NFL’s Next: This year’s rookies-to-be from the New Orleans area

In any given preseason, there are usually more than 40 players on NFL rosters who hail from the Greater New Orleans Metro area on the fields trying to make teams or just prep for the regular season to come. Here are a list of next batch of potential rookies who have a chance to earn a spot on an NFL roster in 2019:

• DT Gerald Willis (6-3, 300) Edna Karr/Florida/Miami. He earned Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. While with the ‘Canes (2018) he was 2nd team All ACC with 59 tackles, 4 sacks and 18 TFL. Projected to go in 2nd round of the upcomiing draft.

• QB James Tabary (6-2, 215) Holy Cross/Arkansas State/McNeese, He threw for over 7,000 career yards and 56 touchdowns for the Cowboys including five games in which he threw for over 300 yards. Was All State at Holy Cross. Free agent.

• OLB B.J. Blunt (6-1, 220) McDonogh 35, McNeese. 2018 Southland Conference Defensive Player of Year after recording 20 tackles for loss. Played in East-West Shrine game. 6th round pick.

• OLB Zachary Harris (6-0, 220) Holy Cross/Tulane. 31 starts for Green Wave where he recorded 165 career stops and 12 TFL Good work ethic. 7th round /free agent. While at Holy Cross had 253 career tackles including 23 tackles in one game (2013) against Brother Martin.

• DB Rod Teamer (6-0, 205), Brother Martin/Tulane. Had 280 career stops aas a prepster and 198 career tackles, 11.5 TFL and 3 interceptions at Tulane. Free Agent.

• OC/OG Ryan Hanley (6-1, 300), Rummel/Nicholls State. Free agent.

• LB Hexikiah White, John Curtis/Nicholls. Free agent.

• DT Robert Kennedy (6-1, 285) Belle Chasse/Tulane. Tough, hard nosed, wrestling background. Free agent.

• DB Hunter Dale (5-10, 195) John Curtis/Washington State. Recorded 58 tackles in 2018 for Cougars. Free agent.

• NT Ed Alexander (6-3, 319) St. Thomas Aquinas/LSU. Highly-rated player in 2016 recruiting class made 14 starts at LSU with 58 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 2 sacks. 5th/6th round.

• WR Stanley Morgan (6-1, 200) St. Augustine/Nebraska. All Time leading receiver for the Cornhuskers with 189 catches, 2,747 yards and 22 touchdowns. In 2018, had 70 grabs for 1,004 yards and 7 scores. Had a streak of 38 consecutive games with a catch while at Nebraska. 5th/6th round.

• TE Irv Smith, Jr. (6-4, 246) Brother Martin/Alabama. Was 2nd team All SEC in 2018 after catching 44 passes for 710 yards and 7 TD’s. Complete TE, physical, good hands. 1st or early 2nd round.

• TE Foster Moreau (6-6, 256) Jesuit/LSU. Tough, hard nosed leader who was a great blocker and team captain for the Tigers. Made 49 game appearances at LSU with 32 starts. He recorded 52 catches for 629 yards and 6 touchdowns. 4th round.

• TE Charles Jones (6-4, 255) St. Augustine/Tulane. Made 22 starts with Green Wave with 61 overall catches for 460 yards and 8 touchdowns. Fought injuries. Free agent.

• TE Jayshawn Washington (6-1, 240) John Ehret/Southern Miss. His grandfather is Alden Roche (former NFL DE). Could play FB. Free agent.

• WR Tyron Johnson (6-1, 193) Warren Easton/LSU/Oklahoma State. Former 5 star signee with LSU in 2015. Good hands. Played in 9 games at LSU with 9 catches for 150 yards and 2 TD’s. Past two seasons at Oklahoma State, making 71 grabs for 1,138 yards and 10 touchdowns. Left Cowboys as a junior. 7th round.

• CB DeShawn Capers-Smith (6-0, 192) Warren Easton/Texas A&M. Gatorade Player of Year in Louisiana in 2014 after accounting for 5,550 yards of total offense and 70 touchdowns made 101 career tackles for Aggies as CB. Free agent.

• WR Teddy Veal (6-0, 190) West Jeff/Tulane/La. Tech. Deep threat with 4.4 speed led Tulane in receiving in 2015 with 48 catches for 644 yards and 5 TD’s. In 2018, he paced La. Tech with 70 grabs, 716 yards and one TD. Career at La. Tech, 144 catches, 1,666 yards and 8 TD’s. 6th/7th round.

• WR Terren Encalade (6-0, 190) Belle Chasse/Tulane. Made 45 starts for Wave with 143 catches, 2,235 yards and 15 touchdowns. Good vs. zone coverage. free agent. In Auto Nation Cure Bowl had 5 catches for 93 yards and touchdown.

• WR Damion Jean-Pierre (6-1, 185) Rummel/Nicholls, Totaled 128 catches, 2,324 yards and 14 touchdowns for Colonels. In ’18 accounted for 44 grabs, 850 yards and 3 scores. Improved each season. Free agent.

• CB Terrence Alexaander (5-9 1/2, 183) John Curtis/Stanford/LSU. 4.5 forty, 35″ vertical jump. Ran track at Stanford. Free agent.