Another NFL season is upon, and for the first time in years the Arizona football program has a considerable professional presence.
Eight former Wildcats began the season on active NFL rosters, led by the four Arizona players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Each week we’ll be recapping how ex-Arizona players fared, relying on game stats and Pro Football Focus grades.
Here’s how former Arizona players looked in Week 1 of the NFL season.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
McMillan in his first game as a pro looked every bit of the WR1 he’s
projected out to be. The eighth overall pick had five catches for 68 yards in Carolina’s 26-10 loss to Jacksonville. He out-performed Travis Hunter, the only receiver taken above him in the NFL Draft.
McMillan earned a team-high 78.9 grade per PFF. It’ll be a long season ahead for Panthers fans, but at least they’ll get to take in one of the NFL’s best young talents.
Tyler Loop, K, Baltimore Ravens
Loop’s debut came on Sunday Night Football in a highly anticipated matchup between the Ravens and the Bills. The game lived up to the hype, but Loop would like to forget a costly missed extra point that took away from an otherwise stellar debut.
The good: Loop converted field goals of 52 and 49 yards. The bad: he missed a PAT in the fourth quarter that would have extended Baltimore’s lead to 16 points. That extra point ended up being the difference when Buffalo raced back to win a 42-41 thriller. Loop blamed the missed PAT on bad timing.
Loop was always going to be under the microscope replacing an all-time great in Justin Tucker, and his late game mistake will certainly add more pressure to his plate going forward.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
Croskey-Merritt was one of the breakout players of training camp and preseason, and he backed up the hype on Sunday. The sixth-round pick had 82 yards on 10 carries and scored a touchdown in his NFL debut as the Commanders routed the Giants 21-6. Croskey-Merritt’s 79.3 grade ranked second on the Washington offense, only behind quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Jonah Savaiinaea, OG, Miami Dolphins
Savainnaea had a rough debut with the Dolphins, grading out to 51.7 per PFF. The second-round pick played all 47 defensive snaps for Miami. The Dolphins got blown out 33-8 at Indianapolis.
Nick Folk, K, New York Jets
The Jets lost a close 34-32 battle to the Steelers but it wasn’t for Folk’s lack of effort. The 40-year-old nailed both of his field goals, including a long of 51 yards. Folk has 405 career made field goals, 14th all-time.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB/ST, New York Giants
Flannigan-Fowles played 17 special teams snaps in the Giants’ loss to the Commanders. It’s to be determined whether, or how soon, he’ll crack the Giants defensive rotation. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Giants in March.
Jordan Morgan, OT/OG, Green Bay Packers
Morgan only played 20 snaps in the Packers’ 27-13 win over the Lions but made a positive impression. The former first rounder earned a 73.5 grade, fourth-best on the Green Bay offense. Fifteen of Morgan’s snaps came at right guard with the other five at left guard.
Roy Lopez, DT, Detroit Lions
Lopez made his debut with the Lions on Sunday, playing 17 snaps. He earned a 57.6 grade, which was middle-of-the-pack for a Lions defensive unit that couldn’t slow down Green Bay’s offense. Lopez signed a one-year, $4.65 million deal with the Lions in the offseason.
Christian Roland-Wallace, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Roland-Wallace, who finished his college career with USC before signing with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2024, played 16 snaps on special teams in the Chiefs’ 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on Friday.
