Alabama’s 2019 NFL roundup: Tide at its highest

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey causes Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to fumble during overtime in an NFL game on Oct. 6, 2019, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.Justin Berl/Getty Images

In the final season of the decade of the 2010s, 62 Alabama alumni played in at least one NFL regular-season game. In the first season of decade, fewer than half that number got on the field.

In 2010, 26 Alabama alumni played in NFL regular-season games, according to profootballreference.com, including two who played in 2019, too – Kareem Jackson and Andre Smith.

After having 83 players selected in the NFL Draft from 2010 through 2019, the Crimson Tide reached a high mark for the participation of its former players in the NFL in 2019.

Alabama’s roster of NFL players this season included nine Pro Bowlers, three 1,000-yard rushers, two first-team All-Pros, two 1,000-yard receivers, the league rushing leader, the PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year and one Super Bowl champion.

The former Alabama players who got on the field during the 2019 season included:

Washington Redskins defensive lineman Jonathan Allen

Washington Redskins defensive lineman Jonathan Allen pressures New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones during an NFL game on Dec. 22, 2019, at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.AP Photo/Mark Tenally

Washington Redskins defensive lineman Jonathan Allen

A knee injury sustained in the season-opening game kept Allen out of the second game, but he rebounded to post a career-high 68 tackles while starting 15 games in his third NFL season. Allen also had six sacks while playing 722 defensive snaps, 64 percent of Washington’s total.

Washington Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Anderson

The former Daphne standout exceeded most of the stats from his first two seasons combined in his third campaign with Washington. After playing 356 defensive snaps and making 33 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and six quarterback hits in his first two seasons, Anderson had 559 defensive snaps, 43 tackles, four sacks, four tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in 2019. He also forced five fumbles as he made the first four starts of his NFL career and took five snaps at fullback.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett

Averett made the first three starts of his NFL career and played in nine games in his second season. He made 14 tackles and broke up two passes while playing 220 defensive snaps and 65 special-teams plays in 2019. As a rookie, he’d had 71 defensive snaps and 147 special-teams plays.

Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Mark Barron

Released by the Los Angeles Rams in a salary-cap move in the offseason, the former St. Paul’s Episcopal standout signed with the Steelers. In 15 games with nine starts, Barron made 82 tackles, recorded three sacks and intercepted a pass while playing 750 defensive snaps, 69 percent of Pittsburgh’s total.

Baltimore Ravens guard Bradley Bozeman

After playing a reserve role as a rookie, Bozeman earned the left-guard job in 2019 and took every offensive snap for the Ravens, who posted the league’s best regular-season record. Bozeman helped Baltimore lead the NFL in points and set a league record for rushing yards in a season.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Tony Brown

In his second NFL season, Brown played mainly on special teams before a heel injury limited his participation. Brown appeared in nine games, getting on the field for 47 defensive snaps and 137 special-teams plays. He had missed four straight games when the Packers waived him in the final week of the regular season. The Cleveland Browns claimed the cornerback, and he’s on their offseason roster.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Isaiah Buggs

A sixth-round draft choice in April, Buggs didn’t play in the first six games of the season. But he got on the field in nine of the Steelers’ final 10 games. Buggs played 75 defensive snaps, with a game high of 13. He had three tackles.

Atlanta Falcons guard James Carpenter

Carpenter joined the Falcons via free agency in March for his ninth NFL season. He earned the left-guard spot but missed the final month of the season because of a concussion. Carpenter gave up three sacks in 2019.

Chicago Bears safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Chicago Bears safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix runs after intercepting a pass during an NFL game against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 23, 2019, at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Chicago Bears safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Clinton-Dix joined the Bears as a free agent on a one-year contract in March. In his sixth NFL season, Clinton-Dix started every game, made 78 tackles, intercepted two passes (with one returned for a touchdown) and broke up five passes. He played all but six of Chicago’s 1,073 defensive snaps in 2019.

Washington Redskins safety Landon Collins

After four seasons with the New York Giants, Collins left for an NFC East rival in free agency when Washington made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL with a six-year, $84 million contract. After three straight Pro Bowl seasons in New York, Collins did not receive postseason accolades for his first season with the Redskins. In 2019, Collins played 1,057 defensive snaps, led Washington with 117 tackles, including a sack and nine tackles for loss, but he also gave up five touchdown passes.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper

In his first full season with the Cowboys, Cooper received the fourth Pro Bowl invitation of his five NFL seasons. He reached career highs with 1,189 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions. Cooper caught 79 passes in 2019.

