Every FCS player on the initial 53-man 2021 NFL rosters

The talent in FCS football is on display as 97 former players made NFL active rosters after the annual preseason cuts. 

In fact, there were just three teams (Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys) that did not have a former FCS football player on the 53-man active roster. Among the remaining 29 NFL rosters, the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions lead the league with seven FCS players making each team.

Delaware has the most players on NFL active rosters with six players; North Dakota State and Harvard follow with five players each.

There are big names from the FCS throughout NFL rosters, including left tackle Terron Armstead (New Orleans Saints, Arkansas-Pine Bluff), linebacker Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts, South Carolina State), quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick (Washington Football Team, Harvard), Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers, Eastern Illinois), Trey Lance (San Francisco 49ers, North Dakota State), wide receiver Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams, Eastern Washington), and cornerback James Bradberry (New York Giants, Samford). 

The following is the complete list of former FCS players on NFL active rosters as of September 1, 2021:

The list does not include players on any reserve/COVID-19 or injured lists. This is why Indianapolis' Carson Wentz is NOT on this list; he was on the reserve/Covid-19 list when initial rosters were announced.

Cleveland Browns (2): Jamie Gillan (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), JC Tretter (Cornell)

Pittsburgh Steelers (2): Christian Kuntz (Duquesne), Miles Killebrew (Southern Utah)

Baltimore Ravens (3): Nick Boyle (Delaware), Patrick Ricard (Maine), Chris Board (North Dakota State)

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New England Patriots (2): Kendrick Bourne (Eastern Washington), Justin Bethel (Presbyterian)

New York Jets (2): Greg Van Roten (Penn), John Franklin-Meyers (Stephen F. Austin)

Buffalo Bills (4): Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Siran Neal (Jacksonville State), Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa), Taron Johnson (Weber State)

Jacksonville Jaguars (4): Chris Manhertz* (Canisius College), Aaron Patrick (Eastern Kentucky), James O’Shaughnessy (Illinois State), James Robinson (Illinois State)

Houston Texans (5): Tremon Smith (Central Arkansas), Andre Roberts (Citadel), Kamu Grugier-Hill (Eastern Illinois), David Johnson (Northern Iowa), Tytus Howard (Alabama State)

Tennessee Titans (6): Chester Roger (Grambling State), Anthony Firkser (Harvard), Jackrabbit Jenkins (North Alabama), Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State), Derick Roberson (Sam Houston), George Odum (Central Arkansas)
 
Indianapolis Colts (3): Darius Leonard (South Carolina State), Mo Alie-Cox* (VCU), Chris Williams (Wagner)

MORE: Find out the latest news in HBCU football

Las Vegas Raiders (1): Brandon Parker (North Carolina A&T)

Los Angeles Chargers (3): Nasir Adderley (Delaware), Easton Stick (North Dakota State), Donald Parham Jr. (Stetson University)

Kansas City Chiefs (2): Daurice Fountain (Northern Iowa), Khalen Saunders (Western Illinois)

RELATED: Every DII and DIII player on a 2021 NFL roster

Denver Broncos (5): Eric Saubert (Drake), Shelby Harris (Illinois State), Jonas Griffith (Indiana State), Diontae Spencer (McNeese State), Jacob Bobenmoyer (Northern Colorado)

New York Giants (4): Elerson Smith (Northern Iowa), James Bradberry (Samford), C.J. Board (Chattanooga), Keion Crossen (Western Carolina)

Philadelphia Eagles (4): Joe Flacco (Delaware), Alex Singleton (Montana State), Rick Lovato (Old Dominion), Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State)

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Washington Football Team (3): Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard), Taylor Heinicke (2011-14 Old Dominion; 2014 ODU was FBS), DeAndre Carter (Sacramento State)

 Arizona Cardinals (4): Chase Edmonds (Fordham), Joshua Miles (Morgan State), Chris Streveler (South Dakota), Demetrius Harris* (Milwaukee)

Los Angeles Rams (5): Michael Hoecht (Brown), Robert Rochelles (Central Arkansas), Troy Reeder (Delaware), Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Jonah Williams (Weber State)

San Francisco 49ers (7): Zach Kerr (Delaware), Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois), Samson Ebukam (Eastern Washington), Kyle Juszczyk (Harvard), Davontae Harris (Illinois State), Trey Lance (North Dakota State), Jaquiski Tartt (Samford)

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Seattle Seahawks (3): Tyler Ott (Harvard), Jason Myers (Marist), Ryan Neal (Southern Illinois)

Chicago Bears (5): Bilal Nichols (Delaware), Caleb Johnson (Houston Baptist), Jesper Horsted (Princeton), Lachavious Simmons (Tennessee State), DeAndre Houston-Carson (William & Mary)

Detroit Lions (7): Tom Kennedy (Bryant), Tim Boyle (Eastern Kentucky), Kalif Raymond (Holy Cross), Dean Marlowe (James Madison), Bobby Price (Norfolk State), Nick Williams (Samford), Darren Fells* (UC Irvine)

Green Bay Packers (2): Robert Tonyan (Indiana State), Billy Turner (North Dakota State)

Minnesota Vikings (2): Oli Udoh (Elon), Michael Pierce (Samford)

MORE: See what former FCS players made NFL rosters in 2020

Atlanta Falcons (1): Foyesade Oluokun (Yale)

Carolina Panthers (4): Trent Scott (Grambling State), Darryl Johnson (North Carolina A&T), Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois), Julian Stanford (Wagner)

New Orleans Saints (3): Terron Armstead (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Kaden Ellis (2015-18 Idaho; 2018 Idaho was FCS), Tanoh Kpassagnon (Villanova)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5): Cameron Brate (Harvard), Aaron Stinnie (James Madison), Josh Wells (James Madison), Chris Cooper (Stony Brook), Cam Gill (Wagner)

*-Player participated in DI basketball at an FCS school