The 2025 NFL Preseason is well underway with two of the three Preseason games in the books, and one last shot this week for players to try and convince their teams that they deserve to make the cut from 90 men down to just 53 on each active roster. Of course each team will have their practice squad as well that they can fill, and that’s a probable landing spot for many of the players on this list. A total of 29 former Minnesota Golden Gophers who either played a majority of their career for Minnesota,
or finished their career as a Gopher are on this list. So that means players like Max Brosmer and Seth Green are listed below, while players like Austin Booker and Beanie Bishop are out. How many of the 29 will remain on a NFL roster after cutdown day on August 26th? Only time will tell. Below find a lost of the Gophers in NFL camps, how they are fairing this summer, and a predicted percent chance they make a roster or practice squad.
Baltimore Ravens
Rashod Bateman WR
Bateman signed a new contract extention in the offseason and is squarely in the Ravens plays for the long term. He has not played a single snap this preseason , but none of the Ravens starters have. Come Week 1 he will be split out waiting for Lamar Jackson to throw him the ball.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Daniel Faalele RG
Faalele saw his playing time increase significantly last season as he earned a starting rol e at right guard for the Ravens. That should not chance in 2025 as he will be tasked to protect Lamar Jackson and clear holes for Derrick Henry yet again.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Carolina Panthers
Jack Henderson S
Henderson joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent this spring and has flashed at times for Carolina, but still has a long way to go. Henderson is currently listed as the third string free safety for Carolina. In two preseason games he has one solo and one assisted tackle for the Panthers. Weirder things could happen, but Henderson likely will need to hope he can grab a practice squad spot and work his way up to the active roster.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 5%
Chicago Bears
Terell Smith CB
Smith was slated to start his third season with the Bears in their secondary, but he suffered a bad looking non-contact injury against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night in the Bear’s second preseason game.
No official announcement to his status has been provided yet, but its likely that Smith is headed for Injured reserve and will miss the entire 2025 season.
Dallas Cowboys
Brevyn Span-Ford TE
Span-Ford surprised last season making the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent and saw his playing time increase as the season went on. He currently sits where he was a year ago, the third tight end on the Cowboy’s depth chart, but in this case, his spot feels safe and secure to make the active roster for his second year in the NFL.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 90%
Green Bay Packers
Tyler Cooper RG
The Wisconsin native signed with his hometown team as an undrafted free agent in the spring and has been working with the third team offensive line in the preseason. While the Packers have line issues, they are not significant enough that Cooper will earn a roster spot. Hopefully he can latch onto a practice squad spot though.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 1%
Houston Texans
Aireontae Ersery— LT
The Texans second round pick last April, Ersery has come into camp and impressed. He started the first preseason game at left tackle and will likely move over to right tackle in the regular season asCam Robinson takes that spot. CJ Stroud has been talking up Ersery’s play in camp and he looks like the next Gopher second round pick to immediately jump into the league and start after John Micheal Schmitz and Tyler Nubin the past two seasons.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Daniel Jackson WR
Jackson on the other hand has a lot of ground to make up. He signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent which was a curious move as the Texans had a fairly deep wide receiver room. He has run up against that and has been struggling to break through the fourth team wide outs. It doesn’t help that most of the passes he has seen have been from soon to be cut former Wisconsin Badger Graham Mertz. Jackson has just one catch for 13 yards in two preseason games this far. He should see his most significant run in the third game for Houston, but the best he can probably hope for at this point is putting enough on tape to earn a practice squad spot somewhere in the NFL.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 1%
Indianapolis Colts
Justin Walley CB
Justin Walley looked like he was on track to be the next secondary star in the NFL from the Gophers. The third round pick looked amazing in early work and has already shot up the roster to a starting spot on the initial depth chart for Indianapolis. Then unfortunately he injured his knee in the first week of camp, tore his ACL and will miss the entire 2025 season. A brutal blow for what appeared to be a great story.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Eric Murray S
Murray moved to the Jags in the offseason joining his fourth NFL team in his tenth year in the league. After several up and down years in Houston, Murray currently is slated to start for the Jaguars and keep his career alive.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Danny Striggow DE
Striggow signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent and has been getting lots of work in the preseason. In his first game he picked up a huge strip sack against Pittsburgh and made some noise with the third team defense. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to climb up that depth chart much, and likely will hope to earn a practice squad spot after cut day.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 2%
Los Angeles Chargers
Benjamin St. Juste CB
After five seasons in Washington, St. Juste went west and signed with one of his former college coaches in Jim Harbaugh and the LA Chargers. Unfortunately for him the reconnection is not going well. St. Juste has struggled in both preseason games for the Chargers, and many pundits are expecting he will be cut when the final 53-man rosters are announced. He will need to turn it around in the final preseason game this weekend for LA if he wants to keep his roster spot next week.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 40%
Las Vegas Raiders
Cody Lindenberg LB
Lindenberg was selected in the 6th round of the draft by the Raiders and has had a decent preseason so far. He recorded four tackles in the preseason opener and added a pair more in the Raiders second game playing as the third string middle linebacker. The Raiders appear to have decent LB depth, so making the main roster will be a struggle for Lindenberg, but he should have a practice squad spot with his name on it.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 10%
Jah Joyner DE
Joyner signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent and simarly to Lindenberg has been running with the threes. He has a pair of tackles in two preseason games and a very steep climb ahead of him. He will hope that he can put some great tape together in Preseason Game #3 and earn a practice squad spot somewhere in the league.
