Every Division I football program in the state of Utah will be represented in this year’s NFL postseason.
With the 2019 NFL playoffs set following Sunday’s Week 17 results, 28 players with Utah ties are on this year’s postseason rosters. That is the same number as last year, though 21 of those players are on active rosters this season, five more than last year.
The Utah Utes lead all local schools with nine representatives, followed by BYU with six and Utah State with five. Weber State has two former players in the playoffs, and Southern Utah and Snow College each have one.
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Ten Utah high schools are also represented, including two players each from Brighton and Highland and one each from Bingham, Cedar, Judge Memorial, Layton, Lone Peak, Stansbury, Timpview and Westlake.
Here’s a look at each of the local ties on NFL playoff rosters, by team, beginning with the AFC.
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AFC No. 1 seed: Baltimore Ravens
- Fish Smithson, CB, Highland High: The Ravens signed Smithson on Aug. 27 just before their preseason finale — his fifth team in three years — but he was placed on injured reserve four days later.
AFC No. 2 seed: Kansas City Chiefs
- Jackson Barton, OT, Utah and Brighton High: Barton, a rookie seventh-round draft pick by Indianapolis, was signed by the Chiefs to their active roster off the Colts practice squad on Nov. 11.
- Marcus Kemp, WR, Layton High: Kemp, in his third season with Kansas City, landed on injured reserve with a torn ACL and MCL in August.
- Daniel Sorensen, S, BYU: Sorensen played in every game this year for the Chiefs, starting three, and had 57 tackles, four pass deflections and two interceptions in his sixth season with Kansas City. This will be his fifth straight playoff appearance.
- Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State: The rookie back, a sixth-round draft pick, had 37 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown and nine receptions for 43 yards in the regular season — taking on more of a role in recent weeks.
AFC No. 3 seed: New England Patriots
- Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU: The sixth-year pro and two-time Super Bowl winner starred again on the Patriots defense this year with 57 tackles, a career-high 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries — one for a touchdown. This is his fourth straight playoff appearance with New England.
AFC No. 4 seed: Houston Texans
No locals on roster.
AFC No. 5 seed: Buffalo Bills
- Maurice Alexander, LB, Utah State: Alexander, in his first season with Buffalo, played in seven games and had 11 tackles mainly contributing on special teams before landing on injured reserve in November.
- Taron Johnson, CB, Weber State: Johnson started eight games and had 55 tackles, six pass deflections and a forced fumble in his second season with the Bills. This will be his playoff debut.
- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah, Bingham and Snow College: Lotulelei started every game on the line for Buffalo and collected 19 tackles, two sacks, a pass deflection and an interception in his second season with the Bills. It will be his first playoff appearance since 2017 and fifth overall.
AFC No. 6 seed: Tennessee Titans
- LeShaun Sims, CB, Southern Utah: Sims, in his fourth NFL season, started two games and played mainly as a reserve while compiling 35 tackles — one off his career single-season best — and two pass deflections this year. This will be his second playoff appearance.
NFC No. 1 seed: San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner, LB, BYU: Warner had a breakout year in his second NFL season, finishing with a team-high 118 tackles and adding nine pass deflections, three sacks, three forced fumbles and a pick-six while also earning NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for November. This is his first playoff appearance.
- Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah: The rookie fourth-round draft pick served as the team’s starting punter and kickoff specialist all year, averaging over 45 yards per punt and pinning 23 punts inside the 20 this season.
NFC No. 2 seed: Green Bay Packers
- Kyler Fackrell, LB, Utah State: The fourth-year pro contributed as a reserve with 23 tackles and a sack and is headed back to the postseason for the first time since his rookie season.
- Jamaal Williams, RB, BYU: Williams rushed for 460 yards and had 253 yards receiving this season to go with six touchdowns — one rushing, five receiving — while serving as the backup to Aaron Jones. This will be Williams’ playoff debut.
NFC No. 3 seed: New Orleans Saints
- Kaden Elliss, LB, Judge Memorial High: Elliss, a rookie seventh-round draft pick by the Saints, played in three games and had a tackle before going on injured reserve with a knee injury on Sept. 25.
- Chase Hansen, LB, Utah and Lone Peak High: Hansen, an undrafted rookie, has spent the year on the reserve/non-football injury list for the Saints.
- Taysom Hill, QB, BYU: Hill, a third-year pro used in a variety of positions on offense and special teams, caught 19 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns and added 156 rushing yards and another score while throwing for 55 yards and blocking a punt during the regular season. He returns to the playoffs for the third straight year.
- Marcus Williams, FS, Utah: The third-year Williams started 15 games for the Saints and had 55 tackles, a career single-season best 13 pass deflections, was second on the team with four interceptions, including one he took back for a touchdown, and had one forced fumble. Like Hill, this will be his third straight playoff appearance.
NFC No. 4 seed: Philadelphia Eagles
- Sua Opeta, OG, Weber State and Stansbury High: Opeta, an undrafted rookie, spent much of the year on the Eagles’ practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on Dec. 4. He did not play in a regular-season game.
NFC No. 5 seed: Seattle Seahawks
- Brian Allen, CB, Utah: Allen, in his third NFL season after two years in Pittsburgh, signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad on Oct. 15.
- Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah, DE, BYU: Ansah played his first season with Seattle and had 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He’s back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 when he played for Detroit.
- Cody Barton, LB, Utah and Brighton High: Barton, a third-round draft pick rookie, earned significant defensive playing time late in the year — including two starts — and finished the regular season with 22 tackles, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery.
- Marquise Blair, S, Utah: The second-round draft pick rookie started three games this season and played in 14, putting up 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and a pass deflection.
- Bryan Mone, DT, Highland High: Mone, an undrafted rookie, spent time on both the Seahawks’ practice squad and active roster this season. He played in four games and had four tackles.
- Pita Taumoepenu, LB, Utah and Timpview High: Taumoepenu spent the offseason with Arizona and is on his third NFL team — he was drafted by San Francisco in 2017 — after signing to the Seahawks’ practice squad on Nov. 20.
- Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State: Turbin returned to Seattle for the first time since the 2014 season, signing with the team on Christmas Eve. He didn’t have any statistics in the regular-season finale and is back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season.
- John Ursua, WR, Cedar and Westlake High: The rookie seventh-round draft pick was on the active roster and played in three games, recording his first reception in the regular-season finale — an 11-yard catch on fourth down on Seattle’s final drive in to the San Francisco 1.
- Bobby Wagner, MLB, Utah State: Wagner made the Pro Bowl for the sixth time this season and continued to add to his Seahawks legacy by surpassing 1,000 career tackles and ending the year with 159 tackles, six pass deflections, three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He’s headed to the postseason for the seventh time in eight years with Seattle.
NFC No. 6 seed: Minnesota Vikings
No locals on roster.