West Virginia football failed to meet expectations in 2018, but a number of Mountaineers became household names. Who among them will get drafted?
The 2019 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, with the first round kicking off Thursday, April 25th at 9 p.m. Not a single Mountaineer is consistently mentioned in Day 1 discussions, though, causing a stir among Mountaineer Nation.
How could Will Grier not be a first round pick? Did people not see him rip Texas’ heart out on national TV? First by dropping a 33-yard dime into the hands of a toe-tapping Gary Jennings in the endzone, and again on the two-point attempt by scampering toward the pylon for the 42-41 game-winning score.
That sequence alone should make them Day 1 prospects. Of course, that doesn’t automatically equal success in the NFL, but the talent is undoubtedly there.
About a dozen former Mountaineers roam the NFL now, including Tavon Austin, Rasul Douglas, Bruce Irvin, and Karl Joseph. Three of those four were first round picks, but plenty of ‘Eers have carved out NFL roles after being drafted on Day 2 and 3. Expect that trend to continue.
The Mountaineers tied an all-time program record by having six players invited to the 2019 NFL Combine. Will all of them be drafted? More than that? Less? We’ll kick things off with the fourth-place finisher for the 2018 Heisman Trophy.