For the second straight season, 13 Canadians are on a Week 1 NFL roster.

Twelve are return NFLers. Seven are sure to start, and maybe one or two more.

Rookie David Onyemata, a defensive tackle on the New Orleans Saints from Winnipeg, is the new addition. He replaces T.J. Jones, a Winnipeg-born receiver/returner whom the Detroit Lions cut on Saturday.

For about 24 hours on Labour Day weekend, there had been 14 Canadians. But on Sunday afternoon, the Tennessee Titans waived undrafted free-agent defensive lineman Mehdi Abdesmad of Montreal, as teams tweaked their game-week rosters after poring over the waiver wire.

Twenty-six Canadians appeared on a 90-man NFL roster in the spring or summer. Here are profiles of the fortunate 13 who survived last week’s cut-downs to 53-man rosters:

Starters

TYRONE CRAWFORD

DT, Dallas Cowboys

Fifth year in NFL

Hometown: Windsor, Ont.

Signing a five-year, $45-million contract extension last September made him the highest-paid Canadian ever to play football. Had five sacks and 27 QB pressures in starting all 16 games for the Cowboys as a penetrating “three-technique” defensive tackle. With most of the defence’s top edge rushers gone or suspended, Dallas needs Crawford to have another strong year.

LAURENT DUVERNAY-TARDIF

RG, Kansas City Chiefs

Third year in NFL

Hometown: Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.

Ascended to starter in 2015 after not playing as a rookie. Asked how much better he is now, the aspiring sports doctor said: “I think it’s night and day ... I think it really helped to put in the extra work in the drills, and I think I’ve been learning a lot and improving a lot since the beginning of camp. I think as an O-line we’re doing great as well.”

ORLANDO FRANKLIN

LG, San Diego Chargers

Sixth year in NFL

Hometown: Toronto

He starts on the Chargers O-line for the second straight year, after leaving Denver a year ago March to sign a five-year, $35.5-million deal. At the time that made him the highest-paid Canadian football player ever. Coming off a disappointing, injury-ravaged 2015 campaign, the Chargers need Franklin to help better protect QB Philip Rivers and open holes for healthy RB Melvin Gordon.

L.P. LADOUCEUR

LS, Dallas Cowboys

12th year

Hometown: Montreal

Louis-Philippe LaDouceur gets more recognition with each passing year for having perfected his craft. In 11 NFL seasons has yet to snap a bad ball. That’s 1,586 clean snaps (339 field goals, 475 extra points and 772 punts). LaDouceur finally was recognized for his uncanny ability after last season, when he played in his first Pro Bowl.

AUSTIN PASZTOR

RT, Cleveland Browns

Fourth year in NFL

Hometown: Tillsonburg, Ont.

A roster cut-down victim in Jacksonville last September, the Browns claimed him. Dressed as a backup for 12 games, started the last four at LG. Last month switched to RT, his position in Jacksonville. Won the job. “In the spring the coaches had me focusing on guard so that’s where my main focus was, working right or left,” Pasztor said. “But I’ve played tackle before. You always have to be prepared to move around.”

JON RYAN

P, Seattle Seahawks

11th year in NFL

Hometown: Regina

Had his third-best season as an NFLer last year in averaging 45.7 yards per punt. Had league’s second-longest punt in 2015 too, 73 yards. Still ranks third in NFL history with highest one-game punting average: 60.0 yards on four kicks in Oct. 14, 2012, game against New England. Now at age 34, voted a special-teams captain again. In March signed a four-year contract extension worth $10 million, with a $2.4-million signing bonus.

JOHN URSCHEL

LG, Baltimore Ravens

Third year in NFL

Hometowns: Winnipeg, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Started five games as a rookie at guard, seven last year at centre. A math scholar at Penn State, Urschel missed a chunk of this year’s training camp with an undisclosed contusion. In July, I asked Urschel if his goal was to start in Year 3: “I’ve never really made goals like that in my life. My goal is just to improve, and just take it day-to-day, and try to be a better football player than I was yesterday.”

