It's not a matter of if, but when.
The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh kicks off with the first round on Thursday, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, then Rounds 4-7 on Saturday — and at least three former Arizona Wildcats are expected to hear their name called.
Former Arizona defensive backs Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith headline the Wildcats' 2026 draft class.
Stukes has become a rising prospect, and his draft stock is skyrocketing in the days leading up to the NFL Draft.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported, "One NFL general manager called Stukes 'one of the best safeties I’ve seen (in my time as a GM),' and added he would draft him ahead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. 'This guy makes freaky plays that I haven’t seen other safeties make.' It would not be a shock to see Stukes sneak into Round 1."
Stukes is expected to land somewhere in the first two days of the NFL Draft. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah listed Stukes as the 48th-best prospect entering the draft — Smith was No. 88. Jeremiah is "a big fan of Stukes," he said.
In his final season as a Wildcat, the 6-2, 200-pound Stukes was named a third-team Associated Press All-American, becoming the second Wildcat in three seasons to earn AP All-American honors — a year after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Former Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was an AP All-American in 2024.
Stukes became the first Arizona defensive player to earn AP All-American honors since linebacker Scooby Wright III in 2014. Stukes was also named an All-Big 12 first-team selection, an AP All-Big 12 second-teamer, and he locked in a Sporting News All-American honor.
The sixth-year Stukes, who has been a part of three coaching staffs at Arizona, recorded 52 tackles and four interceptions last season; he was limited in the first two games due to his knee rehab.
Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes (2) jumps over Arizona State wide receiver Jaren Hamilton (16) to intercept a pass during the third quarter in the Territorial Cup game, Nov. 28, 2025, in Tempe.
Stukes' four interceptions this past season were tied for the second-most in the Big 12. His acrobatic interception in the Territorial Cup win over Arizona State was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays on ESPN.
Stukes played in 52 games and recorded 206 tackles, seven interceptions, 35 pass deflections and 12 tackles for loss. He was Arizona's highest-graded defender (90.1) on PFF — the highest grade for a UA defensive player behind Tra'Mayne Bondurant (92), Wright (91.9) and Will Parks (91.7).
Stukes, who started his career as a walk-on, is the last Wildcat to play for former head coach Kevin Sumlin; Johnson was recruited by the Sumlin regime.
Jeremiah said Stukes "has a lot of heat and a lot of buzz around the league," because he's 24 years old and has the versatility to play multiple positions in the defensive secondary. He played slot cornerback, boundary cornerback and free safety, with the majority of his 2,674 defensive snaps at slot cornerback. Stukes also has experience playing all four special teams units at Arizona.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Stukes had the third-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.33 seconds) among safeties — second-fastest 10-yard split (1.50 seconds). Stukes only ran the 40-yard dash once after limping off the field following his first attempt. Stukes recorded the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time for defensive backs.
"In terms of the buzz, I think guys are trying to find chess pieces, and you've got a guy there that can play at nickel, some even say he could play on the outside or even in the post in the middle of the field," Jeremiah said. "He's somebody that plays to that speed.
"He plays fast, has really good eyes and he's a versatile chess piece. He's got some production and he's tough. He's got a real good shot at going in the second round."
Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes (49) runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Feb. 27, 2026.
Jeremiah compared Stukes to third-year Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock and said "some people view him as that style of player in what he can do in the middle of the field."
Getting drafted to the NFL "is something you dreamed of since you were little," Stukes said at Arizona's Pro Day last month.
"Seeing my name on the screen is going to be crazy," Stukes said. "That's the moment every young football player dreams of. I've already said I'm going to try and not get emotional at the time, but it'll probably be out of my control.
"It'll be such a blessing. All that work we've put in up to this point, to see it pay off like that and start from the bottom again, it's going to be great."
Smith makes the grade
Smith is expected to be the second Wildcat selected "in that third-round range," Jeremiah said.
The Chandler Hamilton product, who leaves Arizona after three seasons, and high-post safety started at three different positions in Arizona's secondary during the 2024 season.
