The Best NFL Players Hiding On Practice Squads Entering 2022 Season
The 2022 NFL season is officially underway. The Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills kicked things off Thursday night, and the rest of the league will be in action in the coming days.
As the campaign unfolds, teams will inevitably add players. Many will come from the free-agent pool and via the trade market. However, several valuable additions will come from the practice squad. These can sometimes be the most impactful.
Practice-squad players have generally spent part or all of the season with a franchise. If they're elevated to the active roster, they already have experience in the system. If they're signed by another team, they're likely closer to being game-ready than a street free agent who has been working out alone.
When the Green Bay Packers signed Rasul Douglas off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad last season, he was on the field less than two weeks later. He finished the season with 13 passes defended and five interceptions.
Finding a star hidden on another team's practice squad is rare, but it can happen.
Here, we'll examine the eight best players on practice squads, based on upside, positional value and proven production, where applicable. First, though, we'll take a quick look at how the practice squad works in 2022.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Practice Squad Overview
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The NFL expanded practice squads to 16 players in 2020, and it has expanded eligibility criteria as well.
Teams are free to sign players with no accrued seasons. Players who have spent at least six regular-season games on the active roster, injured reserve or physically unable to perform (PUP) list in the same year earn an accrued season. Additionally, teams can sign players who have one accrued season but were active for eight games or fewer on the active roster. Players who meet these guidelines are eligible for all 16 spots.
Up to 10 players may have no more than two accrued seasons. On top of this, teams can sign up to six veterans with no cap on experience.
This change was also instituted in 2020. Before that, players with more than two accrued seasons were ineligible. It has allowed more experienced veterans to remain employed instead of reverting to the free-agent player pool.
Allowing experienced vets on practice squads can also benefit younger players. If a team wants to keep a seasoned signal-caller around for quarterback insurance, it can put a young developmental player on the roster and stash said quarterback on the practice squad.
Josh Johnson, a 36-year-old QB, for example, is on the Denver Broncos practice squad.
Each week, teams may activate up to two players without signing them to the active roster. These two will revert to the practice squad the following day. As of this season, a player can be elevated three times before teams must put them on the active roster permanently.
As has always been the case, teams can sign a player off another team's practice squad. However, teams can protect up to four practice-squad members from poaching each week. Teams can designate these protected players each Tuesday, preventing them from signing with another franchise through game day.
Tyler Badie, RB, Baltimore Ravens
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Running back Tyler Badie is sitting on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, and while he has no NFL experience, his upside is intriguing.
A sixth-round rookie out of Missouri, Badie racked up 1,604 rushing yards, 330 receiving yards and 18 combined touchdowns last season. Though a bit undersized at 5'8" and 200 pounds, he has a legitimate NFL skill set that could fit in multiple offenses.
"[Badie] is at his best in space, although he's natural and confident in tight run lanes," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "He's a tough runner but lacks short-yardage leg drive, so his role as a pro could be fairly well-defined as a talented third-down back who can handle an occasional spike in carries if needed."
It wouldn't be a shock to see Baltimore elevate Badie early in the season, as the Ravens have questions at running back. Gus Edwards (ACL) opened the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and J.K. Dobbins is also working his way back from a torn ACL—injuries that prompted the Ravens to add Kenyan Drake shortly after the cutdown deadline.
Running back-needy teams should have a close eye on Badie. Backs selected on Day 3 can be early starters—the Houston Texans are already listing fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce as their No. 1 back—and Badie has loads of potential. He could be a viable spot starter or, at worst, a quality third-down or receiving back.
Kalon Barnes, CB, Miami Dolphins
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Cornerback Kalon Barnes is a rookie who didn't last through final roster cuts. The Carolina Panthers selected the Baylor product in the seventh round, and he was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad last week.
With starting cornerback Byron Jones on the PUP list because of an ankle injury and Trill Williams on injured reserve after he tore his ACL, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Miami elevate Barnes for cornerback depth.
In nine games last season, Barnes logged 23 tackles, five passes defended and an interception. However, he makes this list, not because of his past production, but because of his game-breaking speed.
"Barnes is a twitchy athlete with excellent speed," Cory Giddings of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. "His on-film speed was confirmed by posting one of the fastest 40-yard dashes ever. A cornerback who rarely plays from the backpedal when in off-coverage, he does a great job of matching receivers downfield."
At the combine, Barnes ran a 4.23-second 40-yard-dash, and that sort of speed is impossible to teach. The rookie's ability to run deep with the league's fastest pass-catchers could make him a valuable situational defender for any team that snags him.
Christian Covington, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
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We'll switch gears a bit and examine a seasoned veteran who has made his way onto the Los Angeles Chargers' practice squad.
Defensive lineman Christian Covington, 28, has been in the NFL since 2015, when he was a sixth-round pick of the Texans. The Rice product has also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals, and he's been with Los Angeles since 2021.
Covington makes this list because he has been a high-end rotational player and a viable NFL starter. He appeared in 16 games and made 14 starts for the Bengals in 2020, finishing with 39 tackles and six quarterback pressures.
In 2018 with Houston, Covington logged 10 quarterback pressures and 3.5 sacks.
Last season with the Chargers, he was a tremendous situational run defender. Despite making only three starts and playing 48 percent of the defensive snaps, he tallied an impressive 52 tackles with a sack, a forced fumble and three tackles for loss. He missed only three tackles on the season.
