Washington Huskies CB Ephesians Prysock taken in fourth round of NFL draft

Washington, in recent memory, hasn't endured much difficulty getting multiple players from its secondary drafted in the same season.

Under Jimmy Lake, UW had multiple defensive backs hear their names get called in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. So it can be easy to forget that, before the Huskies became known for producing some of the best defensive backs on the West Coast, it wasn't a feat commonly accomplished in Seattle.

Before Lake's recent run, Washington hadn't seen multiple defensive backs drafted in the same year since 1983, when cornerbacks Ray Horton and Bill Stapleton and safety Vince Newsome were selected. Now - for the first time without Lake's recruits - Washington had two defensive backs on the draft board once again.

Ephesians Prysock, a 6-foot-3, 196-pound cornerback became the fifth UW player selected in the 2026 NFL draft Saturday, when he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round with pick No. 139. Fellow UW cornerback Tacario Davis was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round with the 72nd pick on Friday.

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/2048100810161262712?s=20

It's the first time two Washington defensive backs were taken in the same draft since Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon were picked by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears, respectively, in 2022.

Prysock was the 13th Washington defensive back drafted since 2017, joining the likes of Kevin King, Budda Baker, Sidney Jones IV, Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp, Jordan Miller, Elijah Molden, Keith Taylor, McDuffie, Gordon, Dominique Hampton and Davis. He's the 13th Husky drafted by San Francisco since 1953.

Of course, Prysock's journey didn't begin at UW. A former four-star prospect at Bishop Alemany High in Southern California, he committed to coach Jedd Fisch and cornerbacks coach DeWayne Walker at Arizona, despite the 1-11 record the Wildcats posted during Fisch's first season in Tucson, Ariz., in 2021. Only three other prospects - including future first-round draft pick Tetairoa McMillan - were rated higher than Prysock in Arizona's vaunted 2022 recruiting class.

Joining a rebuilding team like Arizona provided Prysock with opportunities immediately. He totaled 16 tackles in 10 games while making three starts, as the Wildcats won five games in 2022, narrowly missing bowl eligibility.

Walker departed after Prysock's freshman season, and Fisch hired John Richardson as the team's new position coach for 2023. Paired with Davis - also a sophomore at Arizona at the time - Prysock enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign.

He earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention status, making 61 tackles including one for a loss, an interception, seven pass deflections and blocked a field goal. Arizona won 10 games and beat Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, reaching double-figure wins in a season for just the fourth time in program history.

Along with Prysock and Davis, Arizona defensive backs Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith were also drafted in 2026. Stukes was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 38 pick in the second round. Smith joined the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round with the No. 131 pick, and Johnson reunited with Stukes in Las Vegas during the fifth round as the No. 150 pick. All five played key roles in Arizona's 2023 secondary, Fisch noted.

I'd be remiss to not say how proud I am of Genesis Smith, Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes," Fisch said after UW's practice on Saturday. "Three guys that were with us at Arizona. Our whole starting secondary in 2023, in the Alamo Bowl, are drafted. Pretty cool.

Fisch departed for Washington before the 2024 season, and brought Richardson with him. Prysock entered the transfer portal two days after Fisch was hired at UW, and committed to the Huskies on Jan. 27. Prysock, running back Jonah Coleman and edge rushers Isaiah Ward and Russell Davis II were among the most notable Arizona transfers to join Fisch for his first season in Seattle.

But Prysock's first season at UW didn't quite match the heights he achieved during his two years at Arizona. He made 45 tackles, six pass deflections and forced a fumble in 2024, helping a depleted Husky roster reach the Sun Bowl, but committed six penalties and allowed a career-high 162 yards after contact according to Pro Football Focus. Opposing receivers caught 28 of their 51 targets against Prysock for 405 yards receiving.

Fisch and Richardson, however, stuck with Prysock. He rewarded them with the best season of his career in 2025. Prysock tallied 48 tackles, one tackle for a loss, an interception and eight deflections as a senior. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention according to the media.

Most notably, his coverage statistics generally improved. Davis joined the Huskies through the transfer portal, and Prysock saw the most targets of his career in 2025. He allowed just 42 catches on 73 attempts for 351 yards receiving. His yards allowed per catch was nearly cut in half, from 14.5 in 2024 to a career-best 8.4 in 2025.

In San Francisco, Prysock joins a secondary looking for contributors under new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Deommodore Lenoir remains the 49ers top cornerback, and they signed sixth-year defensive back Nate Hobbs, whose 2025 campaign with the Green Bay Packers was derailed by a series of knee injuries.

The 49ers also have third-year cornerback Renardo Green, who started 14 games in 2025 but was briefly benched after a coverage mistake during San Francisco's 41-6 divisional round loss against the Seahawks.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 5:01 PM.