Oakland Raiders guard Lester Cotton

An undrafted rookie, the former Central-Tuscaloosa standout spent most of the 2019 season on the Raiders’ practice squad. Oakland called up Cotton to the active roster with two games left in the regular season, and he got on the field for one special-teams play in the Dec. 22 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Marcell Dareus

The former Huffman High School standout reworked his contract during the offseason to keep from becoming a salary-cap casualty, but his ninth NFL season was limited to six games. A core-muscle injury that required surgery sent Dareus to injured reserve.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Gehrig Dieter

Dieter played in only two games during the 2019 season, but he came out of the campaign as a Super Bowl champion. A bulging disk in August cost Dieter his spot with Kansas City, but he returned to the Chiefs’ practice squad in October. He got promoted to the active roster for three weeks and played in two games before returning to the practice squad for the remainder of the season, which ended with Kansas City’s 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake

Drake started his fourth NFL season with the Miami Dolphins, who were following a strategy of acquiring draft picks to build the team. In the meantime, Miami lost its first seven games of 2019, including six with Drake sharing time in the Dolphins’ backfield. When Miami traded him to Arizona six games into the season, Drake had 174 yards on 47 carries and 22 receptions for 174 yards while making two starts. With the Cardinals, Drake started the final eight games of the season. He had 643 yards and eight touchdowns on 123 rushing attempts and 28 receptions for 171 yards for Arizona in the final season of his rookie contract.

Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Rashaan Evans

The former Auburn High School standout stepped into the Titans’ starting lineup in his second NFL season. Playing 951 defensive snaps – 86 percent of Tennessee’s total – Evans made 111 tackles, had nine tackles for loss, recorded 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble, which he returned 53 yards for a touchdown in a 35-32 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 10.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts a pass during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 3, 2019, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick

After Miami opened 2019 by losing 59-10 to the Baltimore Ravens and 43-0 to the New England Patriots, Fitzpatrick escaped the Dolphins via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who gave up their 2020 first-round draft pick. Stationed at free safety with the Steelers instead of playing all over the secondary as he had with Miami, Fitzpatrick earned a Pro Bowl invitation and first-team All-Pro recognition. In 2019, Fitzpatrick made 68 tackles, intercepted five passes, broke up nine passes, forced two fumbles and recovered three fumbles. He returned one interception and one fumble for touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks guard D.J. Fluker

The former McGill-Toolen and Foley standout started 14 regular-season and two playoff games at right guard for the Seahawks in 2019, missing two October games with a hamstring injury. Fluker yielded 2.5 sacks this season.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Foster

After a surprising rookie season in which he earned a spot with the Bills as an undrafted rookie, Foster played less than half the offensive snaps in 2019 that he did in 2018, although he became a bigger factor on special teams in his second season. Foster had three receptions on 18 targets for 64 yards this season after catching 27 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. Foster was on the field for 214 offensive snaps and 157 special-teams plays in 2019. He gained 29 yards on his first two NFL rushing attempts this season.

Washington Redskins inside linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton

The former Carver-Montgomery standout started the final four games of his rookie season in 2018, but he went without a start in 2019. However, he more than doubled his playing time with the Washington defense. Hamilton made 47 tackles, recorded one sack, registered five tackles for loss, had his first NFL interception, broke up two passes, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble while playing 387 defensive snaps – 34 percent of the Redskins’ total. He also got on the field for 264 special-teams plays, the second-most on the team.

Detroit Lions defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand

Injuries wrecked Hand’s second season, limiting him to three games before he finished the campaign on injured reserve – just as he did in 2018 when a knee injury cost him the final three games of his rookie year. An elbow injury kept Hand off the field for the Lions’ first six games of 2019. After playing in two contests, Hand got into only one more game because of an ankle injury.

New England Patriots running back Damien Harris

A third-round choice in the 2019 NFL Draft, Harris played in only two games as a rookie as the Patriots relied on Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead as their running backs. Harris played five offensive snaps this season, and he carried the football on four of them for 12 yards.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison

After joining the Jaguars’ starting lineup halfway through his rookie season in 2018, Harrison manned Jacksonville’s strong-safety spot in 2019. He missed the 12th and 13th games and most of the 11th game because of a concussion. Harrison still finished second on the team with 70 tackles. He also had two interceptions, two sacks, nine passes broken up, one fumble recovery and two tackles for loss.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry

In his fourth NFL season, Henry led the league with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns on 303 rushing attempts in the regular season as he earned his first Pro Bowl invitation and received All-NFL recognition from the Pro Football Writers of America. He also was the leading rusher in the postseason, with 446 yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries in three playoff games. Henry became the only player in NFL history with two games in the same postseason with at least 175 rushing yards, and he accomplished it in back-to-back contests. He also became the only player in NFL history with at least 180 rushing yards in three consecutive games.

