As the college football season begins, so does the professional football season. With Thursday’s matchup between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL is finally back.
This year’s NFL season features many former LSU players starring in various roles for their teams with things to prove. However, the season may be most pivotal for the former Tigers with the most precarious positions on their teams: the rookies.
As of now, nine members of LSU’s 2022 team made their way onto NFL rosters over the offseason, whether on the active roster or the practice squad. They’ll spend the season competing against the best and fighting to maintain their place at the highest level of the sport.
BJ Ojulari, Arizona Cardinals
LSU’s highest draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Ojulari was picked in the second round with the No. 41 pick by Arizona. Ojulari wore the prestigious No. 18 jersey for LSU his senior year and led the pass rush as a team captain.
Now in Arizona, Ojulari will fill a big pass-rushing hole for the Cardinals. During the 2022 offseason, Arizona lost star pass rusher Chandler Jones to the Las Vegas Raiders. This offseason, they lost more prominent pass rushers as J.J. Watt retired and Zach Allen and Markus Golden signed deals with other teams. The Cardinals have faced significant attrition at the edge rusher position the past few years.
Ojulari will be expected to jump in and be an immediate contributor. He spent most of Arizona’s training camp dealing with a knee injury, but he played in the last preseason game, recording one tackle, and will be active for week one.
Anthony Bradford, Seattle Seahawks
With the 108th pick of the draft in the fourth round, the Seattle Seahawks selected Anthony Bradford. Bradford started 12 games for LSU last year, most at right guard.
With Seattle, Bradford has so far been unable to make it into the starting lineup, sitting behind veteran Phil Haynes at right guard. However, Bradford will serve as a top reserve this season and will likely take over as the future starting right guard sometime in the next few years, as the team likes his play strength and Haynes is currently on a one-year contract.
Jay Ward, Minnesota Vikings
In round four with pick 134, the Vikings selected defensive back Jay Ward after four years of Ward contributing to LSU’s secondary.
Ward has versatility to work as a deep safety or in the slot. However, he’ll face an uphill battle to see playing time this season. The Vikings are currently carrying six safeties on their roster, and it’s unclear how much Ward will see the field from the jump, as he’s listed as a third-string safety on the depth chart.
Ward did have a productive preseason, allowing only one catch in coverage and producing 15 tackles, a pass breakup and a sack-fumble. The Vikings were the second-worst pass defense in the NFL last year by yardage, so they may need Ward’s production.
Jaquelin Roy, Minnesota Vikings
Joining Ward in Minnesota, Roy was taken with pick 141 of the fifth round. Roy started 12 games at defensive tackle for LSU last year, stacking up 49 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Roy didn’t play in either of Minnesota’s first two preseason games but spent a lot of time in the opponent’s backfield when he appeared in the preseason finale. He finished with two tackles and a quarterback hit.
With starting defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson moving on in free agency, Roy has a shot at filling the hole for the Vikings. He has received some first-team snaps in practice, and his motor and pass-rushing ability from the interior stand out. For now, he’s entrenched in a competition at a crowded position for the Vikings.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots
Once expected to be a high first rounder, Boutte was selected with pick No. 187 in round 6 by New England. Boutte’s final season with the Tigers in the No. 7 jersey was disappointing, as he dealt with inconsistency. He finished with 538 yards, lower than his breakout freshman year with 735 and barely higher than his sophomore year in which he missed seven games.
Boutte made it into a roster in New England with a deficiency of wide receiver talent. As the 12th-worst passing offense in the NFL last year, wide receivers accounted for only 2,421 yards in the Patriots’ offense.
In three preseason games, Boutte came up with four receptions for 56 yards and a long touchdown. In the Patriots’ third preseason game, he played just a series before taking his place on the bench for the game, his roster spot clearly assured. Now, he figures to be a factor as a rotational receiver for Mac Jones and New England.
Jarrick Bernard-Converse, New York Jets
Bernard-Converse, who transferred from Oklahoma State to LSU last year before playing in 13 games with nine starts, was drafted in the sixth round with pick 204 by the Jets. At LSU, Bernard-Converse saw time at both boundary corner and safety during the season.
On July 19, Bernard-Converse was placed on the Jets’ Physically Unable to Perform list because of a foot injury. He didn’t participate in team drills for the entirety of the team’s training camp, and is now on the team’s reserve list, meaning he’ll be inactive for at least the first four weeks of the regular season.
When he returns to health, he’ll face a difficult ramping-up process, especially as he finds himself in a solid New York defensive back room.
Mekhi Garner, Philadelphia Eagles
Garner went undrafted but caught on with the Eagles, making his way onto their practice squad. A transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette, he spent one year with the Tigers where he started every game except the Citrus Bowl, providing solid man coverage with his prototype size.
In three preseason games, Garner finished with five tackles and a pass breakup. That wasn’t good enough to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster, but he’ll occupy a spot on the 16-man practice squad for the reigning NFC champions.
Ali Gaye, Houston Texans
Gaye was also undrafted but signed with Houston. He started 12 games for LSU in 2022 and was a 2020 second team All-SEC selection. The Gambian former team captain is a 6-foot-6 behemoth who participated in the Senior Bowl.
With Houston, Gaye didn’t survive roster cuts after a preseason in which he recorded one tackle, but he’s now on the team’s practice squad.
Micah Baskerville, Chicago Bears
After going undrafted, Baskerville signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. Baskerville played in 54 games across his five years as a Tiger and became a regular starter his last three years.
During the preseason, Baskerville put up 19 tackles, a sack and a pass breakup across three games and had a strong camp, especially in pass coverage. For now, he’ll be on the team’s practice squad.
