Morgantown, West Virginia – Former West Virginia defensive lineman Darius Stills has made it clear that NFL scouts and experts are overstating his lack of size and that he will be an extremely effective player at the next level.
After all, Stills shares the exact same height and weight as the top defensive player in the NFL, Aaron Donald, at 6’1 and 284 pounds.
“I think Donald’s definitely changed the narrative a lot,” Stills said. “They say Aaron Donald is a one-in-a-generational player but I’m trying to change the narrative also. I want to show that there’s not only one undersized defensive tackle that can do it, there’s a lot of them that can.”
Darius Stills has been underrated his entire life. As a high school player, he was overshadowed by his younger brother Dante and was really only offered a scholarship by West Virginia University to help make Dante a Mountaineer.
Now, as the reigning Big 12 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year and First Team All-American, Stills is once again overlooked. NFL Analysts Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay ranked Stills as the 16th and 19th best defensive lineman prospect in the draft, respectively, and most mock drafts have him going anywhere from the 4th round to the 7th round.
“I have gotten better physically,” said Stills recently. “I wanted to lean out and gain more muscle and get faster, bigger, and stronger. In the NFL, everyone is good. You have to separate yourself by working hard.”
Today, the 2021 NFL Draft concludes with rounds 4 through 7 and Stills’ name is expected to be called. Pay close attention to early in the 4th round at pick #118 overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have expressed interest in Stills and it is a position of need for the team.
The NFL Draft will be live on ESPN today at 12:00PM. Tune in to see West Virginia native and former Mountaineer star Darius Stills finally have his name called!
How is @DariusStills56 considered “undersized” when he is the EXACT SAME height and weight as the top defensive player in the NFL, @AaronDonald97 at 6’1 and 284 pounds? Whichever team picks him today will be getting a real steal! pic.twitter.com/6uKvJjUT7v
— The Voice of Motown (@voicemorgantown) May 1, 2021