Washington Redskins tight end Hale Hentges

Washington Redskins tight end Hale Hentges catches a pass during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 15, 2019, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth

Washington Redskins tight end Hale Hentges

Hentges beat the odds by opening the season on the Indianapolis Colts’ regular-season roster as an undrafted rookie. But he didn’t play in Indianapolis’ first four games before the Colts waived him. Washington claimed Hentges off waivers, and he played in the final 11 games of the regular season, with four starts. Hentges caught eight passes for 103 yards and one touchdown while playing 25 percent of the Redskins’ offensive snaps in 2019.

New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower

In his eighth NFL season, Hightower earned his second Pro Bowl invitation while leading the defense that gave up the fewest points and the fewest yards in the league in 2019. In 15 regular-season games, Hightower made 71 tackles, recorded 5.5 sacks, registered eight tackles for loss, broke up four passes, returned a fumble recovery 26 yards for a touchdown and had 13 quarterback hits. Hightower had three missed tackles in 2019.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard

Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston threw for the eighth-most yards in one season in NFL history under new coach Bruce Arians in 2019. While that helped Bucs wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans receive Pro Bowl invitations, it didn’t boost Howard’s production. In 14 games, the former Autauga Academy standout caught 34 passes for 459 yards and one touchdown this season after having 34 receptions for 565 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games in 2018.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey

In his third NFL season, the former Hoover High School standout became a full-time starter for the Ravens, who posted the NFL’s best regular-season record as the cornerback received his first Pro Bowl invitation and earned first-team All-Pro recognition. Humphrey made 65 tackles, intercepted three passes, broke up 14 passes, forced two fumbles and recovered three fumbles. He returned two of the fumble recoveries for touchdowns, and his forced fumble in overtime set up Baltimore’s overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an outcome that kicked off the Ravens’ 12-game winning streak.

Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram

Ingram earned his third Pro Bowl invitation in his first season with the Ravens. Ingram joined Baltimore in free agency after eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints and made himself at home as a ball-carrier and locker-room presence for the team with the best regular-season record in 2019. Ingram ran for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns on 202 carries and caught 26 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns before suffering a calf injury in the next-to-last game of the regular season.

Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson

In his third NFL season, Jackson did not match his statistics of 2018, when he was a first-team All-Pro selection, in 2019 under new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, but he still earned his second straight Pro Bowl invitation. This season, Jackson made 60 tackles, including five tackles for loss and one sack, and intercepted two passes while playing all but 12 of the Bears’ 1,073 defensive snaps. Quarterbacks managed a passing-efficiency rating of only 57.6 when throwing against Jackson.

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson

After nine seasons as a starting cornerback for the Houston Texans, Jackson signed a three-year contract in free agency with the Broncos in March and took over as Denver’s strong safety. Jackson posted 71 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games in 2019. He missed the final two games of the regular season after being suspended for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse for a DUI on Sept. 19.

Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs

The first running back selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jacobs went from No. 24 pick to 1,000-yard rusher despite dealing with a shoulder injury. Jacobs sustained the shoulder injury in the sixth game of the season but still managed to run for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns on 242 carries and catch 20 passes for 166 yards. He posted those numbers and was the PFWA’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year even though he missed three of the final four games when the injury caught up with him.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cyrus Jones

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cyrus Jones returns a punt during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 15, 2019, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)AP Photo/Gail Burton

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cyrus Jones

Jones was in his second season as the Ravens’ punt returner and had 12 returns for 113 yards in 2019 when a punt went through his hands in the eighth game of the season. The New England Patriots recovered the loose football at the Baltimore 20-yard line to set up a touchdown. The next week, Jones didn’t play, and the week after that, he was on waivers. Denver claimed Jones on Nov. 13, but he never got to play for the Broncos. Jones finished the season on Denver’s non-football illness list. Jones revealed in December that he’d had heart surgery to repair a congenital abnormality.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones

The former Foley standout turned in his seventh Pro Bowl season and earned PFWA All-NFL honors as he caught 99 passes for 1,394 yards and six touchdowns. During 2019, Jones became the 27th NFL player with 12,000 career receiving yards, and he need 17 fewer games than any of the others to reach the milestone. In the second game of 2019, Jones broke Roddy White’s franchise record for receiving yards, and by the end of the campaign, Jones had more receiving yards than any player in NFL history in his first nine seasons.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly

After missing 13 games over the previous two seasons, Kelly started every game and handled 1,018 snaps for the Colts in 2019 as he earned his first Pro Bowl invitation. Kelly allowed one sack this season.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick

The former Gadsden City standout played only six games in 2019, when he finished the season on injured reserve because of a knee injury. In his eighth NFL season, Kirkpatrick had 33 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery before going down.

