Sign up for our daily Illini football newsletter here
Illinois football has nearly as many former players in NFL training camps as there are NFL teams. A vast improvement for a program that wasn’t well represented at the next level even five years ago. Beat writer Scott Richey takes a look at all 30 former Illini trying to land a roster spot this month:
Isaiah Adams
Arizona Cardinals
The 24-year-old Adams’ path to the NFL was less than traditional. The Ajax, Ontario, native went from playing in Canada to a junior college to Illinois where he became a two-time All-Big Ten selection and, ultimately, a third-round draft pick. The 6-foot-4, 316-pounder currently slots in as Arizona’s backup right guard.
Tony Adams
New York Jets
Three years after being an undrafted free agent, the 25-year-old Adams has solidified a spot in the Jets’ secondary heading into this season. The 5-11, 203-pound safety started all 15 games he played in 2023, finishing with 82 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions (just one off the team lead).
Nick Allegretti
Washington Commanders
Six seasons — and three Super Bowl championships — with the Kansas City Chiefs helped Allegretti earn a three-year, $16 million deal from the Commanders this offseason. And after mostly playing as a backup in Kansas City, the 28-year-old currently project’s as Washington’s starting left guard.
Tarique Barnes
Houston Texans
The 23-year-old Barnes is one of several former Illinois standouts on the Houston roster and one of three linebackers. The Memphis, Tenn., native, who is in his first NFL training camp, is third on the Texans’ depth chart at one linebacker spot. Barnes finished his five-year Illini career with 188 tackles and 17 1/2 tackles for loss.
Chase Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon signing with the Texans this offseason opens the door for the 24-year-old Brown to potentially take over as Cincinnati’s starting running back this season. Brown rushed 44 times for 179 yards as a rookie in 2023 and currently sits second on the Bengals’ depth chart behind free-agent acquisition Zack Moss.
Sydney Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
The 24-year-old Brown won’t get an immediate opportunity to build off his impressive rookie season in Philadelphia. The 5-10, 211-pound safety started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in the Eagles’ regular-season finale last season.
Denzel Daxon
Dallas Cowboys
The 25-year-old Daxon has a legitimate shot to stick with the Cowboys this season even if he doesn’t make the final 53-man roster. The 6-2, 304-pound defensive tackle qualifies for the NFL’s International Pathway Program as a native of the Bahamas and wouldn’t count against Dallas’ 16 practice-squad spots.
Tommy DeVito
New York Giants
“Tommy Cutlets” was a phenomenon last season. A New Jersey native who went from undrafted free agent in April to starting quarterback by October. A phenomenon that ended nearly as quickly as it started and currently has the 26-year-old DeVito behind Daniel Jones and Drew Lock on the depth chart.
Milo Eifler
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta signed the 26-year-old Eifler to their practice squad last fall after he was released by the Commanders, and he bounced back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster twice in 2023 playing on special teams. Eifler is likely the third option at one inside linebacker spot in this year’s camp.
Kendrick Green
Houston Texans
Green’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers was a mixed bag, as he went from starting as a rookie to not playing at all in 2022. After getting traded to Houston last season, Green went on injured reserve in October following knee surgery. The 25-year-old is now the Texans’ backup left guard behind Kenyon Green.
Jake Hansen
Houston Texans
It seemed inevitable Hansen would wind up in Houston given Lovie Smith was the Texans’ coach at the time, and that’s exactly what happened. The 26-year-old stuck around even after Smith was fired — with DeMeco Ryans replacing Smith. Hansen has played in 25 games the past two years and is now the Texans’ backup middle linebacker.
Justin Hardee Sr.
Cleveland Browns
Special teams play got Hardee to the Pro Bowl in 2022 with the New York Jets, as he became indispensable to that unit during his three seasons in the Meadowlands. That’s where the 30-year-old will likely make an impact this year after signing with his hometown team on a one-year, $1,377,500 contract.
Nate Hobbs
Las Vegas Raiders
Hobbs hasn’t avoided off-the-field missteps in his time in the NFL, but the 25-year-old is in line to start at cornerback for a fourth straight season. The Louisville, Ky., native has started 31 of the 40 games he’s played the past three years and has 232 tackles, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions in his career.
Kerby Joseph
Detroit Lions
Joseph was a day-one starter for Dan Campbell in Detroit after being drafted in the third round in 2022 and remains atop the depth chart at one of the safety spots. The 23-year-old, who got into a practice scuffle with Giants rookie Malik Nabers on Tuesday, has started 29 of 32 games the past two seasons and had 82 tackles and four interceptions in each year on the field.
Ted Karras
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals extended Karras’ contract during the offseason, keeping him in Cincinnati through the 2025 season. The two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots has started all 33 games he’s played the past two seasons for the Bengals — a streak that’s set to continue this year for the 31-year-old veteran.
