There are 21 former BYU football players dotting NFL rosters this summer. Some of them will achieve the highest pinnacles of NFL success this year, while others won't make it through training camp. This is the final article in a three-part series exploring the season outlook for all 21 of these former Cougs.
The six players profiled today are outsiders looking in when it comes to making an NFL roster. They are all young, undrafted players with a lot to prove. If all goes well they'll land on a practice squad. If things go really well, they'll find their way onto a 53-man roster.
Mory Bamba, CB, New York Jets
Despite going undrafted in this year's NFL Draft, I like the odds of Mory Bamba making a practice squad this year. If he can do just that, his rookie season in the NFL will be a success. Most UDFAs who survive training camp get released at final roster cuts.
But at 6-foot-3 and a blazing 4.29 40-yard dash, Bamba has a tool set that makes NFL coaches drool. His elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.53 means he's more athletic than 95 percent of cornerbacks who have been evaluated for the NFL Draft. Athletes like Mory don't come along very often, and I could see a smart NFL team putting him on a practice squad for the next year or two until his skill set matches his elite physical tool set.
Caleb Etienne, OT, Minnesota Vikings
Etienne went undrafted in 2025 but stayed in shape and was ready when the Vikings came calling in December with a spot on their practice squad. He was a late-season joiner and didn't appear in any games for the Vikings last season, but that's beside the point. What's most important is not only did the Vikings sign him last year, they locked him up on a futures/reserve contract for 2026 meaning they saw enough to bring him back for another season to see what he can become.
Garrison Grimes, LS, New York Jets
Garrison Grimes is likely going to have a wild NFL experience. If he can latch on somewhere this year as an undrafted rookie long snapper, he could be on his way to an NFL career that spans more than a decade. For example, I'm a Carolina Panthers fan. Carolina's long snapper, JJ Jansen, is beginning his 18th season with the Panthers and recently celebrated his 40th birthday. Good long snappers can keep their jobs for an eternity, in NFL speak.
But if Garrison can't latch on as a UDFA this year, his NFL experience will likely be extremely short. There are really only 32 NFL jobs at long snapper, and they don't turn over very often. Here's to hoping Garrison Grimes kills it for the Jets this summer.
Isaiah Jatta, OT, Las Vegas Raiders
Though he went undrafted this year, the Raiders saw enough in Jatta's tape to sign him as an undrafted rookie. He transferred from Colorado to BYU in 2024 and over two seasons with the Cougars he started 16 of 17 games in which he appeared, including all 14 games in BYU's 12-2 season last year. It will be a long shot for him to make the 53-man roster this year, and a successful outcome is landing on the practice squad.
Chase Roberts, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Chase was a fan favorite in Provo during his stellar career, and there were hopes he would get drafted this year. But after his name wasn't called in the draft he signed with the Raiders and will get his shot in training camp and the preseason. While he has NFL skills in terms of route running, hands, and size at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has two major obstacles he'll need to overcome.
First, he's already 25 years old after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and playing four years at BYU. If the Raiders need to make a decision between him and a 22-year-old, they're going to err on the side of youth and upside. Second, Chase ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the slowest time among all 34 wide receivers. Is he fast enough to get separation in the NFL like he did in college?
I'm a Chase Roberts believer. He has the size. He has the skills. He has the smarts. If he can develop just enough speed to succeed at the NFL level, he can carve out an NFL career. But given his age, the odds are already stacked against him.
Kedon Slovis, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Slovis played one season for BYU back in 2023 and went undrafted in 2024. He landed on the Houston Texans practice squad that year before signing with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad last in 2025. He proved enough with the Cardinals last year to get called up to the 53-man roster, and he even got his first NFL reps appearing in two games and completing one of two passes.
He returns to the Cardinals in 2026 but likely enters the season as the No. 4 quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck, a third round pick this year. NFL teams don't carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, meaning Slovis could return to the practice squad this year or get waived and join another team. He'll need a strong preseason this summer.
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