Los Angeles Chargers long snapper Cole Mazza

After doing the long-snapping for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football in the spring, Mazza moved on to the Chargers and earned the job for the NFL team. He handled the snaps on 48 punts, 34 field-goal attempts and 35 extra-point kicks.

Houston Texans quarterback AJ McCarron

The former St. Paul’s Episcopal standout joined the Texans in free agency for his sixth NFL season. McCarron served as the backup for Deshaun Watson and started the final game of the regular season, when Houston rested many of its starters in preparation by the postseason. In his start, McCarron completed 21-of-36 passes for 225 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and ran for 39 yards and his first NFL touchdown on five carries.

Carolina Panthers outside linebacker/defensive end Christian Miller

Selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Miller didn’t get much action in his rookie season. He played 91 defensive snaps in seven games, but he came up with two sacks during his limited playing time.

New York Jets inside linebacker C.J. Mosley

After earning four Pro Bowl invitations in five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Mosley joined the New York Jets in free agency in March for the largest contract for an inside linebacker in NFL history. But after signing a five-year, $85 million contract, the former Theodore standout got hurt in the first game of the season – after he’d returned an interception for a touchdown. The groin/core injury kept Mosley sidelined for all but one game in the remainder of the season.

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Daron Payne

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Daron Payne causes Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs to fumble during an NFL game on Oct. 24, 2019, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.AP Photo/Jim Mone

Washington Redskins nose tackle Daron Payne

In his second NFL season, the former Shades Valley standout duplicated his rookie total of 56 tackles in 2019, even though he played 38 fewer snaps than in 2018 because he missed one game because of an ankle injury.

Washington Redskins center Ross Pierschbacher

A fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, Pierschbacher spent most of his rookie season as a game-day inactive for Washington. Pierschbacher played in five games, getting on the field for 12 special-teams plays.

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland

The Chiefs change from a 3-4 to 4-3 base defense from 2018 to 2019 cost Ragland playing time. Ragland started 15 of Kansas City’s 16 games and played 49 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018. In 2019, the former Bob Jones standout started seven of the 14 regular-season games in which he played and was on the field for 21 percent of the defensive snaps. In the playoffs, though, Ragland played at least 41 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the Chiefs’ three postseason victories, including Kansas City’s 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Ragland scored his first NFL touchdown on Oct. 17, when he returned a fumble for a score in a 30-6 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed

Reed missed the first six games of the season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy in connection with an offseason incident at his home in 2017. Reed started the remaining 10 games of 2019, recording 27 tackles. Reed had two sacks and no tackles for loss in 2019 after recording 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2018.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley

Ridley pretty much duplicated his All-Rookie campaign of 2018 in 2019. After catching 64 of the 92 passes thrown to him for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season, Ridley caught 63 of the 93 passes thrown to him for 866 yards and seven touchdowns in his second season. But he did it in three fewer games. Ridley’s 2019 campaign ended three games early because of an abdominal injury.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson

Robinson’s four-year rookie contract with the Detroit Lions came to a quiet end as he missed the final three games of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury. In 2019, when he started nine games, Robinson had 40 tackles and knocked down three passes while playing 46 percent of the defensive snaps. In 2017, Robinson had started every game for the Lions, made 53 tackles, knocked down six passes and scored a touchdown on an interception while playing 68 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson

After a knee injury limited Robinson’s 2018 season to two games, he returned to his spot as the Jaguars’ starter at left offensive tackle in the third game of the 2019 season. Robinson yielded seven sacks this season.

Detroit Lions running back Bo Scarbrough

Scarbrough spent his rookie season on the practice squads of the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars and the active roster of the Seattle Seahawks without playing in a regular-season game. After being released by the Seahawks at the end of the preseason, Scarbrough was out of football for the first two months of 2019 until joining the Detroit Lions’ practice squad on Nov. 6. Eleven days later, the former Northridge standout was in Detroit’s starting lineup. By producing 377 yards and one touchdown on 89 carries in five games, Scarbrough forced himself into the Lions’ plans for the 2020 season.

