Eight NFL veterans will be representing WVU during the 2024 NFL season.
Dante Stills
Stills was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. During his rookie season, the defensive tackle made the most of the 15 games he appeared in. 47 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss combined for a rookie season that exceeded expectations for the low draft pick. While he isn’t a full fledged starter yet, expect Stills to make an impact for the Cardinals’ defensive line in his sophomore season.
Kyzir White
The Los Angeles Chargers drafted White in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Throughout his six seasons in the NFL, Kyzir has split time between being a linebacker and defensive back. After playing four seasons with the Chargers, White signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for a season before joining the Arizona Cardinals. In his first season wearing red, White played well in the 11 games he appeared in. 90 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception show success despite missed time. White will be a starting linebacker for the Cardinals in 2024.
Yodny Cajuste
Cajuste was a third round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft, but injuries have consistently hampered his career. The offensive tackle played in 17 games across two seasons in Foxborough and declared free agency after the 2022 season. Cajuste signed with the Jets in May 2023, but would be released by the middle of August due to injury. The New York Giants would sign Cajuste to their practice squad in October 2023, which is where he is today. Cajuste projects as a third string lineman for the Giants, so expect him to be back on their practice squad.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton
The wide receiver went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, leading to him signing with the New York Giants in May of that year. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in a preseason game, preventing him from playing in the 2023 season. Ford-Wheaton will be fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster this summer in a crowded wide receiver room.
Will Grier
The Carolina Panthers drafted Grier in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The quarterback saw his only NFL action in his career that season, starting two games and throwing four interceptions. After being waived by Carolina in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys would sign him as a backup for the 2022 season. In 2023, the Cowboys informed Grier before their final preseason game that he would not make the final roster. However, the Cowboys offered Grier a chance to play the entire preseason game to try and impress teams in hopes of signing elsewhere.
Grier took the opportunity and delivered. He threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns on 29 of 35 passing. Grier also rushed for 53 yards and two touchdowns all en route to a 31-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Grier was cut the following day, but the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers would all have him signed during the 2023 season.
Grier signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for 2024, where he once again enters a backup QB battle with Pitt alumni Kenny Pickett and Stanford’s Tanner McKee. Will the Eagles have a Backyard Brawl in their quarterback room entering the 2024 season?
Marcus Simms
Simms was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars after going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, injuries prevented the wide receiver from going anywhere in Jacksonville but the injured list. He would be waived in November 2019. Simms wouldn’t be seen in football again until he spent the past spring in the USFL. Simms found a niche on special teams with the Michigan Panthers, returning kicks for 243 yards. This led to the Seattle Seahawks signing Simms on July 16th with hopes of him finding a role within their organization. Look for him to possibly earn a role on their special teams unit.
Geno Smith
The New York Jets drafted Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft with the expectation being Smith was their quarterback of the future. In his first two seasons in New York, Smith would play in 30 games with a combined record of 11-18 as a starting quarterback. Smith would be benched for the remainder of his rookie contract while battling injuries. As a free agent, Smith signed with the New York Giants in 2017 with the Los Angeles Chargers for 2018, only getting sparse playing time as a back up.. The Seattle Seahawks picked up Smith in 2019 for the same role, and he’s stayed with the organization since. Smith would play a single game in 2020 and four games in 2021 before becoming the starter in 2022.
Smith led the 2022 Seahawks to a 9-8 record as he threw for a career best 4282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and completed 69.8% of his passes. For his efforts, Smith was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year and the PFWA Most Improved Player, along with earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Smith had a similarly successful 2023 campaign, even if he missed two games due to injury. Once seen as just a transitional quarterback, Geno will continue to lead the Seattle Seahawks for at least the next two seasons under his current extension.
Colton McKivitz
McKivitz was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The offensive lineman has worked his way up from being a rotational depth piece to a full fledged starter in his four years in San Francisco. Last season, McKivitz started in every game for the 49ers, including their three playoff games. McKivitz is currently signed with the 49ers through 2025, but it’s likely he’ll play for San Francisco for the forseeable future. He has some flexibility on where he can play on the line, but look for him starting at right tackle for the 49ers in 2024.