Possible starters

CHRISTIAN COVINGTON

DE-DT, Houston Texans

Second year in NFL

Hometown: Vancouver

Got a lot of pre-season playing time at DE with J.J. Watt out. Coach Bill O’Brien said Monday he didn’t know if Covington will start opposite the re-activated Watt, “but Christian has had a very good camp ... He’s a great guy to have on our team because he brings a competitive spirit to practice every single day.”

LUKE WILLSON

TE, Seattle Seahawks

Fourth year in NFL

Hometown: La Salle, Ont.

Started throughout pre-season, as designated starter Jimmy Graham continued to round back into shape after suffering a torn right patellar tendon last season. NFL Network said it’s possible Graham won’t be ready to play Sunday against Miami. If not, the speedy Willson will start until Graham can.

Backups

STEFAN CHARLES

DT, Detroit Lions

Fourth year in NFL

Hometown: Toronto

After three years in Buffalo, had to fight for a roster spot with seven other D-linemen, and made the team. Some believe the Lions’ deepest unit is this one. Charles is a run-stopping specialist, but the last time he was a backup in a 4-3 attack scheme — in Buffalo, 2014 — he had three sacks as a key sub.

BRETT JONES

OG-C, New York Giants

Second year in NFL

Hometown: Weyburn, Sask.

Former CFL all-star (with the Stampeders) missed all of rookie NFL season with MCL injury. Head coach Ben McAdoo talked him up on Saturday, praising Jones’ versatility, as he played both C and G in the pre-season: “He’s a guy that has improved tremendously and will add some versatility inside for us.”

DAVID ONYEMATA

DT, New Orleans Saints

NFL rookie

Hometown: Winnipeg

Heckuva jump from top down lineman in CIS football with the U of Manitoba Bisons, to fourth-round NFL draft pick. His talents are immense, but he’s raw. “He’s played (the) run very, very well,” fellow Saints DT Nick Fairley told Nola.com. “We just got to get him to transfer to the pass rush.” Will figure in DT rotation.

BRENT URBAN

DE, Baltimore Ravens

Third year in NFL

Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.

Snake-bitten with ACL and torn-biceps injuries in Years 1 and 2, Urban made it through spring practices and training camp uninjured this year. Is 2nd-string DE. Told Postmedia in July: “This is the best I’ve felt coming into a season physically, and now mentally … I think I’m going to good things this year.”

Practice squad

* CLEYON LAING, DE, Miami Dolphins, rookie, from Edmonton. Got 74 snaps on defence in first three pre-season games, but only two on special teams.

* TEVAUN SMITH, WR, Indianapolis Colts, rookie, from Toronto. Caught 2 TDs in pre-season and looked good, but didn’t find a special-teams role.

Injured reserve

* ELIE BOUKA, CB, Arizona Cardinals, rookie, from Laval, Que. Undrafted free agent impressed until leg injury.

Unattached

* MEHDI ABDESMAD, DL, from Montreal. Undrafted rookie cut by Tennessee Titans.

* CHRISTO BILUKIDI, DL, from Ottawa. Sixth-year NFLer cut in spring by Washington. Signed by NY Jets but left team in August.

* BRETT BOYKO, OT, from Saskatoon. Second-year cut by San Diego Chargers.

* ARJEN COLQUHOUN, CB, from Windsor, Ont. Undrafted rookie cut by Dallas Cowboys.

* DAVID FOUCAULT, OT, from La Prairie, Que. Third-year cut by Carolina Panthers.

* T.J. JONES, WR/KR, from Winnipeg. Third-year cut by Detroit Lions.

* HENOC MUAMBA, LB, from Mississauga, Ont. Ex-CFLer cut by Dallas Cowboys.

* ANDY MULUMBA, OLB, from Montreal. Fourth-year cut by Kansas City Chiefs.

* RAHSAUN SIMONISE, WR, from Vancouver. Undrafted rookie cut by Cincinnati Bengals.

* SHAUN SUISHAM, PK, from Wallaceburg, Ont. Cut by Pittsburgh Steelers in June but has not filed retirement papers yet, while recovering from plant-leg knee injuries.