected to make roster
- “The biggest cut will be Shy Tuttle, who has 32 starts the past two years but little to show for it. Moving on from him will create $2.4 million in cap space that can be used elsewhere.”
Chicago Bears – OL Darnell Wright
- Projected to make roster
Cleveland Browns – RB Dylan Sampson
- Projected to make roster
- “Rookie Quinshon Judkins’ legal situation has been settled, but he still has not signed a contract as the NFL continues its investigation. Until Judkins returns to the team, Ford and Sampson will lead the backfield.”
Cleveland Browns – WR Cedric Tillman
- Projected to make roster
Dallas Cowboys – TE Princeton Fant
- Projected to make roster
- “Perhaps a tad heavy here with Fant, considering Luepke will get time at tight end as well, but Spann-Ford missed the preseason games because of a high ankle sprain.”
Dallas Cowboys – QB Joe Milton III
- Projected to make roster
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Detroit Lions – QB Hendon Hooker
- Not projected to make roster
- “It’s clear that Detroit’s starting quarterback is Goff after coming off a season in which he finished fifth in MVP voting. Allen earned the trust of head coach Dan Campbell over Hendon Hooker as QB2 throughout the preseason; he took command of the offense while Hooker struggled with turnovers.”
Green Bay Packers – CB Kamal Hadden
- Not projected to make roster
- “If Hobbs (knee) is ready for Week 1, the Packers likely keep five. If not, they might need a sixth, which could be Corey Ballentine or Kamal Hadden.”
Houston Texans – DL Derek Barnett
- Projected to make roster
Houston Texans – FB Jakob Johnson
- Not projected to make roster
Houston Texans – DL Darrell Taylor
- Projected to make roster
Jacksonville Jaguars – OL Jerome Carvin
- Not projected to make roster
Kansas City Chiefs – DL Omarr Norman-Lott
- Projected to make roster
- “The team also hopes Norman-Lott, the second-round pick, and Gillotte, a third-round pick, can make progress throughout the season.”
Kansas City Chiefs – OL Trey Smith
- Projected to make roster
Los Angeles Rams – TE McCallan Castles
- Not projected to make roster
Los Angeles Rams – DB Jaylen McCollough
- Projected to make roster
- “Curl, Kinchens, McCollough and Ingle are entering their second seasons in Los Angeles.”
Los Angeles Rams – LB Byron Young
- Projected to make roster
Las Vegas Raiders – WR Marquez Callaway
- Not projected to make roster
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Las Vegas Raiders – WR Dont’e Thornton Jr.
- Projected to make roster
- “Smith has two vertical threats to work with in Tucker and Thornton. Both wideouts have shown their big-play ability throughout camp. At the same time, their presence on the outside should create opportunities for Meyers in the middle of the field.”
Miami Dolphins – DL Matthew Butler
- Not projected to make roster
Miami Dolphins – RB Jaylen Wright
- Projected to make roster
Minnesota Vikings – DB Theo Jackson
- Projected to make roster
- “The unanswered question of training camp, by design, is whether Metellus will continue in his multi-positional role with Jackson stepping into the starting lineup, or if the Vikings will return to a two-safety scheme to give them more personnel flexibility.”
New England Patriots – QB Josh Dobbs
- Projected to make roster
New Orleans Saints – RB Velus Jones Jr.
- Projected to make roster
- “Edwards-Helaire could stick around for a practice squad spot and Jones makes the roster for his versatility and ability to return kicks.”
New Orleans Saints – RB Alvin Kamara
- Projected to make roster
New Orleans Saints – DB Alontae Taylor
- Projected to make roster
New Orleans Saints – DL Omari Thomas
- Not projected to make roster
New York Giants – WR Jalin Hyatt
- Projected to make roster
New York Giants – DB Dee Williams
- Not projected to make roster
San Francisco 49ers – WR Jauan Jennings
- Projected to make roster
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DB Will Brooks
- Not projected to make roster
Tennessee Titans – LS Morgan Cox
- Projected to make roster
- “Hekker and Cox bring a reliable veteran presence that will make things run smoothly.”
Tennessee Titans – DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
- Projected to make roster