Doug Kramer Jr.
Chicago Bears
The 26-year-old Kramer has spent almost all of his professional career with the Bears. The outlier came last season after he was waived by Chicago on Nov. 4, claimed by Arizona on Nov. 6, released by the Cardinals on Nov. 15 and then signed again on Nov. 17 by the Bears to their practice squad.
Vederian Lowe
New England Patriots
Lowe started eight of the 11 games he played for the Patriots after being traded by the Minnesota Vikings to New England last August. Where the 25-year-old slots into new coach Jerod Mayo’s plans at tackle is unclear with Chukwuma Okorafor and Mike Onwenu the likely starters.
Quan Martin
Washington Commanders
The 24-year-old Martin broke into Washington’s lineup at the end of the 2023 season starting five of the Commanders’ final six games and finishing the year with 46 tackles and two interceptions. Odds are the 6-foot, 195-pounder will also line up as the starting free safety when Washington opens its season.
Chase McLaughlin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nine teams in four years. That’s how McLaughlin’s NFL career started. Not all that uncommon for a kicker. But the 28-year-old has found a home in Tampa Bay, signing a three-year, $12.3 million contract this offseason after making 29 of 31 field goals for the Buccaneers last season.
Johnny Newton
Washington Commanders
Newton wasn’t fully cleared until the start of Washington’s training camp after a second offseason foot surgery. Jones fractures in both feet wasn’t an ideal start to his NFL career. But the 21-year-old defensive tackle is behind only Jonathan Allen on the Commanders’ depth chart.
Alex Palczewski
Denver Broncos
Palczewski signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but spent nearly his entire rookie season on injured reserve after the 25-year-old hand injury suffered last summer. The 6-6, 314-pound offensive lineman is healthy again and enters the Broncos’ preseason slate as their backup right tackle.
Julian Pearl
Baltimore Ravens
While the UFL’s Michigan Panthers used their first pick on Pearl, the 24-year-old offensive lineman is still getting his shot at the NFL with the Ravens in training camp. The Danville native is currently Baltimore’s third-string left tackle behind Ronnie Stanley and Josh Jones.
Del’Shawn Phillips
Houston Texans
Phillips is in his first season with Houston after spending the last two years as a backup linebacker for Baltimore. His role with the Ravens grew from mostly special teams in 2022 to a small role in the defense. The 27-year-old Phillips is currently backing up Henry To’oTo’o.
Keith Randolph Jr.
Chicago Bears
That the 22-year-old Randolph went undrafted in April was a bit of a surprise given he had projections as high as the fifth round. But the commitment Chicago made in signing the defensive tackle shows their intent on keeping him. Randolph got a three-year, $2.85 million deal with $220,000 guaranteed.
Tip Reiman
Arizona Cardinals
The 22-year-old Reiman dazzled at the NFL draft combine in Indianapolis, and his testing numbers first got him on draft boards and then helped propel him into the third round. Trey McBride is the clear cut top tight end on Arizona’s roster, but Reiman might be able to challenge Elijah Higgins for snaps.
Dawuane Smoot
Buffalo Bills
Smoot returned to the Jaguars in 2023 after testing free agency, but he started the season on the PUP list while still recovering from an Achilles injury. The 29-year-old is on a different team for the first time in his eight-year career and should give the Bills a veteran presence at defensive end.
Jihad Ward
Minnesota Vikings
The 30-year-old Ward is the new man on the Minnesota Vikings. The nine-year pro signed with Minnesota this offseason after spending the last two with the Giants. Ward, a 6-5, 285-pound outside linebacker, is currently third on the Vikings’ depth chart behind Andrew Van Ginkel and first-round pick Dallas Turner.
Casey Washington
Atlanta Falcons
The 23-year-old Washington probably would have liked to see former teammate John Paddock stick around in Atlanta’s camp a little longer given how productive he was with Paddock running the Illini offense at the end of the 2023 season. While Paddock was cut last week, Washington has a good shot at the 53-man roster.
Isaiah Williams
Detroit Lions
The top of Detroit’s wide receiver depth chart is rather clear with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond returning. Beyond those three, there’s room for Williams to compete. The 23-year-old went undrafted but signed a three-year, $2.845 million deal with $240,000 guaranteed to join the Lions.
Devon Witherspoon
Seattle Seahawks
Witherspoon produced like a top-five pick should last year, making his first Pro Bowl as a rookie. The 23-year-old started 13 of the 14 games he played at cornerback for the Seahawks and finished his debut season with 79 tackles and one interception he returned for 97 yards for a touchdown.
Scott Richey covers college basketball for The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
