Elijah Arrayo (AP Photo/Michael Conroy).
Recently we have seen an increase in Hispanic representation in the NFL, and we love to see it. Check out our coverage of other Hispanic Heritage Month heroes from the past here. The 2025 NFL draft was no different. We have four Latino players who were drafted in the league. Let’s learn about their stories and see where the four gentlemen are in the league today!
First Latino NFL 2025 Draft Pick
Elijah Arroyo is a Mexican-American tight end from the University of Miami. Arrayo was selected in the second round, 50th overall, by the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie comes to the table with a unique football background. Arrayo discovered his love for football at six years old, which isn’t exactly uncommon.
However, spending six years of his childhood football career in Cancun, Mexico, does set him apart. Arrayo was concerned about not being able to play the game he loved in his Florida hometown, but Cancun was ready for him with a robust American football program. The tight end said he “learned everything in Spanish first” when it came to route running, coverage, and more. Arrayo felt completely prepared for football in America; he just had to translate terms. The no-huddle, newer-styled offense prepared him for Seattle well. You definitely know a sport when you learned it in multiple languages.
At 12 years old, Arrayo moved back to the United States to Frisco, Texas. He was a consensus four-star tight end prospect that was courted by many universities. When the Miami Hurricanes showed interest, he jumped at the chance to attend his favorite childhood team. Despite having an injury-prone college career, his talent was unmistakable. Seattle snapped him up early in the draft, and Arrayo has already put mileage on the gridiron, starting during the regular season as a rookie.
Andrés Borregales
Borregales is joining the NFL as one of the few players of Venezuelan ancestry in the league ever. The kicker was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the draft, 182nd overall. Recent fantastic plays show he is thriving in Massachusetts.
If you thought you had heard the last name Borregales before, it’s probably because of the kicker’s older brother Jose, who played in the NFL too. Andrés immigrated to America when he was just one year old and grew up in Hollywood, Florida. Borregales chose to stay local, attending the University of Miami, like our prior draft pick. In Borregales’ freshman year with the Hurricanes, he was named starting kicker and kickoff specialist, and his college career only went up from there.
Borregales’s position in the draft is definitely not because of a lack of talent. Kickers are typically chosen later in the draft. We will need to keep an eye on this New England Patriots talent because he is making quite a name for himself in the NFL already.
Denzel Burke
Burke is a bit of a mysterious fellow. We do know that he is a Scottsdale, Arizona, native who played on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. When the Ohio State cornerback was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 5th round, 174th overall, he got a chance to return home.
Burke is Panamanian on his father’s side. Much like Borregales, he is joining only a small group of players that are the same ethnicity. There are a handful of people of Panamanian nationality in the league. One of those individuals is Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers. We love the representation!
Final Latino Draft Pick
Damien Martinez hasn’t had the same successes as his teammates. The Mexican-American running back was drafted in the seventh round, 223rd overall, by the Seattle Seahawks. However, despite a promising high school and college career at Oregon State and the University of Miami, Martinez’s transition wasn’t as smooth as hoped.
The Lewisville, Texas, native was waived by the Hawks on August 26th, 2025. Martinez was signed again by Seattle the following day and then officially released by the Hawks about a month later. Hopefully this is not the end of the running back’s career. Even if it is, he still does have a strong, supportive family and his maternal grandmother’s favorite breakfast tacos to make him feel better. Share the recipe, Martinez!
Honorable Mentions
Xavier Restrepo and Sebastian Castro are honorable mention recipients since they were not selected in the draft but were both signed shortly after. 257 players were selected at the 2025 NFL draft. By June, only 221 players had signed on the dotted line with the team that selected them. A similar number of players, 220, are signed as undrafted free agents after the draft. Restrepo and Castro are in good company.
Restrepo is a Florida native of Cuban and Columbian descent. Despite being a duo threat on both sides of the ball in high school, Restrepo is now a Tennessee Titans wide receiver. Congrats, Restrepo.
In high school, the young man was asked how he felt about the lack of Hispanic representation in the league; he had this to say: “I honestly feel like whoever can ball needs to get out there and work for what they want, regardless of their ethnic background or whatever. I feel like some of these athletes out here give up before they even get started because of obstacles that we go through. Look at Berrios, straight baller! Look at Cruz. They told that man he wasn’t big enough, fast enough, but he made it. I want us all to succeed at everything we have dreams for, especially on the football field. I LOVE this game, man.” That’s a glass-half-full kind of gentleman.
Mexican-American Sebastian Castro is an active safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently. The Illinois native and former Iowa Hawkeye was initially signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers before settling down in Florida. Castro made quite an impression in Iowa and will likely bring that same talent and leadership to the league once it is his time to shine.
In Conclusion
The NFL is very slowly righting its wrongs. In 2025, four Hispanic players were selected in the draft, and two were signed as undrafted free agents shortly thereafter. That is more Hispanic representation in one year than the NFL had in entire decades in the past. We only become the best version of ourselves when we celebrate and honor the diversity amongst us that only makes us better. We’ll take wins where we can get them, though, and we appreciate the NFL making an effort to consider players of all backgrounds.
