Oklahoma football: How former Sooners did on NFL cutdown day
By Chip Rouse
Last Tuesday was mandatory cutdown day in the NFL as teams needed to reduce their active rosters to the required 53-player limit. Thirty-four former Oklahoma football players survived the roster cuts and made it on to NFL rosters to start the 2023 season.
All five of Oklahoma’s 2023 NFL Draft selections made it through the process in their first go at life in the NFL. Wide receiver Marvin Mims is with the Denver Broncos, running back Eric Gray made the 53-man roster for the New York Giants, offensive tackles Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris are with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, and tight end Brayden Willis made it through the roster cut for the San Francisco 49ers.
The oldest of the former Sooners on a 2023 NFL roster is offensive tackle Trent Williams, who was drafted in 2010 by the Washington Redskins and is beginning his 13th season in the NFL. He has been with the San Francisco 49ers the last three seasons.
Three former OU quarterbacks are currently starting in the NFL: Jalen Hurts for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kyler Murray for the Arizona Cardinals and Baker Mayfield, who was just named the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, replacing the retired Tom Brady. Murray (2019) and Mayfield (2018) are both former Heisman Trophy winners as well as No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks.
The number of former Sooners who have been selected in the history of the NFL Draft currently stands at 414. That ranks fourth all-time among college teams. Tackle J.W. Wheeler was the first Oklahoma player taken in the NFL Draft. He was drafted in the second round in 1936 by the Green Bay Packers, the No. 16 player overall selected in that year’s draft.
OU’s current 16-year streak of having at least four NFL Draft picks is the third longest in the common draft era (since 1967).
Here is the complete list of former Oklahoma Sooners who are on active NFL rosters to begin the 2023 season:
TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
LB Brian Asamoah, Minnesota Vikings
TE Blake Bell, Kansas City Chiefs
LB Curtis Bolton, Las Vegas Raiders
LB Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Arizona Cardinals
OT Orlando Brown, Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
CB Tre Brown, Seattle Seahawks
OG Cody Ford, Cincinnati Bengals
DT Neville Gallimore, Dallas Cowboys
Rookie RB Eric Gray, New York Giants
Rookie OT Anton Harrison, Jacksonville Jaguars
OG Marquis Hayes, Arizona Cardinals
C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
OT Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rookie WR Marvin Mims, Denver Broncos
RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Rookie OT Wanya Morris, Kansas City Chiefs
LB Kenneth Murray, Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
QB Kyler Murray, currently on PUP list for Arizona Cardinals (torn ACL)
DT Jordan Phillips, Buffalo Bills
OG Ben Powers, Denver Broncos
LB Ogbo “Obo” Okoronkwo, Cleveland Browns
RB Samaje Perine, Denver Broncos
WR Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
DB Delarrin Turner-Yell, Denver Broncos
P Tress Way, Washington Commanders
OT Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Rookie TE Brayden Willis, San Francisco 49ers
LS James Winchester, Kansas City Chiefs
There were also 10 former Sooners who weren’t as fortunate and were cut from NFL rosters ahead of the 2023 season openers. This does not mean, however, that they won’t catch on with another team at some point this season. This list includes:
RB Kennedy Brooks, waived by the Philadelphia Eagles
OT Bobby Evans, waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars
OG Chris Murray, waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for “failure to disclose physical condition”
DB Tre Norwood, waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers
DE Ronnie Perkins, waived by the Cleveland Browns
DT Jalen Redmond, cut from the Carolina Panthers injured reserve list
OG Tyrese Robinson, waived by the Philadelphia Eagles
DT Isaiah Thomas, waived by the Cleveland Browns
P Michael Turk, waived by the Miami Dolphins
DT Perrion Winfrey, waived by the Cleveland Browns