With preseason games beginning in less than a month, let’s look at all 14 WVU alumni currently in the NFL.
West Virginia has regularly produced NFL-caliber talent, with players being drafted out of Morgantown in 21 of the last 25 NFL drafts. Let’s look into who is representing the blue and gold at the professional level this upcoming season. We’ll be going by team, alphabetically by city.
Arizona Cardinals: Dante Stills, Kyzir White
The Cardinals are one of three teams in the NFL to have multiple Mountaineers on their roster.
Dante Stills was drafted in the sixth round by the Cardinals in the 2023 NFL Draft. The defensive tackle made an impact for the Cardinals, racking up 47 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks in 15 games. Stills also started in eight games in the past season. Stills projects to be a second-string defensive tackle for the Cardinals in 2024.
Kyzir White is an NFL veteran gearing up for his seventh season in the NFL. He was selected in the fourth round in the 2018 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. White played for the Chargers for four seasons at both defensive back and linebacker, but he chose to leave in free agency. White has now played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals in the past two seasons.
The defensive specialist has compiled 478 combined tackles in his NFL career. In 11 games last season, White got 90 combined tackles and an interception. He projects as a starting linebacker for the Cardinals this season.
Buffalo Bills: Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In that same season, the corner back became a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, as they defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl 52. Afterwards, Douglas spent two more seasons in Philadelphia before being waived. He played for the Carolina Panthers for a year before signing with the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 off-season. In Green Bay, Douglas racked up 142 combined tackles in 36 total games, along with 10 interceptions. The Packers traded Douglas to the Buffalo Bills during the 2023 season, where Douglas is projected to be a starting corner back this season.
Cleveland Browns: Tony Fields II
Tony Fields II was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after his lone season in Morgantown. The linebacker is entering the final season of his rookie contract in Cleveland, where he has spent the last three seasons accumulating more playing time. In three seasons Fields has 86 combined tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. He projects as a second string linebacker in 2024.
Denver Broncos: David Sills
David Sills went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, ultimately signing with the New York Giants. The wide receiver shuffled between the active roster, practice squad and reserves for a few years before making his NFL debut in 2021. In 13 games with the Giants, Sills had 13 receptions for 123 yards. He was released prior to the 2023 season, signing with the Denver Broncos. During that season, Sills only appeared in three games without being targeted. He looks to be in the Broncos reserves for the upcoming season.
Miami Dolphins: David Long Jr.
David Long was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. The linebacker played through his rookie contract with the Titans, getting 230 combined tackles and four interceptions in four seasons. In free agency, Long signed with the Miami Dolphins entering the 2023 season. He played in all 17 games this past season for Miami, racking up 113 combined tackles for the season. Projected as a starting linebacker, Long looks to build off of arguably his best season in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings: Doug Nester
One of three rookies representing the Mountaineers, Doug Nester went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. With Nester’s flexibility playing at both tackle and guard, he looks to battle for a position on the Vikings depth chart. The Vikings offensive line was ranked as the 12th best last season by Pro Football Focus, and Nester is projected as a third string tackle as of now.
New York Giants: Yodny Cajuste, Bryce Ford-Wheaton
The New England Patriots drafted offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. However, Cajuste didn’t make his NFL debut until 2021 as he battled injuries. The tackle played in 17 games across two seasons with the Patriots before being placed on waivers. The New York Jets signed Cajuste during the 2023 offseason, but he was released before the season began. The Giants signed Cajuste to their practice squad in October 2023, which is where he remained through the season. The injury-riddled tackle is now battling for a spot on the roster, but could wind up on the practice squad once again.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft and signed with the New York Giants on a three-year deal. The wide receiver was projected to make the 53-man roster last season, but suffered a torn ACL in the Giants’ preseason finale. Ford-Wheaton finds himself in a position battle amongst a crowded wide receiver room. If he does make the Giants final roster, it’s likely he’ll play on special teams. The Giants were intrigued by Ford-Wheaton’s potential, size and speed in hopes of him becoming a punt gunner.
Philadelphia Eagles: Will Grier
Will Grier was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He served as their third-string quarterback for the next two seasons, making his first career start in Week 16 of 2019. In 2020, he did not play in any games and was declared inactive for nine of the Panthers final 11 games. Grier was waived from the Panthers on August 31st, 2021.
