It’s that glorious time of the week again. We had a slew of UFL to NFL action in week two of the 2025 preseason. With 50+ players having gone from the UFL to the NFL over the past few weeks, there have been a lot of familiar faces to watch – with many showcasing their elite talent.
Let’s take a look at what went down this weekend – as there’s quite a few who made a name for themselves once again.
Detroit Lions
RB Jacob Saylors, Battlehawks
RB Deon Jackson, Defenders
TE Steven Stilianos, Brahmas
TE Gunnar Oakes, Panthers
OL Gunner Britton, Defenders
DB Nick Whiteside, Battlehawks
DB D.J. Miller, Panthers
To start with, the pair of UFL running backs in Detroit made some noise, especially Jacob Saylors once again. He had 39 rushing yards, five yards receiving – and two kick returns for 61 yards. Deon Jackson produced as well, rushing for 20 yards on just four carries.
The tight ends didn’t get much action. Gunnar Oakes was featured on just two special teams snaps. Stilianos, on the other hand, was on the field for ten snaps – but allowed a sack on his one pass blocking attempt: not a great sign for his future in Detroit. OL Gunner Britton did see some action as well, with 34 snaps. He had a positive 64.3 Offensive Grade, via PFF.
The DB’s were the ones who shined. Nick Whiteside had five tackles (3rd on the team) and a PBU, with a strong 74.1 Coverage Grade. He has been a standout all camp long, and is putting himself in a position to make this Lions roster, or at least the practice squad.
D.J. Miller, who’s used to playing pro football at Ford Field with the Michigan Panthers, totaled four tackles, a TFL, and two PBU’s. Miller was targeted a bit more heavily, though, allowing three receptions for 28 yards and a TD. Still, he had an outstanding 72.2 Defensive Grade on the day, playing 30 snaps.
Cleveland Browns
RB Toa Taua, Panthers
TE Sal Cannella, Renegades
CB Keenan Isaac, Roughnecks
Sal Cannella, the former Renegade, built upon his performance in week one. He had three catches for 15 yards, bringing his preseason total to 47 yards on six receptions. Toa Taua, who had a solid debut last week, was only handed the rock twice – but burst up the middle for a six yard gain to seal the win for Cleveland, and they kneeled the rest of the clock out.
Keenan Isaac quietly had himself a solid outing with the Browns. He had two tackles and a PBU on the day. Watching his tape, his reps were strong throughout – especially in the second half. Keenan boasted a strong 72.7 Coverage Grade via PFF, on the 19 coverage snaps he took (28 total).
Houston Texans
CB Damon Arnette, Roughnecks
Damon Arnette flashed some playmaking potential last week with Houston – and this time around, came up with a big play. In the early fourth quarter, Arnette picked off Carolina QB Jack Plummer, which set up a score for Houston. You’d like to see Damon hold onto the ball following his pick, but nonetheless, it was an excellent defensive play.
Philadelphia Eagles
DT Jacob Sykes, Brahmas
In back to back weeks, Jacob Sykes has made an impact play for the Eagles. Against the Browns, Sykes came up with a PBU at the line of scrimmage, forcing a key punt from Cleveland late in the third quarter. He notched two tackles in the loss, with a strong 71.9 Defensive Grade via PFF.
Jacksonville Jaguars
OT Ricky Lee, Renegades
DB Keni-H Lovely, Panthers
Keni-H Lovely – who was originally signed by Arizona and then cut before the first preseason game – jumped to Jacksonville and immediately made an impact. He came up with a huge interception late in their matchup vs. New Orleans, playing just 10 snaps; boasting an outstanding 95.8 Defensive Grade.
Former Renegades OT Ricky Lee had a similar performance across the board this week, allowing two pressures and a QB hit.
Denver Broncos
EDGE Garrett Nelson, Brahmas
DB Micah Abraham, Battlehawks
Garrett Nelson continued his trend of playing at a high level for Denver, despite limited snaps. He went down with an injury early in the fourth quarter vs. Arizona, which further hampered his ability to get on the field. Nonetheless, Garrett had a couple of tackles, alongside 0.5 sacks according to ESPN in this game. Not to mention, he’s got an outstanding 85.3 Defensive Grade per PFF, through two preseason matchups.
Meanwhile, DB Micah Abraham who just signed with the team a couple of days ago, appeared on six defensive snaps for Denver.
Dallas Cowboys
DT Perrion Winfrey, Stallions
For the second straight week, Perrion Winfrey flashed quite a bit of potential for the Dallas Cowboys. He had two tackles and two QB pressures, making the most of his snaps. He’s now started in two games for the Cowboys this preseason, a solid sign for his future with Dallas.
New York Jets
OL Liam Fornadel, Defenders
OL Samuel Jackson, Roughnecks
DB Mario Goodrich, Stallions
K Harrison Mevis, Stallions
It’s been two weeks now where both Samuel Jackson and Liam Fornadel have put together some strong snaps for the Jets. Liam Fornadel, in particular, was impressive – with a 73.2 Offensive Grade, not allowing a single pressure on 29 snaps. Meanwhile, Jackson had a 72.3 Pass Blocking Grade (22 snaps).
Unfortunately, Harrison Mevis didn’t get any chances to kick, after hitting all three FG attempts the week prior. He’s currently in competition with Nick Folk.
