Preseason games are underway in the NFL, and several recent Missouri football alums are competing for roster spots.
Mizzou has had first-round picks in back-to-back years, and the Tigers sent three players to the league in the 2025 NFL Draft. Several more players signed for teams as undrafted free agents after the April event was over.
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Here is every former Missouri player currently competing for a spot on an NFL roster:
New York Jets
Armand Membou: The right tackle was the No. 8-overall pick in this year’s draft and is expected to immediately start for the Jets in 2025. He is joined in New Jersey by two of his former teammates from Columbia.
Brady Cook: The QB signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent this year and is competing for a roster spot with Justin Fields, Adrian Martinez, and Tyrod Taylor. He went 6-of-8 passing for 62 yards in the Jets’ preseason win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.
Harrison Mevis: The placekicker, after a standout year in the UFL, signed with the Jets in the summer. He went 3-of-3 on field goals in the Jets’ preseason opener with a 39-yard long.
Chicago Bears
Luther Burden III: The No. 39-overall draft pick and three-year Mizzou standout has had quite the preseason, but appears to be settling into a role on new head coach Ben Johnson’s offense. He caught two of his three targets for 29 yards in the Bears’ preseason opener.
Arizona Cardinals
Darius Robinson: After missing much of his rookie season due to a calf injury, the No. 27-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is competing for a starting role on the Cardinals’ defensive line.
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Los Angeles Rams
Missouri running back Cody Schrader lines up before a snap during a college football game at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Cody Schrader: Mizzou’s single-season rushing yards record holder scored his first touchdown as an NFL player in the Rams’ first preseason game, hauling in a nine-yard touchdown pass from former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. He led the Rams in rushing with five carries for 59 yards.
The Rams’ running back room is crowded, though, with Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Jarquez Hunter among the players Schrader is competing with.
Miami Dolphins
Theo Wease Jr.: The wideout was an undrafted free agent pickup for the Dolphins shortly after the 2025 NFL Draft. He appeared in Miami’s first preseason game and had one reception for five yards.
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Larry Borom: The former Mizzou offensive lineman was a fifth-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021 and now will compete for the Dolphins’ starting left tackle job.
Denver Broncos
Tyler Badie: The running back has recovered from a scary injury he sustained last season and had five carries for 32 yards in a preseason win over the 49ers.
Kristian Williams: The defensive tackle signed as a UDFA after this year’s draft and seemingly faces an uphill battle for a roster spot in a crowded room.
Kris Abrams-Draine: The 2024 draft fifth-round corner had a tackle and defended a pass in Denver’s first preseason game. He appears to be in a good position to land on the 53-man roster.
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Johnny Walker Jr.: The edge rusher out of Tampa, Florida, was an undrafted free agent pickup after the draft this year, but his rookie season ended before it started. He will spend the year on the injured reserve list due to a lower-body injury.
Kansas City Chiefs
Nick Bolton: The fourth-year NFL linebacker recently signed a three-year, $45-million extension. With two Super Bowl rings in hand, he is expected to be a starting middle linebacker for the Chiefs in 2025.
Elijah Young: The running back spent three seasons at Mizzou before transferring to Western Kentucky. He signed as a UDFA with KC this year.
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Detroit Lions
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.: The former standout Mizzou corner has had some bad injury luck again and will miss the 2025 season with a shoulder injury. He was a second-round pick in 2024, but will spend the upcoming season on the injured reserve list.
Trystan Colon: The Lions signed Colon after center Frank Ragnow retired this summer. He most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals.
Dominic Lovett: The wide receiver out of East St. Louis finished his career at Georgia after two seasons with Mizzou. He was a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft.
Mekhi Wingo: The St. Louis native spent one season with Mizzou before transferring to LSU.
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Green Bay Packers
Ty’Ron Hopper: A third-round pick in 2024, Hopper has reportedly had an impressive summer in Green Bay. He has reportedly moved over to the strong side and is in the mix for a playing position on the Packers’ defense.
Indianapolis Colts
Jaylon Carlies: The Mizzou safety switched to linebacker in the NFL, and that appears to have paid off as he is expected to start in Indianapolis this season.
Nate Noel: The one-year Mizzou running back from the 2024 season originally signed with the Miami Dolphins after the draft, but was waived over the summer. On Friday, the Colts announced they had picked him up.
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Marcellus Johnson: In the same transaction, the Colts announced they had added Johnson, a former sixth offensive lineman and swing tackle for Mizzou.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Javon Foster: The fourth-round pick from 2024 was MU’s starting left tackle for three years before that. He appears to have moved over to guard for the Jaguars.
New England Patriots
Marcus Bryant: The left tackle was a seventh-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft. With No. 4-overall selection Will Campbell expected to start at left tackle, Bryant will shift to the right side for the Patriots, where he started in their preseason win over Washington.
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Yasir Durant: The offensive tackle was placed on the injured reserve list for the Patriots in July, and now will need to reach an injury settlement with the Patriots to be able to see the field in 2025.
Seattle Seahawks
Drew Lock: After a year with the New York Giants, Lock is back in Seattle — where he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons — and is expected to back up Sam Darnold in the 2025 season.
Cleveland Browns
Isaiah McGuire: The defensive end is about to begin his third season in the league after a solid 2024 campaign. He is competing to start opposite Myles Garrett at the other edge-rushing role.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire reacts during a game against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 29, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Las Vegas Raiders
Albert Okwuegbunam: The Raiders signed the former Mizzou tight end Aug. 3, shortly after he was released by the Colts.
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San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Elliott: The defensive tackle projects as a starter on the 49ers’ defense this season.
Carolina Panthers
Akayleb Evans: The one-year Mizzou corner was signed by the Panthers last December after being waived by the Minnesota Vikings.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Connor Bazelak: The quarterback, who spent two seasons with Mizzou before transferring to Indiana and then Bowling Green, is competing to back up Baker Mayfield this season.
More: What to expect from Missouri football’s biggest position competitions in Week 3 of camp
More: Here’s Missouri football’s full schedule for 2025 season, including dates, times, channels
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Tennessee Titans
Joshua Bledsoe: Tennessee signed Bledsoe this past Tuesday after he was cut by the Steelers earlier in the summer.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football in the NFL: Who is competing for roster spots?