Smith recorded 165 tackles, five interceptions and 19 pass deflections in three seasons as a Wildcat. He had a career-high 77 tackles and was named a third-team All-Big 12 selection this past year. His career missed tackle percentage at Arizona was 20.1%, according to PFF. The 6-2, 202-pound Smith — who played the second half of the 2025 season with a fractured foot, he said — unofficially clocked 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Arizona's Pro Day.
"I felt like I had a good time," Smith said. "I was shooting for the 4.4 (seconds) range and I did that. I was satisfied with that."
Smith recently scored a 9.76 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score, a metric that evaluates a prospect's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day. Smith's RAS score ranks 32 out of 1,311 at free safety from 1987-2026.
Arizona Wildcats defensive back Genesis Smith runs through warm-ups, getting ready for the season during training camp, Aug. 21, 2025.
"He's a really good player, can play in the middle of the field, takes excellent angles, drives on the ball, and has some size and toughness to go along with that," said Jeremiah. "He has a little bit of a high missed-tackle percentage, which is a knock on him, but he'll go in the third — at worst, the fourth round."
Johnson a possible fourth-rounder
Johnson "is another one who tested well" at the NFL Scouting Combine, Jeremiah said. Johnson tied TCU's Bud Clark for the seventh-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.41 seconds) for safeties.
Johnson became the first Arizona defensive back since Darrell Brooks in 2004 and '05 to lead the Wildcats in tackles in back-to-back seasons. Johnson's 97 tackles are more than his season total from 2024. He had the sixth-most tackles (97) in the Big 12 this past season — the most by a defensive back.
Johnson ended the 2025 season earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. He had 18 tackles in Arizona's home finale against Baylor, the most tackles by a Wildcat since Wright in 2014. Johnson also had an interception and forced fumble the following week against ASU in the Territorial Cup.
Johnson concluded his Arizona career with 285 tackles, seven forced fumbles and five interceptions. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection. Last season marked the first time Arizona had multiple first-team all-conference players since Jackie Wallace and Bob White in 1972.
Even though the 5-11, 198-pound Johnson was a productive tackler at Arizona, "there's times he ducks his head and whiffs at times," Jeremiah said.
"Gotta clean that up, but he plays aggressive, he's got range and ball skills," Jeremiah added. "He's more in that fourth- or fifth-round range."
History in the making?
If all three are selected in the NFL Draft, which will likely happen, the standout trio — who combined for 6,700 snaps at Arizona — could become the first draft class with three Arizona defensive backs selected. The last time Arizona had multiple defensive backs chosen in the NFL Draft was in 2008, which also had the last UA defensive back to land in the first round in Antoine Cason.
The crowd and Arizona defensive backs Dalton Johnson (43), Treydan Stukes (2) and Michael Dansby (25) celebrate Johnson’s interception in the third quarter against BYU, Oct. 11, 2025, in Tucson.
Stukes, Johnson and Smith have a chance to add to Arizona's list of players to be drafted. If Stukes is taken in the first round, it'll mark the third straight draft for the Wildcats with a first-round pick; offensive tackle Jordan Morgan and McMillan were taken the previous two years.
If Stukes, Smith and Johnson are drafted, it will be the third straight year Arizona produced three or more draft picks in a class, a streak that hasn't been done since Dick Tomey's final years at UA between 1998-2000.
Arizona safeties coach Brett Arce — who's been at the UA since 2021 and coached Stukes, Smith and Johnson under two different head coaches — said "it's been so fun and such a blessing" to coach them and follow the NFL Draft process with his former players.
"Those guys, they're forever going to hold a special place in my heart," Arce said. "They epitomize the 'Beardown Brotherhood.' It's easy for me to talk to scouts and GMs and coaches about them and brag about them, because not only were they great players, but they were phenomenal people. They represented this community well, this team so well. ... I'm excited to see where they all end up and follow their careers.
"I think the future is bright for all three of those guys."
