A former Oklahoma second-team All-Big 12 guard who has bounced through four organizations chasing his first NFL regular-season snap.
Marquis Hayes is a St. Louis native who started dozens of games at guard for Oklahoma before a seventh-round selection by Arizona in 2022 kicked off a journeyman path through four teams' practice squads. He signed with the Jets in 2025 and was finally promoted to the active roster late in the year.
Path to the league
Hayes redshirted his first year at Oklahoma before starting at left guard, then right guard, then back to left guard across his final three seasons, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2021. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round, 257th overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Hayes started all 13 games at left guard in each of his final two full seasons at Oklahoma and earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition as a senior in 2021, the top honor of his football career to date.
2025 season recap
After missing his rookie season on injured reserve with Arizona and cycling through practice squad stints with the Cardinals, Commanders and Packers, Hayes signed with the Jets in June 2025. He spent most of the season on New York's practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on December 27, 2025, still seeking his first NFL regular-season appearance.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Marquis Hayes
- NFL.com: Marquis Hayes
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Oklahoma
- Hometown
- Maryland Heights, MO, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
