BYU Football Players Drafted In 2025: Surprise Picks Revealed
The 2025 NFL Draft ended with **zero BYU football players actually being selected**, but at least eight former Cougars from the 2024 roster quickly signed undrafted free agent deals or accepted rookie minicamp invitations, effectively joining the ranks of NFL hopefuls despite the draft shutout.
Quick snapshot: BYU and the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 NFL Draft, held from April 24-26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, closed without a single BYU player drafted, marking the program's first draft shutout since 2020 despite multiple prospects being projected as late-round selections.
Defensive end Tyler Batty entered the draft cycle as the most likely BYU selection, with many scouting services grading him as a possible sixth- or seventh-round pick after a productive senior season anchoring the Cougars' defensive front.
Offensive tackle Caleb Etienne, cornerback Jakob Robinson, and several other BYU draft hopefuls also drew fringe draftable grades, but a deep class at their respective positions and limited late-round demand pushed them into the undrafted free agent pool instead.
Although no former Cougars heard their names called on the Lambeau Field stage, the 2025 cycle still produced tangible pro opportunities as NFL teams moved quickly after the draft to sign or invite multiple BYU standouts.
List of BYU players tied to the 2025 draft
During the 2025 draft cycle, a core group of BYU senior prospects emerged as the faces of the program's NFL aspirations, with most having declared after the 2024 season and posted multiple years of starting experience in Provo.
- Tyler Batty - Defensive End
- Jakob Robinson - Cornerback
- Caleb Etienne - Offensive Tackle
- Darius Lassiter - Wide Receiver
- Blake Mangelson - Defensive Line
- Brayden Keim - Offensive Tackle
- Connor Pay - Center/Interior Offensive Line
- Additional eligible veterans (e.g., Keanu Hill, Marque/Marquee Collins, John Nelson) who were considered longshot prospects
BYU coverage throughout winter and spring 2025 consistently framed defensive end Tyler Batty as the program's single most likely draftee, with some analysts projecting the veteran pass rusher as a late Day 3 pick based on his motor, length, and steady production in the Big 12.
Defensive back Jakob Robinson and offensive tackle Caleb Etienne were widely viewed as the next tier of BYU draft candidates, occupying the "maybe drafted, more likely priority free agent" range depending on how cornerback and offensive line boards broke late on Day 3.
Other seniors such as wide receiver Darius Lassiter, interior lineman Connor Pay, and defensive lineman Blake Mangelson entered the process as solid college contributors whose pro paths were always more likely to come via free agency than through draft capital.
Early in the cycle, national prospect databases and local beat writers emphasized that BYU's 2025 class was heavy on solid depth pieces rather than top-100 talent, a stark contrast to 2023 when tackle Kingsley Suamataia had been considered the Cougars' next surefire high-end prospect.
Detailed table of BYU's 2025 draft-linked players
The following table summarizes the key BYU prospects tracked during the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, including position, projected draft range, and their eventual outcome once the draft concluded.
| Player | Position | Pre-draft projection | Draft outcome | NFL team / status after draft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Batty | DE | Round 6-7 fringe pick | Undrafted | Minnesota Vikings - undrafted free agent signing |
| Jakob Robinson | CB | Late Day 3 / priority FA | Undrafted | San Francisco 49ers - undrafted free agent signing |
| Caleb Etienne | OT | Round 6-7 potential | Undrafted | Cincinnati Bengals - undrafted free agent signing |
| Darius Lassiter | WR | Priority free agent | Undrafted | Jacksonville Jaguars - undrafted free agent (after earlier Eagles minicamp invite) |
| Blake Mangelson | DL | Camp body / FA | Undrafted | Pittsburgh Steelers - undrafted free agent (previously Vikings minicamp invite) |
| Brayden Keim | OT | Minicamp invite candidate | Undrafted | Kansas City Chiefs & Chicago Bears - rookie minicamp invites |
| Connor Pay | C/OL | Priority free agent | Undrafted | Las Vegas Raiders - rookie minicamp invite |
| Other 2025 eligibles (e.g., Keanu Hill, Marque Collins) | Various | Likely undrafted | Undrafted | No widely reported signings as of immediate post-draft coverage |
This table underscores how the BYU 2025 draft class clustered almost entirely in the late-round and priority free agent ranges, with no Cougar cracking the consensus top 150 prospects across major scouting services.
The final tally, according to regional reporting, was that seven BYU players signed free agent deals or accepted camp invites within days of the draft closing, with an eighth landing a CFL opportunity, creating a total of eight professional chances off a draft that yielded no selections.
That outcome balanced the disappointment of being shut out of the draft itself with the reality that NFL front offices still valued several BYU role players as developmental depth or special teams candidates.
In terms of pure numbers, BYU's 0-for-7-round draft performance contrasted sharply with in-state programs and other Big 12 peers, but the post-draft signing spree showed that the gap between being a seventh-round pick and a priority free agent is often much narrower than fans expect.
How BYU ended up with zero draftees in 2025
Local analysis heading into the 2025 draft consistently warned that the BYU prospect pool lacked a clear top-100 player and featured mostly players who projected as depth pieces rather than immediate NFL starters, reducing the odds of hearing a Cougar's name called.
Defensive end Tyler Batty, for example, graded out in the mid- to late-round range on various boards, ranking around the 170-200 overall range and in the 50s among edge rushers, which is usually borderline territory when teams are prioritizing premium positions and elite traits.