Miami Dolphins
Ethan Robinson CB
Robinson signed with the Dolphins as a UDFA and while he did make a very flashy interception at the end of Miami’s last preseason game, he’s been struggling to get any further up the depth chart than the fourth string nickel back and will hope a practice squad spot is in his future after next week.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 1%
Minnesota Vikings
Blake Cashman LB
Cashman had a great initial season back home in Minnesota with a Vikings a season ago. He has not played in any of the preseason for the Vikings this season, but will be starting Game 1 against the Bears on Monday Night Football for sure.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Max Brosmer QB
The Gophers star QB last year, he decided to stick around another year in Minnesota as a UDFA and signed with the Vikings. So far its looked like a smart decision. Brosmer has been good as QB #4 for the Vikings in the preseason, and has the entire fan base behind him. He’s played so well than many are worried that if the Vikings cut him and try and put him on the practice squad as QB 3 that another team will snatch him. He doesn’t have enough experience to be the true backup, but its definitely looking like he has a very good chance to beat out Brett Rypen for QB 3. He will get one last chance to impress against the Titans in the final preseason game and try to solidify his spot.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 50%
New England Patriots
Jack Gibbons LB
Gibbons signed with the Patriots in the offseason after three years in Tennessee with the Titans. He’s flashed at times in his NFL career and has been a good special teams player as well. That should solidify his roster spot this season for New England.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 85%
New Orleans Saints
Jordan Howden S
Howden begins year three in the NFL with the Saints and has been running as the second team strong safety in camp. He has started some games for New Orleans, and also played special teams showing his versatility. He should safely be on the Saints active roster to start the year.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 98%
Seth Green TE
Green signed with the Saints this summer after a decent season with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL. He will try and catch onto an NFL roster after being cut by both the Texans and Cowboys over the past few offseasons. It won’t be easy as he is running with the fourth and fifth teamers, and it looks like it might be back to the UFL for him.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 0.5%
New York Giants
John Michael Schmitz C
He’s starting.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Tyler Nubin S
See above.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
New York Jets
Tyler Johnson WR
It’s been a great offseason for Tyler Johnson. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer played sparingly for the LA Rams the past two seasons, but appears to have found a good spot with the Jets starting as the #3 WR for Justin Fields. Its a great career resurgence for the former Gopher star.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyler Baugh DT
Baugh signed with Pittsburgh after being cut by Atlanta earlier in the summer. He also played in the UFL this past spring. Baugh is your classic camp body and will be cut, but could potentially find a spot in a practice squad somewhere.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 0.5%
Esezi Otomewo DT
Otomewo spend the past two seasons in Jacksonville after the Viking cut him loose prior to his second NFL season. He hasn’t done much playing with the third team this preseason for Pittsburgh and is likely headed for the chopping block.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 1%
Seattle Seahawks
Boye Mafe OLB
He’s gonna play a large role in Seattle’s pass rush again this season.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Nick Kallerup TE
Kallerup signed as a UDFA this spring and has impressed with his blocking ability. He was the highest ranking tight end in the preseason after game 1 by Pro Football Focus, but still is running with the 3rd and fourth team offenses in Seattle. He’s turned some heads, but will need to continue to do so on a practice squad spot most likely.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 1%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antoine Winfield Jr S
Not even a discussion.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 100%
Ko Kieft TE
This one is much more interesting. Kieft impressed his rookie season in Tampa, but a regime change led to a much smaller role last season. He’s still slotted as TE #3 for the Buccaneers, and is a big special teams player which helps a ton. His blocking ability is key for a team that goes with two tight end sets a lot, so he should be safe here.
Percent Chance to make active roster: 85%
We will have another update after cut day next week as things all shake out prior to the start of the NFL season.
