Mountaineers Now

Mountaineers in the NFL: Ranking the Top Performances from Week 1

Some WVU products had a strong start to their NFL season on Sunday.

Schuyler Callihan

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Colton McKivitz will be in action tonight for the San Francisco 49ers, but much of the Week 1 NFL action is behind us, so we'll go ahead and rank the top performances by former West Virginia Mountaineers.

3. LB Kyzir White (Cardinals)

The Cardinals' team captain led the Arizona defense with 11 stops, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit. He did bite on one play-action play that popped a big gain through the air over the middle of the field, but other than that, he was one of the few bright spots for the Cardinals' defense that allowed 34 points to Buffalo.

2. QB Geno Smith (Seahawks)

Smith had a slow start to the game, throwing an interception on the opening drive. He bounced back strong, however, throwing for 171 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a 34-yard score. Yes, Geno still has the wheels.

1. LB David Long Jr. (Dolphins)

Long led the Miami Dolphins with eight tackles on the day. He was all over the place, fitting the run extremely well as always and playing well in pass coverage, nearly intercepting a pass over the middle of the field. I know it's only one game, but I'm going to make a bold prediction here and say this is the year that Long earns his first Pro Bowl selection.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

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Geno Smith Records Long TD Run, Leads Seahawks to Week 1 Win

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Schuyler Callihan

SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Publisher of Mountaineers Now on FanNation/Sports Illustrated. Lead recruiting expert and co-host of Between the Eers, Walk Thru GameDay Show, Mountaineers Now Postgame Show, and In the Gun Podcast.

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