Nearly 3 dozen former Oregon Ducks will start the season on NFL rosters. See who they are
The NFL season kicks off Thursday night with a game between the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions, a trendy pick to make a deep playoff run come January.
On the field for the Lions will be third-year pro and starting right tackle Penei Sewell, who at age 22 was named one of Detroit’s team captains earlier this week.
Sewell is also one of 25 former Oregon football players to make an NFL active roster this season, and one of 33 Ducks who are on an NFL roster in some capacity. The same is true for 16 former Oregon State Beavers, including 11 who are on active rosters.
The most notable former Duck is Los Angeles Chargers starting quarterback Justin Herbert, who inked a lucrative contract extension before the start of training camp in July.
The sixth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft became the highest-paid QB in the NFL by average salary when he agreed to a five-year, $265.5 million extension — $218.7 million of which is guaranteed.
Herbert, 25, has started 49 of a possible 50 games for the Chargers, and has thrown for for 14,089 yards, 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 683 yards and six TDs.
Among the other former Ducks on active rosters are seven players who suited up for Oregon last fall — offensive linemen Alex Forsyth (Denver), T.J. Bass (Dallas) and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (Baltimore), linebackers DJ Johnson (Carolina) and Noah Sewell (Chicago), defensive lineman Jordon Riley (New York Giants), and 17th-overall pick Christian Gonzalez, a cornerback for New England.
There are also six former Ducks on practice squads, including receiver Devon Allen, the two-time Olympic hurdler who is in his second NFL season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Oregon Ducks in the NFL
(Active roster)
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OL, Baltimore Ravens
T.J. Bass, OL, Dallas Cowboys
DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts
Alex Forsyth, C, Denver Broncos
Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England Patriots
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
DJ Johnson, OLB, Carolina Panthers
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
Shane Lemieux, OG, New York Giants
Deommodore Lenoir, CB, San Francisco 49ers
Marcus Mariota, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Verone McKinley, S, Miami Dolphins
Johnny Mundt, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Jordon Riley, DT, New York Giants
Noah Sewell, LB, Chicago Bears
Penei Sewell, OT, Detroit Lions
Kayvon Thibodeaux, OLB, New York Giants
Calvin Throckmorton, OL, Carolina Panthers
(Reserve/physically unable to perform)
(Reserve/Injured)
Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Cleveland Browns
(Practice squad)
Devon Allen, WR, Philadelphia
Brady Breeze, S, Seattle Seahawks
Royce Freeman, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Hroniss Grasu, C, Las Vegas Raiders
Johnny Johnson III, WR, Houston Texans
Hunter Kampmoyer, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Oregon State Beavers in the NFL
(Active roster)
Alex Austin, CB, Houston Texans
Blake Brandel, OL, Minnesota Vikings
Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Johnny Hekker, P, Carolina Panthers
Isaiah Hodgins, WR, New York Giants
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
Steven Nelson, CB, Houston Texans
Teagan Quitoriano, TE, Houston Texans
Nahshon Wright, CB, Dallas Cowboys
(Practice squad)
Jack Colletto, FB, San Francisco 49ers
Jaydon Grant, S, Las Vegas Raiders
Sean Harlow, C, Dallas Cowboys
Tre’Shaun Harrison, WR, Tennessee Titans
Kyle Peko, DT, Tennessee Titans
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks football players who made 53-man NFL rosters