Former Stallions DB Mario Goodrich didn’t have his best day in coverage. He notched three tackles – but allowed three receptions on three targets for 64 yards.
New England Patriots
C Alec Lindstrom, Showboats
LB R.J. Moten, Panthers
Showboats center Alec Lindstrom was back in action for close to 30 snaps, not allowing any pressures. Meanwhile, former Michigan LB R.J. Moten improved upon his performance from a week ago. He played just nine snaps, but had a QB hit and a tackle; boasting a strong 86.3 Defensive Grade via PFF.
San Francisco 49ers
WR Malik Turner, Panthers
DL Shakel Brown, Roughnecks
EDGE Jaylon Allen, Showboats
The star of the show in San Francisco this past weekend was Jaylon Allen, who continues to show out for the 49ers. He had three QB pressures vs. the Raiders, with two QB hits to his name – making the most of his 20 snaps.
Former Panthers WR Malik Turner – who’s spent time with the 49ers in the past – saw just two offensive snaps. Shakel Brown, who was with the Roughnecks the first five weeks this past UFL season, notched a tackle and a defensive stop.
Los Angeles Chargers
OT Ryan Nelson, Panthers
DB Nehemiah Shelton, Showboats
Ryan Nelson was a versatile O-Line piece for Michigan the last couple of years – and he’s proving that to personnel in Los Angeles. Nelson moved to guard this week for the Chargers, and played quite well, with a positive 65.1 Run Blocking Grade on the night. Former Showboats CB Nehemiah Shelton was signed late in the week, and saw just one snap on special teams.
Arizona Cardinals
DT Kyon Barrs, Renegades
DB Steven Gilmore, Stallions
After a strong debut with the Cardinals a week ago, Kyon Barrs continued his excellent showing with Arizona. He played 33 snaps this weekend, boasting an outstanding 80.7 Defensive Grade with three QB pressures, alongside a tackle. Meanwhile, former Stallions DB Steven Gilmore played just 11 snaps, not recording any statistics besides a missed tackle.
New Orleans Saints
TE Seth Green, Renegades
OL Barry Wesley, Stallions
C Mike Panasiuk, Battlehawks
DB Jayden Price, Renegades
To start with, former Renegades TE Seth Green – who was cut earlier in camp by New Orleans – was brought back early last week. He recorded one catch for 6 yards. His fellow Renegades teammate, in Jayden Price, saw 13 defensive snaps. He was utilized as a returner, no surprise, with a kick return for 31 yards, and one punt return for 13 yards.
Former Stallions OL Barry Wesley unfortunately took a step back from a week ago. He allowed three pressures and a sack (25 snaps), with a poor 18.8 Pass Blocking Grade via PFF. Mike Panasiuk didn’t fare too much better in his first action: but he only played 10 snaps.
Other Notable UFL Performances
Brahmas RB Jashaun Corbin, Falcons: Corbin saw some playing time this week in Atlanta, but unfortunately couldn’t get into a groove. He had just seven yards on six carries. That said, those who watched the game saw did put his body on the line for a few key blocks.
Brahmas S Henry Black, Falcons: Henry Black dealt with an injury Friday night; but still made quite the impact on 30 snaps: with a strong 78.5 Defensive Grade via PFF. Black totaled one tackle; and is trending towards earning himself a PS spot.
Roughnecks TE Geor’Quarius Spivey, Chiefs: Spivey had a tough time seeing action once again, towards the bottom of the depth chart (nine snaps). He didn’t record any receptions, but did have a tackle.
Showboats DT Josiah Bronson, Titans: For a second straight week, Josiah didn’t notch any tackles with Tennessee, and played just one snap. Not an ideal sign for his potential future with the organization.
Brahmas EDGE Marcus Haynes, Colts: Haynes played in one game for the Brahmas, flashing quite a bit of potential in San Antonio. On nine snaps with the Colts, he had a tackle, alongside a QB pressure.
Brahmas WR Jacob Harris, Buccaneers: Harris was targeted three times by Tampa’s quarterbacks, with one catch for five yards. He did score a strong 74.0 Offensive Grade, via PFF.
Battlehawks DT Kyler Baugh, Steelers: Baugh played six defensive snaps, and with his limited playing time, didn’t record any statistics; but did boast an excellent 79.9 Defensive Grade.
Stallions WR Deon Cain, Bills: Buffalo didn’t have a pretty offensive showing vs. Chicago. Still, Deon Cain recorded a reception for 11 yards, on two targets.
Brahmas EDGE Nelson Ceaser, Bills: After being signed just a couple of days ago, Nelson Ceaser was on the field for 22 defensive snaps – notching one tackle, which PFF counted as a defensive stop.
Brahmas TE Thomas Gordon, Bears: Gordon saw 11 snaps of action for Chicago on Sunday night, but didn’t record any receptions.
Final Thoughts
It’s incredibly encouraging to see the amount of UFL players making an impact for their respective NFL teams this weekend. The NFL is full of quality talent that has come from the spring scene, and the 2025 UFL season provided the league with more of exactly that.
So far, over 50 UFL players have signed NFL contracts. You can stay up to date on all UFL to NFL movement with our official tracker.
*this article will be updated tomorrow morning, following Defenders WR Braylon Sanders’ performance with Washington.
What are your thoughts on these UFL to NFL storylines from week one of the preseason? Who needs to see more snaps next week? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
