Hokie ClubWith the 2022 NFL season officially in the books and a lot to look back on for how former Virginia Tech football players faired at the professional level, it's only fitting to take a glance at how the maroon and orange scattered across the league performed on Sunday's in the fall.
How did the multitude of Hokies play in 2022? For a full rundown, read Wednesday's edition of NFL Hokies, presented by Coca-Cola.
DE Amaré Barno - Carolina Panthers
Rookie defensive end Amaré Barno put together a solid start to his professional career in his debut season in 2022.
The sixth-round pick in this past April's NFL Draft played in nine games for the Carolina Panthers over the course of the year, totaling nine total tackles, with eight solo stops, and finishing the season with two total sacks to help anchor down a strong first-year campaign at Bank of America Stadium.
RB Raheem Blackshear - Carolina Panthers
Running back Raheem Blackshear made quite the first impression for the Carolina Panthers in his rookie season while occupying the backfield down in Uptown Charlotte.
The 2022 undrafted free agent carried the ball 23 times for 77 yards and three touchdowns throughout the duration of the campaign, also catching 10 passes for 93 yards and serving as the starting kick returner for Carolina over the course of 2022.
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OT Duane Brown - New York Jets
15-year veteran Duane Brown had quite the impact on the New York Jets' offensive line in his first full season suiting up in the Big Apple.
After being shelved the first four games of the 2022 campaign due to an unspecified injury, Brown only missed 10 offensive snaps the rest of the way, and posted a 72.3 pass-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus, throughout his 12 games played in 2022.
S Chuck Clark - Baltimore Ravens
Sixth-year safety Chuck Clark just finished off another standout season for the Baltimore Ravens roaming around the secondary up in the Charm City.
A former sixth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Clark tallied 61 total tackles, with 40 solo, throughout his 17 starts for the purple and black, breaking up four total passes and forcing a fumble to round out another respectable season at the safety position in 2022.
OT Christian Darrisaw - Minnesota Vikings
Star offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw had the season of his life up front for the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings in his 14 games played in 2022.
The 2021 first-round draft pick totaled a remarkable 90.3 overall grade, 90.2 run-blocking mark, and an 81.8 pass-blocking total across 14 starts to round out an incredible second full season suiting up in the professional ranks. He also finished No. 26 overall amongst all NFL players in PFF's grade.
LB Divine Deablo - Las Vegas Raiders
Linebacker Divine Deablo was turning in a fantastic second season for the Las Vegas Raiders before suffering a season-ending forearm injury that kept him sidelined for the final nine games of the 2022 campaign.
In just eight games seeing time on the field, Deablo had already racked up 74 total tackles, with 38 coming on his own, recording a single tackle for loss and a pass breakup in what was a promising sample size for the former third-round pick in 2021.
S Terrell Edmunds - Pittsburgh Steelers
Fifth-year safety Terrell Edmunds recently assembled another respectable season at the safety position for the Pittsburgh Steelers up in the Steel City.
The former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft started 15 games throughout 2022, securing 70 total tackles (41 solo), three tackles for loss and deflecting five total passes to help steer the ship in the Steelers' secondary in what turned out to be another winning season for the black and gold.
LB Tremaine Edmunds - Buffalo Bills
Standout linebacker Tremaine Edmunds just recently compiled another strong season at the professional level as a cornerstone piece on the defensive side of the ball for the Buffalo Bills.
Another former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the younger Edmunds garnered 66 total tackles, with 36 solo, in the 13 games played, snatching up one tackle for loss, picking off a pass and breaking up seven total passes for the AFC East's divisional champions in 2022.
CB Brandon Facyson - Indianapolis Colts
Cornerback Brandon Facyson played a key role for the Indianapolis Colts in his debut season suiting up in the Crossroads of America in 2022.
A former undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft, Facyson started four games across 16 appearances at the cornerback position in his first season with the Colts, totaling 28 total tackles, with 26 solo stops, and recording a solid six pass deflections that marked the team's third-best in the 2022 campaign. His PFF grade of pass coverage (90.0) marked the highest for any off-ball linebacker in the NFL, making him rank No. 69 overall in the NFL, according to PFF's Top 101 list.
CB Caleb Farley - Tennessee Titans
Fellow cornerback Caleb Farley saw just a flurry of action for the Tennessee Titans after missing the final eight games of 2022 with an apparent back issue.
The former first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft made one start over the span of nine appearances throughout the duration of the campaign, seizing 10 total tackles (9 solo) in just a small sample size in his second full season suiting up in the professional ranks.
CB Kyle Fuller - Baltimore Ravens
Veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller played in just one game for the Baltimore Ravens before being shelved for the remainder of the year due to a torn ACL in 2022.
The longtime member of the Chicago Bears made three total tackles during his lone appearance in ninth professional season, and will look to get back to playing a major role wherever he takes his talents in 2023.
CB Kendall Fuller - Washington Commanders
Seventh-year pro Kendall Fuller had another year to remember roaming around at the cornerback position up in the nation's capital for the Washington Commanders.
The former third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft attained 36 total tackles, with 16 coming on his own, throughout the 2022 campaign, breaking up a team-best 13 passes, picking off three passes and returning two for touchdowns to round out another top tier season at the NFL level.