Grier was claimed the next day by the Dallas Cowboys to serve a similar role. He was the Cowboys’ third string quarterback from 2021 until the end of the 2023 preseason, where Grier was told that he would be part of their final roster cuts. The Cowboys offered Grier the chance to play the entirety of their last preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he took it. In that game, Grier passed for 305 yards and two passing touchdowns while adding on two rushing touchdowns. He was waived from the Cowboys shortly after.
Grier was added to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad the day after he was waived. In September of 2023, he was signed by the New England Patriots off of the Bengals’ practice squad. He was then waived and resigned to the Patriots practice squad. The Los Angeles Chargers signed Grier in December 2023 to their roster, off the Patriots practice squad.
In this past offseason, Grier signed a one year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is now competing with quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee for two backup quarterback positions. With Pickett being a starting quarterback last season and McKee having a full year of experience with the Eagles, it’s likely that Grier will find himself on the Eagles’ practice squad this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Beanie Bishop Jr., Zach Frazier
Both Mountaineers on the Steelers roster are rookies who played with West Virginia this past season.
Beanie Bishop Jr. went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent. The undersized cornerback is competing to be the Steelers’ starting nickel cornerback this upcoming season with corners Cameron Sutton, Josiah Scott, and Thomas Graham Jr. Regardless of the competition, the Steelers were excited to sign him. Steelers general manager Omar Khan was enthusiastic talking about Bishop, stating “I can’t tell you how excited we were to sign him. We had him in here for a visit. We talked about our defense and how he would fit in. I think he’s gonna have a great opportunity to help us”.
Zach Frazier was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Frazier is already projected to be the starting center for the Steelers this season, thanks in part to his impressive college resume. The two-time All-American only allowed one sack over his final two years at West Virginia. He only allowed four sacks throughout his collegiate career. His skills and durability (37 consecutive starts at center at West Virginia) make him a heavy favorite as the Steelers’ starting center come Week 1.
Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith
Geno Smith was selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, making him the Mountaineer alumni with the current longest NFL tenure. He was named the starting quarterback for the 2013 season, going 8-8. He threw for 3046 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions his rookie season. Smith was also the starter in the 2014 season, but the Jets went 3-10 in the thirteen games he started. His second season as a starter resulted in 2525 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Geno only see the field in three more games wearing a Jets uniform, as he dealt with a torn ACL in 2016. His rookie contract expired after that season. The New York Giants signed Smith for the 2017 season, where he appeared in just two games. In 2018, Smith signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, appearing in five games with them. As a free agent in 2019, the Seahawks signed Smith as a backup quarterback, in a year where he saw no action.
Smith resigned with the Seahawks in 2020, making one appearance against his former team, the Jets. In the blowout win, Geno completed four of five passes for 33 yards, leading the Seahawks to a field goal on his second drive. Smith again resigned with the Seahawks in 2021. In that season, Smith made three starts in relief of injured quarterback Russell Wilson, going 1-2.
Smith resigned with the Seahawks for a third time entering the 2022 season and was named the starting quarterback. Starting in all 17 games, Smith threw for 4282 passing yards, while throwing 30 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. The Seahawks finished with a 9-8 record, leading the team to a playoff berth. For Geno’s efforts, he was selected as a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career, and was named the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press and PFWA. He was also selected as the 2022 PFWA Most Improved Player. In the playoffs, the Seahawks lost to the San Francisco 49ers 41-23. Smith performed admirably, throwing for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the losing effort.
The Seahawks extended Smith on a three-year, $105 million contract in March of 2023. With the starting job secured, Smith had his second consecutive Pro-Bowl season. In 15 games, Smith threw for 3624 yards, 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He led the Seahawks to an 8-7 record in games he played in. Although the Seahawks finished 9-8, they failed to make the playoffs. With two years remaining on his contract, Smith will be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks this season.
San Francisco 49ers: Colton McKivitz
The 49ers selected Colton McKivitz in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. McKivitz served as a depth piece for the 49ers from 2020 to 2022, appearing in 29 games his first three seasons. He also missed most of the 2021 season due to injury. However, he was elevated to a starting role this past season.
McKivitz started in all 17 regular season games and 3 playoff games in 2023. In the ensuing offseason, McKivitz was extended by the 49ers on a one-year, $5.85 million deal worth up to $7 million. This ties him to the team through the 2025 season. Entering the 2024 season, McKivitz is projected as the starting right tackle for the 49ers and looks to be with them for the next two seasons.
