Arizona football unlikely to have anyone selected in 2022 NFL Draft

Another year, another potential goose egg for Arizona in the NFL Draft.

No members of the 2021 UA football team are expected to be taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday. If that is the case it will mark the fifth time in the past 10 drafts that no Wildcats were selected.

Wide receiver/punt returner Stanley Berryhill III has the best chance of Arizona’s draft-eligible players to get picked, though it’s much more likely he’ll be signed as an undrafted free agent sometime after the draft. Others who could get a UDFA look include fullback Clay Markoff, center Josh McCauley, defensive linemen Mo Diallo, Trevon Mason and Leevel Tatum III, linebackers Kenny Heberg, Anthony Pandy and Rashie Hodge Jr. and kicker Lucas Havrisik.

Arizona had two players drafted in 2020—running back Gary Brightwell by the New York Giants and defensive lineman Roy Lopez Jr. by the Houston Texans, both in the sixth round—which marked its most since 2016.

During spring practice last month, UA coach Jedd Fisch expressed confidence that Arizona’s draft history is going to improve considerably in the years to come.

“I would assume, safely, that at next year’s Pro Day, we’ll have more draft picks,” he said. “And then the following years would continue that more and more.”

Fisch projected players on the spring roster who could get drafted in 2023 include defensive backs Christian Roland-Wallace and Christian Young, defensive lineman Kyon Barrs, offensive lineman Jordan Morgan and wide receiver Jacob Cowing.

“There’s a big group that I think will be involved in Pro Day and involved in the draft,” he said.