JR #95

John Ridgeway III

Defensive Tackle · Arkansas

Massive Arkansas nose tackle who has bounced from the Cowboys to the Commanders to New Orleans since 2022.

John Ridgeway III brings 321 pounds of interior size after starting his college career at Illinois State before transferring to Arkansas. Dallas drafted him in 2022, but his career has mostly taken shape in Washington and now New Orleans as a run-stuffing depth piece.

★ Fifth-round pick (No. 178 overall), 2022 NFL Draft

★ 49 career NFL games played across three organizations

★ Part of a 9-4 Arkansas team ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll

Path to the league

Ridgeway played college football at Illinois State before transferring to Arkansas, where in his final season he recorded 39 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss as the Razorbacks went 9-4 and finished ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. Dallas selected him in the fifth round (178th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Ridgeway was waived by the Cowboys ahead of Week 2 of his rookie season and was claimed on waivers by Washington, where he spent two seasons. He was traded to New Orleans at the end of the 2024 preseason and has continued to work as a rotational interior lineman.

2025 season recap

Across four NFL seasons with the Commanders and Saints, Ridgeway has appeared in 49 games with eight starts, totaling 81 tackles, three pass breakups and a blocked kick, continuing his role as a run-defense specialist along New Orleans' defensive line.