Arizona Football saw three former standouts sign NFL free agent contracts this weekend upon the completion of the 2020 NFL Draft.
 
On Saturday, former running back and third-team AP All-American JJ Taylor signed with the six-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, while former defensive back Jace Whittaker inked a deal with the in-state Arizona Cardinals. One day later, quarterback Khalil Tate signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. 
 
Taylor finished his Arizona career with 3,263 rushing yards, which ranked fifth-most in school history. He compiled 4,764 all-purpose yards in his career, which is the seventh best mark in program history. He had his best season for the Wildcats in 2018 when he garnered All-American honors and first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
 
That season, Taylor rushed for 1,434 yards (fourth-most in school history) and was second among all FBS players with 175.6 all-purpose yards per game. He exploded for 284 yards in a win at Oregon State and had five 100-yard rushing games on the season.
 
In his final season at Arizona, Taylor ran for 721 yards and five touchdowns, while collecting career highs in receptions (32) and receiving yards (289). Taylor was named the team's Offensive MVP at the conclusion of the season. The most recent Arizona Wildcat to suit up for the New England Patriots in a regular season game is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was recently traded to Tampa Bay after un-retiring.
 
Whittaker left a large mark on the Arizona program in his five-year career with the Wildcats. He finished his career with 34 pass breakups in the secondary, which rank fourth all-time in program history. He intercepted three passes this past season as a senior for the Wildcats, where he started all 12 games in the defensive backfield.
 
The Oceanside, Calif., product played as a true freshman for the Wildcats in 2015, and followed with productive seasons in 2016 and 2017. He missed the large majority of the 2018 season with an injury, before returning to the Arizona lineup in 2019.
 
The most recent former Wildcat to play for the Cardinals was Whittaker's former teammate, linebacker Scooby Wright.

Tate had a standout career at Arizona, where he set the NCAA single-game rushing record for a quarterback when he ran for 327 yards against Colorado in 2017. He finished his career with 6,318 passing yards, which ranks fifth all-time in program history. He also rushed for 2,285 yards in his career, which is the 14th-best mark in program history. He became the second quarterback in Pac-12 history to pass for at least 6,000 yards and rush for at least 2,000. 

Another former Wildcat quarterback, Nick Foles, is the most recent former Wildcat to suit up for the Eagles. Safety Will Parks, who played at Arizona from 2012 to 2015, signed with the Eagles this offseason.