Big 12 Football: Each team’s top 2020 NFL Draft prospect
By Phil Poling
Five Mountaineers were taken in the 2019 NFL Draft — and somehow David Sills wasn’t one of them — but the ‘Eers have one particular prospect to keep an eye on looking toward the 2020 event: Colton McKivitz.
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McKivitz paved the way in 2018 for an ‘Eers offense that ranked second in the Big 12 and 8th nationally in yards per game with 512. However, the three-year starter at right tackle will need to take a larger leadership role following the departures of key offensive figures like Will Grier and Gary Jennings.
He’ll be without long-time running mate at left tackle, Yodny Cajuste, too, as he was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-7 and 312 pounds, though, McKivitz possesses size you just can’t teach, making him a hot commodity for lineman-needy teams.
With the right tutelage, McKivitz could work his way into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Where a slew of injuries forced Cajuste down draft boards, McKivitz doesn’t have those same issues; he’ll be coveted just as Cajuste was pre-injury.