Jonah Savaiinaea wasn’t able to play in Arizona’s season finale, an injury suffered the week before keeping him out, but he was dressed for the Territorial Cup and participated in the pregame coin toss. That will turn out to be his final time in a Wildcats uniform.
Savaiinaea has officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, the first of three expected early departures from the UA roster for the NFL.
The 6-foot-5, 336-pound Savaiinaea started all 36 games he played in for Arizona, beginning at right guard as a true freshman and then moving to right tackle in 2023. This past season he shifted between both tackle spots, starting his final five games at left tackle as injuries mounted on the offensive line.
Savaiinaea allowed just eight sacks in 1,544 career pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and in the 2024 season ranked 13th in FBS among offensive tackles with an 83.4 pass-blocking grade.
PFF has Savaiinaea 70th on its 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, but some mock drafts have him going in the first round. If that happens it would give Arizona back-to-back years with an offensive lineman taken in the first round, following Jordan Morgan to the Green Bay Packers.
Fellow UA juniors Tetairoa McMillan and Tacario Davis are expected to declare for the draft, with McMillan a lock to go in the first round with most projections have him getting picked in the top 10.