Similarly, cornerback Jakob Robinson entered the process as a productive five-year player with ball skills and versatility, but scouts considered him undersized in a strong class of defensive backs, pushing him toward a free-agent evaluation despite strong 2024 film.
Offensive tackle Caleb Etienne drew some intrigue thanks to his length and Big 12 experience, and some outlets even labeled him a possible sixth- or seventh-round flier, yet the sheer volume of tackle prospects nationally squeezed him off draft boards in favor of younger, higher-upside tackles.
By the time the final picks were made on Day 3, the combination of a deep national class, positional supply, and the lack of a headline star meant that the BYU 2024 roster became the first Cougar group since 2020 to finish draft weekend without a single player selected.
Post-draft signings: where BYU players landed
Almost immediately after the seventh round ended, NFL franchises began filling their 90-man offseason rosters, and that's where multiple BYU free agents found opportunities that function much like late-round picks in practice.
- Tyler Batty - signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent edge rusher.
- Jakob Robinson - signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent cornerback.
- Caleb Etienne - signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted offensive tackle.
- Darius Lassiter - signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent wide receiver.
- Blake Mangelson - signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers along the defensive line.
- Brayden Keim - accepted rookie minicamp invitations from both the Chiefs and Bears.
- Connor Pay - accepted a rookie minicamp invite with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Regional tracking from Utah media emphasized that the number of BYU undrafted signees compared favorably with many Group of Five and lower-tier Power Four programs, underlining that the NFL still views BYU as a steady pipeline for rotational talent and special teamers even in down draft years.
In practical terms, many front offices treat priority free agents like a "Round 8" of the draft, allocating signing bonuses and guarantees selectively, and several Cougars reportedly landed in this tier as teams tried to fill specific depth chart needs.
Players like Batty and Robinson benefit from landing in systems that value their specific strengths-high motor edge play in a rotation and inside-outside coverage versatility, respectively-giving these BYU alumni a realistic shot to compete for 53-man roster spots or practice squad roles.
Others, such as Lassiter and Mangelson, project as classic camp competitors who will need to shine on special teams and in preseason games to extend their NFL windows beyond the summer, a familiar challenge for Cougars who have carved out careers through persistence.
Historical context: BYU's draft pipeline
Historically, BYU has produced a steady stream of NFL talent, and school records note that the program has seen more than 150 players drafted and over 200 sign undrafted free agent deals across its history, reflecting a robust but often under-the-radar BYU NFL pipeline.
The 2025 shutout followed a stretch in which BYU regularly placed at least one player into the draft, including years with highly regarded prospects such as tackle Blake Freeland and receiver Puka Nacua who helped raise the Cougars' national profile.
Local reporting after the 2025 draft underscored that this kind of dry spell is cyclical, especially for programs that rely on multi-year developmental players rather than annual five-star recruiting classes, and pointed to a stronger potential class on the horizon for 2026.
In fact, early 2026 projections from BYU-focused outlets highlighted emerging prospects who could restore the streak, with particular optimism around defensive standouts and skill players from the team that finished the 2025 season ranked in or near the national top 25.
Taken together, the 2025 class looks less like a sign of systemic decline and more like a transitional year where the BYU talent cycle dipped between headline stars, even as a healthy number of seniors still managed to secure pro opportunities through alternate pathways.
"Standout college football seasons don't always equate to standout draft classes," one local columnist wrote, neatly capturing how a solid BYU year on the field in 2024 translated into a quieter but still meaningful 2025 pro pipeline built around undrafted opportunities rather than draft-day fireworks.
Key concerns and solutions for Byu Football Players Drafted In 2025 Surprise Picks Revealed
How many BYU football players were drafted in 2025?
In the 2025 NFL Draft, zero BYU football players were selected across all seven rounds, making it the first time since 2020 that the Cougars finished draft weekend without a single draftee, even though several seniors were invited to the combine process and pre-draft workouts.
Which BYU players from the 2025 class signed with NFL teams?
After the 2025 draft, BYU players including Tyler Batty (Vikings), Jakob Robinson (49ers), Caleb Etienne (Bengals), Darius Lassiter (Jaguars), Blake Mangelson (Steelers), Brayden Keim (Chiefs/Bears minicamps), and Connor Pay (Raiders minicamp) all secured undrafted free agent contracts or rookie minicamp invites with NFL franchises.
Why did no BYU players get drafted in 2025?
No BYU players were drafted in 2025 largely because the program's top prospects, such as Tyler Batty, Jakob Robinson, and Caleb Etienne, were graded as late-round or priority free agents in a deep national class, leaving them just outside teams' limited Day 3 selections despite productive collegiate resumes.
Who was the top BYU draft prospect in 2025?
Defensive end Tyler Batty was widely viewed as BYU's top 2025 draft prospect, entering the cycle as a projected sixth- or seventh-round pick thanks to his size, motor, and multi-year production, but he ultimately went undrafted before signing with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent.
How did BYU's 2025 draft class compare to previous years?
BYU's 2025 draft class compared unfavorably to recent years because it produced no draftees, unlike earlier cycles that featured higher-profile prospects such as Kingsley Suamataia or Puka Nacua, yet it still generated a similar volume of undrafted free agents and camp invites, underscoring that the overall talent level remained competitive even without headline selections.