A reliable run defender who can bring occasional pressure, Covington has played 98 games and made 32 starts. He should be the first call for any team looking to bolster its depth along the defensive line.
Jarrad Davis, LB, Detroit Lions
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Linebacker Jarrad Davis might be the most surprising member of any practice squad this season. The 27-year-old was a first-round selection of the Detroit Lions in 2017, and first-rounders usually see multiple chances on active rosters.
Davis hasn't developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber talent, but he's been far from a complete bust. He played out his rookie contract—Detroit declined the fifth-year option—and spent last season with the New York Jets.
Detroit then re-signed Davis this offseason, only to cut him on August 30 and sign him to the practice squad the following day.
Davis spent part of last season on injured reserve with an ankle injury. In nine games with the Jets, he logged 25 tackles. His best season came in 2018, when he amassed 100 tackles, six sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback pressures.
The biggest knock on Davis' game is his lack of coverage ability. He has allowed a quarterback rating of above 110.0 in each of the past three seasons, and he has only nine career pass deflections.
However, teams in need of a run-stopper who can occasionally bring pressure could find an immediate contributor in Davis.
Tashaun Gipson, S, San Francisco 49ers
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Safety Tashaun Gipson is another seasoned veteran who could quickly fill a starting role for a franchise.
The 32-year-old entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. Since then, he has started games for the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Texans and Chicago Bears.
Gipson has been a full-time starter in every stop and every year since his rookie campaign.
The San Francisco 49ers signed Gipson this offseason but released him during final cuts and signed him to the practice squad. He could find his way onto the active roster before long, though, as fellow safety Jimmie Ward opened the season on injured reserve because of a hamstring setback.
While Gipson has only been a Pro Bowler once (2014), he's been a reliable starter throughout his career. He missed time with a hamstring injury last season but started 12 contests for the Bears. Gipson finished his 2021 campaign with 47 tackles, three passes defended, two interceptions and a sack. He allowed an opposing passer rating of only 76.7 in coverage.
Gipson has not allowed an opposing passer rating above 97.0 in any of the past four seasons.
Having played both free and strong safety in his career, Gipson would be a fine fit for virtually any team in need of safety help. It would be a shock if he isn't on the playing field at some point in 2022.
Duke Johnson, RB, Buffalo Bills
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While Badie could be a great third-down and receiving back, Duke Johnson has already proved to be one. The 28-year-old has 311 receptions and 2,870 receiving yards on his seven-year resume.
A 2015 third-round pick of the Browns, Johnson has also played for the Texans and Dolphins. The Dolphins picked up Johnson in October last year, and the Miami product saw extensive action over the season's final month.
Johnson started the final four games of 2021 and tallied 312 rushing yards, 41 receiving yards and three touchdowns in those contests. He topped 100 rushing yards in two of those four starts.
While Johnson has only made 21 career starts, he has been effective as a runner. He has averaged a career 4.3 yards per carry, and he's finished a season with an average below 4.0 yards per carry only twice.
Johnson has logged more than 40 receptions in five of his seven seasons and has topped 50 receptions three times. The Dolphins didn't heavily feature him as a receiving back, but Johnson remains dangerous as a pass-catcher.
The Buffalo Bills signed Johnson this offseason, but he landed on the practice squad after final cuts. Teams seeking a versatile receiving back who can be a solid spot starter should be looking to poach him.
Alec Lindstrom, OL, Dallas Cowboys
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There's a chance that undrafted rookie lineman Alec Lindstrom would have made the Cowboys roster if not for the injury to left tackle Tyron Smith. The veteran suffered an avulsion fracture during camp and is expected to be out until at least December, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
With Smith out, the Cowboys have kept backup tackles Matt Waletzko and Josh Bell on the active roster, along with rookie first-round pick and new left tackle Tyler Smith—who was expected to start at guard while also providing tackle depth.
Lindstrom landed on the practice squad, but the three-year starter at Boston College has upside as a developmental prospect at center.
"Overall, Lindstrom is a center-only prospect with roster potential who checks the boxes from a football character, bloodlines, experience and intelligence perspective," Brandon Thorn of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote of the lineman whose brother, Chris, plays for the Falcons. "He also has excellent competitive toughness on tape."
If Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz struggles or is injured at all in 2022, expect to see Lindstrom elevated quickly. Also expect him to be on the watch list of other teams with questionable center depth.
Austin Reiter, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
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While Lindstrom should be high on the watch list of teams seeking depth or a developmental prospect, Austin Reiter will be at the top of the list for teams that need a starter.
The 30-year-old South Florida product has started games for the Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. He was the full-time starter for Kansas City in 2019 and 2020 and helped the Chiefs make back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
That postseason experience likely played a big role in Kansas City's decision to bring back Reiter after he spent the 2021 season with Miami and the New Orleans Saints. With Creed Humphrey entrenched as Kansas City's starting center, though, Reiter landed on the practice squad.
While Reiter only appeared in seven games and made five starts last season (one appearance with New Orleans), he performed well. He was responsible for only one penalty and allowed no sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
In 2020, Reiter wasn't responsible for any penalties or sacks, according to PFF.
With Nick Allegretti serving as the only interior backup on Kansas City's active roster, Reiter may regularly be among the Chiefs' protected players. If he isn't, he'll likely find himself on another roster if and when another starter goes down.
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