BLACKSBURG – It was a successful weekend for Virginia Tech football in regards to its players taking the next step in their careers on the gridiron.
Four Hokies were drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, with tight end James Mitchell being first off the board to the Detroit Lions in the fifth round and defensive lineman Amaré Barno (Carolina), offensive tackle Luke Tenuta (Buffalo) and guard Lecitus Smith (Arizona) all being selected in the sixth round.
Immediately after the draft, teams kept working on adding to their rosters with the signings of undrafted free agents. Tech had seven of its players sign, including center Brock Hoffman (Cleveland), wide receiver Tré Turner (Las Vegas), running back Raheem Blackshear (Buffalo), cornerback Jermaine Waller (Detroit), defensive tackle Jordan Williams (Miami), wide receiver Changa Hodge (Arizona) and kicker John Parker Romo (New Orleans).
The final Hokies who received interest from NFL franchises were long snapper Oscar Shadley (New Orleans) and safety Tae Daley (Arizona) both being invited to rookie mini camps.
RELATED LINKS
- Soundbites: Draftees weigh in on their new teams
- Four Hokies taken in 2022 NFL Draft
- Season tickets on sale now
A few players found themselves on the same team ironically, as Mitchell and Waller are both Lions and Tenuta and Blackshear were picked up by the Bills. Hodge will be at the Cardinals' rookie camp with Daley, while Romo and Shadley will be reunited at Saints rookie camp.
The next step for the 13 Hokies are rookie mini-camps, which are two weekends in May for NFL teams to hold them – May 6-9 or May 13-16. Then the first session of OTAs (organized team activities) is May 23-26, which is an opportunity for teams to get their first up-close look at all players on their rosters in an organized setting.
Amongst other news in the NFL for the Hokies, Tech alum Jeff King was promoted to Co-Director of Player Personnel with the Chicago Bears.
List of new NFL Hokies
| Amaré Barno | Carolina Panthers |
| Raheem Blackshear | Buffalo Bills |
| Changa Hodge | Arizona Cardinals |
| Brock Hoffman | Cleveland Browns |
| James Mitchell | Detriot Lions |
| John Parker Romo | New Orleans Saints |
| Lecitus Smith | Arizona Cardinals |
| Luke Tenuta | Buffalo Bills |
| Tré Turner | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Jermaine Waller | Detroit Lions |
| Jordan Williams | Miami Dolphins |
Rookie Camp Tryouts
| Tae Daley | Arizona Cardinals |
| Oscar Shadley | New Orleans Saints |