RB Khalil Herbert - Chicago Bears
Running back Khalil Herbert navigated through an injury-riddled campaign to put together another productive season manning the backfield for the Chicago Bears in 2022.
The former standout tailback during his lone season with the Hokies ran the ball 129 times for 731 yards over the course of his 13 appearances up in the Windy City, finding the end zone four times and netting 5.7 yards per carry to help lead the way in the Bears' rushing attack.
That's not all. The former sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft caught nine passes for 57 yards throughout the duration of the season, scoring on a 25-yard strike to help show off his versatility early on in his professional career.
C Brock Hoffman - Dallas Cowboys
First-year center Brock Hoffman got his feet wet with the Dallas Cowboys after being scooped up off waivers from the Cleveland Browns in a mid-November claim.
The former two-year starter with the maroon and orange played in a respectable three games for America's Team, seeing action on 19 total special team snaps to scratch the surface on what could end up being a promising career at the NFL level.
TE James Mitchell - Detroit Lions
Rookie tight end James Mitchell just recently completed a noteworthy first-year campaign on the offensive side of the ball for the Detroit Lions in 2022.
Mitchell, a former fifth-round pick in this past April's NFL Draft, hauled in 11 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown across 14 appearances in his debut season, averaging 10.3 yards per catch, and quietly becoming a key depth piece in the Lions' offensive identity towards the latter half of an encouraging year on the gridiron for the Motor City Kitties.
OT Yosh Nijman - Green Bay Packers
Fourth-year offensive tackle Yosh Nijman did a nice job up front for the Green Bay Packers in his first full season as a full-time starter in 2022.
The former undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft started in 13 games across 17 appearances over the course of the campaign, displaying a reputable 74.4 pass-blocking grade to help anchor down a potent Packers offensive that continued to get hot as the calendar crept towards the back half of the year.
DT Tim Settle - Buffalo Bills
Defensive tackle Tim Settle stockpiled another solid season in the professional ranks in his first season suiting up in upstate New York for the Buffalo Bills in 2022.
The former fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft started two games across 15 appearances throughout the entirety of the 2022 campaign, collecting 19 tackles (11 solo), four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and forcing one of his own to finish off a strong first-year season for the AFC East's divisional champions.
K Joey Slye - Washington Commanders
Placekicker Joey Slye compiled his best season yet in the professional ranks for the Washington Commanders as the team's full-time starter in 2022.
The former four-year starter during his time with the Hokies went 25-of-30 over the course of the campaign when it comes to field goal attempts, booting through a career-long 58-yard try and knocking through 24-of-28 of his extra points.
OG Lecitus Smith - Arizona Cardinals
First-year offensive guard Lecitus Smith saw action in 10 contests, while earning two starts for the Arizona Cardinals in his rookie season in 2022.
The 2022 sixth-round draft pick participated in 209 offensive snaps over the course of the year, finding the field on an additional 37 snaps on the special teams side of the ball to show off his versatility in his debut campaign suiting up out in the desert at State Farm Stadium.
CB Greg Stroman - Chicago Bears
Cornerback Greg Stroman found a late opportunity with the Chicago Bears during the latter half of the 2022 season, and boy, did he take advantage.
The former seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft saw action in just two games out in the Windy City at Soldier Field, but earned a single start and picked off a pass in Chicago's 29-13 loss to Minnesota in the team's season finale.
Stroman wasn't even picked up by the Bears until Dec. 28 after a need at cornerback became apparent, but he's already inked a reserve/future contract to stay in Chicago for the foreseeable future.
QB Tyrod Taylor - New York Giants
Reserve signal-caller Tyrod Taylor served as a valuable depth piece in the quarterback room for the New York Giants in 2022.
The former three-time ACC champion during his time in Blacksburg played in just three games this past season up in the Big Apple, but played his role well by completing six of his eight passes for 58 yards and a touchdown over the course of the campaign.
OG Wyatt Teller - Cleveland Browns
Fifth-year offensive guard Wyatt Teller had another productive season in the professional ranks throughout all 15 games started for the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
The 2023 Pro Bowler posted another year's worth of impressive numbers inside FirstEnergy Stadium, posting a 70.3 overall grade, the exact same numeral when it comes to run-blocking, and a respectable 67.9 pass-blocking grade to help him secure his second straight spot in the league's annual Pro Bowl events.
OT Luke Tenuta - Green Bay Packers
Rookie offensive tackle Luke Tenuta finally earned a well-deserved opportunity on an NFL gridiron when he suited up for the Green Bay Packers during the final three games of the 2022 campaign.
The former sixth-round pick in this past April's NFL Draft saw action on 18 special teams snaps throughout the trio of contests, additionally playing on seven offensive snaps and earning a 73.9 pass-blocking grade during his limited time on the field up in Green Bay during the final stages of the season.
TE Logan Thomas - Washington Commanders
Standout tight end Logan Thomas just finished up another big-time campaign at the professional level for the Washington Commanders in 2022.
Thomas, a former three-year starting quarterback during his time with the Hokies, caught 39 passes for 323 yards over the course of the season, averaging 8.3 yards per catch and reaching the end zone once in his 13 starts across 14 appearances up in the nation's capital for the burgundy and gold.