MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first round of the NFL draft played out with no West Virginia players selected. Friday’s second and third rounds could provide a breakthrough, however.
Kyzir White, a safety/linebacker hybrid, is projected as a second-day pick and could be the only Mountaineer drafted this weekend.
Playing the Spur position in West Virginia’s 3-3-5 defense intermittently showcased White as an edge rusher, a run-stuffer and an intermediate cover guy. That has NFL defensive coordinators split on where he’ll line up at the next level.
“It’s about half-and-half. Some say linebacker and some say strong safety,” White said.
After weighing 218 at the combine, he says “i knowI can get to 230” if a team covets him at linebacker. Guys like White have been known to change positions even after settling into an NFL system. Scouts have given him favorable comparisons to Arizona’s Deone Bucannon and the Rams’ Mark Barron, who’s now a linebacker after starting in Tampa Bay as a safety.
Kyzir’s brother Ka’Raun White could be a Saturday selection when rounds four through seven unfold. Offensive guard Kyle Bosch, running back Justin Crawford, linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton, fullback Eli Wellman and cornerbacks Mike Daniels and Elijah Battle figure to be late-round picks or undrafted free agents.
Baker carries Big 12 banner
It was a one-and-done night for Big 12 draftees, with Baker Mayfield selected No. 1 overall and then … zilch.
Here were the first-rounders by conference:
SEC: 10
ACC: 6
Big Ten : 4
Pac 12: 4
Mountain West: 3
Independent: 2
American: 1
Big 12: 1
Conference USA: 1
Among the Big 12 standouts not taken Thursday were Texas offensive tackle Conner Williams and the Oklahoma State passing tandem of Mason Rudolph and James Washington.