Five former Utah State football players found new homes among the 32 NFL teams following this weekend’s draft. Two, wide receiver Brady Boyd and defensive back Noah Avinger, signed undrafted free agent contracts. Three others, quarterback Bryson Barnes, tight end Brock Lane and running back Miles Davis, received invites to rookie minicamps.
Boyd signed his UDFA deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars shortly after the conclusion of the draft. He was the Aggies’ second-leading receiver last season, catching 46 passes for 743 yards and eight touchdowns. Boyd joins a WR group in Jacksonville led by Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr., with notable depth behind those two from Jakobi Meyers and former Heisman winner Travis Hunter.
Avinger signed on as a UDFA with the Los Angeles Chargers, catching their eye after finishing fourth on Utah State in tackles with 84 while adding three interceptions and 10 passes defended. He’ll join a team that ranked among the best in the NFL on defense despite playing in a division with multiple great quarterbacks. Avinger compete for a spot in the rotation behind All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. and veteran Elijah Molden.
Both Boyd and Avinger has some semblance of security going into the summer. Although a spot on the 53-man roster in August is no guarantee, they should at least be part of OTAs and the NFL preseason. That will give the two former Aggies a longer opportunity to impress their respective coaching staffs enough to earn a spot on the team or, at the very least, a practice squad.
The remaining three players have less certainty, only being invited to rookie minicamps that only provide a potential spot in OTAs later in the summer. Bryson Barnes will participate in the Cleveland Browns’ rookie camp, which will take place from May 8-10. Broc Lane will be trying out with the Tennessee Titans’ in their mini camp, with a date not publicly set. And Miles Davis will be with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks this weekend, starting May 1, for their rookie camp.
Barring other UDFA signings or camp invites, these five will represent the sum total of Aggie entries into this year’s NFL rookie class. No Utah State players were picked among the 257 selections in last weekend’s draft and no other players have yet received camp invites or UDFA offers.
