On April 27, the NFL Draft will begin in Kansas City with a couple of former Mountaineers, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Dante Stills, hoping to hear their names called.
Ford-Wheaton followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Garrett Ford Sr, and uncle, Garrett Ford Jr, in choosing to play college football at West Virginia University. He spent five seasons in Morgantown, earning a second team all-conference selection in his senior season.
Ford-Wheaton earned an invitation to the NFL Combine this year where he impressed scouts with his athletic ability. At the combine, Ford-Wheaton ran a 4.38 40-yard dash while also posting a vertical jump of 41 inches. His combine results helped him earn the highest athleticism score of any wide receiver at the event while also drawing comparisons to Calvin Johnson and DK Metcalf. Ford-Wheaton is projected to be taken in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
Following his pro day in Morgantown, Ford-Wheaton talked about what he had been doing to prepare for the draft, as well as what he planned on doing to continue preparing for the draft.
“I worked out with Anquan Boldin when I was in Florida, Pierre Garcon, I talked to Courtland Sutton almost every day when I was down there, he was teaching me things,” Ford-Wheaton said.
Ford-Wheaton said he credits everyone that he has worked with for helping him be at the point he is now. Ford-Wheaton took a visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as saying he met several different receiver coaches and offensive coordinators from teams throughout the league on zoom.
Dante Stills, another legacy player for the Mountaineers, followed the same path as his father, Gary Stills, who spent 10 years in the NFL, and his brother, Darius Stills. An in-state product from Fairmont, WV, Stills spent five seasons with the Mountaineers, earning two first team all-conference selections and a pair of second team all-conference selections. Throughout his time in Morgantown, Stills also set school records for career games played with 58, and career tackles for loss with 52.5.
Stills also earned himself an invitation to the NFL Combine this year, impressing many scouts with his speed as he finished amongst the top of his position in speed related drills, posting a 4.85 40-yard dash, the third-best at his position.
Following his pro day, Stills also took the time to talk about the process he’s going through for the NFL Draft, mentioning that he would be going on visits with the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.
Stills talked about how his brother, Darius, has helped him through this process saying, “I was gone for about two and a half months in Florida, training, so I talked to him about every day. He’s constantly encouraging me, telling me to take care of my body and stuff like that.” Stills is projected to be selected in the fifth round.
Some other former Mountaineers to keep an eye out for are Sam James, Jasir Cox, Wesley McCormick, and Jarret Doege.
