West Virginia Football: 3 Mountaineers that could go in first round of 2019 NFL Draft

West Virginia’s linebackers actually had some good stretches in 2017, between David Long and the now departed Al-Rasheed Benton. That leaves only Long as the guy that needs to lead the entire position group in 2018. If he can have another year of setting career marks in nearly every major stat category for linebackers, he’ll be a premier prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft.

It’s very tough for Big 12 linebackers to garner enough respect and attention to get first round hype. Yet, Long is already known to be possibly the best prospect on the West Virginia defense, given his body of work over the past two seasons.

Last year, Long managed a whopping 15.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Both of those numbers easily set career highs for him. Long was also able to show his versatility with six pass breakups last season, making a huge impact defending the pass.

The biggest challenge for Long is going to be convincing NFL scouts that his size is not an issue. Most people who’ve seen him in Big 12 competition can look past that fact, but it’s tough for the next level. His speed and wide-ranging skill set certainly makes him a possibility to go in the first round next year.