The Green Bay Packers’ JK Scott

The Green Bay Packers’ JK Scott punts against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 19, 2020, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.Harry How/Getty Images

Green Bay Packers punter JK Scott

In his second NFL season, Scott averaged 44.0 yards on 77 punts. He had 29 punts stop inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and four touchbacks. Opponents returned 26 punts for 233 yards, leaving Scott with a net average of 39.9 yards per punt in 2019.

Washington Redskins wide receiver Cam Sims

Sims beat the odds by earning a spot as an undrafted rookie on Washington’s season-opening regular-season roster in 2018. But he got hurt on the opening kickoff of the season and missed the rest of the campaign. In 2019, Sims didn’t make the active roster coming out of the preseason. But after a stint on the Redskins’ practice squad, he made it on the field for seven games this season. Sims played 39 of his 56 offensive snaps in the final game, when he was in the starting lineup. Sims had two receptions for 27 yards in 2019.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith

The former Huffman standout started the first five games of his 11th NFL season at left offensive tackle for the Bengals. An ankle injury sidelined him for the next two games, and he played only once more, getting on the field for 12 offensive snaps on Nov. 10, before being released. Smith finished the season with the Baltimore Ravens, who signed him for depth in advance of their second-round playoff game. Smith didn’t get on the field for Baltimore, but he’s already re-signed with the Ravens for the 2020 campaign.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr.

The 50th player picked in the 2019 NFL Draft, Smith joined veteran Kyle Rudolph as the Vikings used the most two tight end sets in the NFL. Smith played 60 percent of the offensive snaps, started seven games and caught 36 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Smith set team records for receiving yards in one game and receptions in a season for a rookie tight end.

Washington Redskins safety Maurice Smith

Smith had another season spent between the practice squad and active roster, except in 2019, he did so with the Redskins instead of the Miami Dolphins. After the Dolphins released Smith at the end of the preseason, he joined Washington’s practice squad on Oct. 14. Active for the final two games of the season, Smith got on the field for eight defensive snaps and 17 special-teams plays in 2019.

Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Damion Square

Square concluded his fifth season with the Chargers by playing in every game for the third straight year. He made four starts, contributed 27 tackles and played 41 percent of the defensive snaps while working mainly at nose tackle.

Arizona Cardinal safety Deionte Thompson

After joining the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Thompson played in 11 games, with two starts as a rookie. He recorded 18 tackles while getting on the field for 252 defensive snaps and 144 special-teams plays. A knee injury kept Thompson sidelined for five of Arizona’s final seven games.

New York Giants defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson

Tomlinson has started every game for the Giants since joining the team in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2019, Tomlinson recorded 49 tackles and reached career highs with 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss while playing 596 defensive snaps, 54 percent of New York’s total. Tomlinson also played a career-high 163 special-teams snaps.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace

Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace intercepts a pass during an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15, 2019, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace

Wallace retained the starting spot that he earned nine games into the 2018 season. Wallace made 76 tackles, intercepted two passes and broke up nine passes. He played 784 defensive snaps – 76 percent of Buffalo’s total in 2019.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver DeAndrew White

White made it back to the NFL again in 2019. As a rookie in 2015, he played in four games with the San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t play in another regular-season game until getting into two with the Houston Texans in 2017. In 2019, White saw his first action since then with 10 games for Carolina. White returned 10 kickoffs for 226 yards and caught four passes for 51 yards while playing 59 defensive snaps and 170 special-teams plays this season.

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams

The third player picked in the 2019 NFL Draft, Williams had 28 tackles (including four behind the line of scrimmage), 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and one fumble recovery as a rookie. He missed three games with ankle and neck injuries and played 46 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps.

Baltimore Ravens/Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Tim Williams

After playing in 15 games in his first two seasons with Baltimore, Williams was waived by the Ravens four games into the 2019 season. The Packers picked up Williams off waivers. But in his five weeks on Green Bay’s active roster, he got on the field for only two special-teams plays before spending the rest of the campaign on the Packers’ practice squad.

Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson

When Cleveland weakside linebacker Christian Kirksey went on injured reserve two games into the season, Wilson joined the Browns’ starting lineup and stayed there the rest of the season. The former Carver-Montgomery standout finished second on the team with 81 tackles. He also had four tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, seven passes broken up and one forced fumble.

Buffalo Bills running back T.J. Yeldon

After four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the former Daphne High School standout joined the Bills in free agency, but he didn’t get much playing time in Buffalo behind Devin Singletary and Frank Gore. He took 150 offensive snaps in six games, ran for 63 yards on 17 carries and caught 13 passes for 124 yards. Yeldon entered the 2019 season with 1,872 career rushing yards after catching 55 passes in 2018.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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