(Photo by WVU Athletics)
The Neal Brown era at WVU has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Sitting with a 22-25 record, the former Troy head coach will be firmly on the hot seat heading into the 2023 season.
While his evaluation for the product on the field will be under scrutiny, there is one era that Brown has struggled mightily in with the Mountaineers…
The NFL Draft.
In his first three seasons, Brown has seen only two of his players selected in the draft; Colton McKivitz (2019, pick 153) and Tony Fields (2021, pick 153). Out of the two, Fields is the only player that Brown brought to Morgantown himself – albeit through the transfer portal, and frankly, former West Virginia defensive coach Jahmile Addae is responsible for Fields coming to play for the Mountaineers
West Virginia currently has two former players who could potentially be picked in this year’s NFL Draft in wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton and defensive end Dante Stills. However, Ford-Wheaton is one of the most athletically-gifted wide receivers to enter the draft in many years and is likely not to be picked until the mid rounds. Currently, Ford-Wheaton and Stills are both projected to be picked in the 6th round.
* Kenny Robinson Jr. was selected in 2020, but he never played a snap for Neal Brown.
Neal Brown has never developed a single NFL player at #WVU. Not one. Tony Fields was a future pro before ever coming to #WVU and Colton McKivitz played 1 year under Brown. So if you’re a top-tier high school recruit who aspires to play in the NFL, why would you choose #WVU?
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) April 28, 2023
