NFL Hokies: Week 1 preview

Thursday, Sept. 8

Buffalo at L.A. Rams – 8:20 p.m. ET – NBC

The Virginia Tech-to-Buffalo connection will be on full display in primetime for Thursday night football.

Possessing two Hokies in the form of star linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and the newly acquired Tim Settle, the Bills are set to embark on a trip to SoFi Stadium with both former Tech defenders set to play a key role for Buffalo in 2022.

Edmunds, already a two-time Pro Bowler in just four seasons at the professional level, is coming off a year in which he finished with 108 total tackles and an interception as the cherry on top. While Settle, who inked a two-year deal in Upstate New York this past offseason, finished 2021 having notched 13 total tackles and four tackles for loss for the Washington Football Team a season ago. Running back Raheem Blackshear, who is in his rookie year, is currently on the Bills’ practice squad.

Sunday, Sept. 11

San Francisco at Chicago – 1 p.m. ET – FOX

Running back Khalil “Juice” Herbert is ready to take the next big step to be a major contributor in the NFL.

A former sixth-round draft pick back in 2021, the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native is coming off a rookie campaign in which he rushed for a solid 433 yards with two touchdowns, while also recording 14 receptions that were good for 96 yards in the air.

A truly versatile member of Chicago’s 53-man roster, Herbert looks to further solidify himself in the Bears’ offensive rotation in 2022, and continue to represent Tech well while suiting up in the Windy City.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati – 1 p.m. ET – CBS

An organization like the Steelers always has high hopes each and every year. And for the black and gold to accomplish big things in 2022, starting safety Terrell Edmunds is going to have to be a big part of that for Pittsburgh in the upcoming season.

Totaling 89 total tackles with a sack and two interceptions a year ago, the 6-foot-1, 217-pounder has become a key piece in the team’s secondary since bursting onto the scene back in 2018.

Starting off in Cincinnati against the defending AFC champions is no easy task. But it’ll be a strong opportunity for the former first-round draft pick to showcase his capabilities to kick off his fifth full season at the professional level.

Philadelphia at Detroit – 1 p.m. ET – FOX

James Mitchell’s NFL debut will come inside of his home stadium to start off his rookie campaign.

A fifth-round pick in this past year’s NFL Draft, the 6-foot-4, 249-pounder looks to open some eyes in his debut season after gaining a collection of national attention while suiting up for the maroon and orange.

Despite missing the majority of 2021, Mitchell completed a 26-reception, 435-yard and four-touchdown 2020 in his final full year at the collegiate ranks. And with the tools the Big Stone Gap, Virginia product naturally possesses, Mitchell has all the potential to be a productive member of Detroit’s tight ends room for years to come in the Motor City.

Baltimore at N.Y. Jets – 1 p.m. ET – CBS

The heyday of Tech football has been long-connected to “DBU,” a longstanding tradition that still reigns true today when looking at the very core of the Hokies’ program that dates all the way back to the Frank Beamer days. At least for the time being, a sprinkle of that coveted tradition has made its way up north to Baltimore, where Chuck Clark and Kyle Fuller are ready to suit up in the Charm City.

Clark, who has become a staple in the Ravens’ secondary, comes into 2022 following a season in which he tallied 80 total tackles that included two interceptions in another lockdown year for the 2017 sixth-round pick. Fuller, a new addition to the purple in black, returns to his roots in his hometown of Baltimore having completed a solid 2021 campaign with the Denver Broncos. And with the 5-foot-11, 194-pounder’s capabilities that he’s shown off in both Chicago and Denver, Fuller seems poised to show off his play-making skills in 2022.

Making the trip up to MetLife Stadium to face off against the Jets, both Clark and Fuller are set to line up against former Tech offensive lineman Duane Brown. The longest-tenured Hokie in the league, Brown is set to get started on his 15th season in the NFL, and will do so with his third team after previous stops in Houston and Seattle.

Jacksonville at Washington – 1 p.m. ET – FOX

It’s hard to find a team that possesses more Tech football grads than the Washington Commanders. In fact, you can’t. The burgundy and gold currently feature three Hokies on their 53-man roster, including tight end Logan Thomas, cornerback Kendall Fuller and placekicker Joey Slye.

Thomas, a former quarterback in his time in Blacksburg, hauled in 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns during an injury-shortened 2021 campaign. Both Fuller and Slye each contributed at a major level, too.

A former Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, Fuller totaled 77 tackles, a sack and an interception a year ago, and hopes to become a mainstay in the Commanders’ secondary in his second go-around with the organization after being selected in the third round back in 2016. Meanwhile, Slye, a four-year starter while suiting up for the maroon and orange, booted through 23 field goals in 25 tries with a best of 56 yards in a masterful 2021 in his first season in the nation’s capital.

With all three seemingly playing key roles in 2022, expect the trio’s talents to be on full display when Washington plays host to Jacksonville on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kick.

Cleveland at Carolina – 1 p.m. ET – CBS

2021 Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller and the Cleveland Browns will start off their 2022 campaign on the road in Charlotte, facing off against rookie Amarè Barno’s Carolina Panthers inside Bank of America Stadium.

Teller, who recently inked a four-year, $56.8 million-dollar contract extension that’ll keep him in Cleveland through 2025, will continue to be a major piece in the Browns’ offensive identity after establishing himself as one of the best at his position throughout the NFL. The Manassas, Virginia native has quietly blossomed into a star offensive tackle, working his way up the ranks after being just a fifth-round draft pick in 2018.

Barno, on the other hand, is set to start up his professional career after Carolina took him in the sixth round in this past year’s NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder left Tech having recorded 9.5 sacks over the course of the past two seasons, and has shown flashes the last six months as to why he can be a productive defensive end in the NFL, including an incredible 4.36-second 40-yard time at the NFL Combine that was the fastest by a defensive lineman since 2003.

Indianapolis at Houston – 1 p.m. ET – CBS

Tasked with traveling to Houston to take down the Texans in their season opener in 2022, both Brandon Facyson and Luke Tenuta will suit up with Indianapolis Colts for the first time in their professional careers. Though both different scenarios, both with equal opportunities.

Facyson, entering his fifth season at the professional level, comes to Indianapolis after successful stints with both the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. Tallying 55 total tackles with an interception a season ago, the Jacksonville, Florida product signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis this past offseason, hoping to further extend his NFL career in the Crossroads of America.

Tenuta’s situation is a tad bit different. Despite being waived by the Bills after Buffalo took him with its sixth-round draft pick, the 6-foot-9, 322-pounder has latched on with the Colts. And will get his first real shot on Indianapolis’ 53-man roster in 2022.

N.Y. Giants at Tennessee – 4:25 p.m. ET – FOX

Former first-round draft pick Caleb Farley is ready to finally star in the secondary for the AFC-hopeful Tennessee Titans. Through limited action in his debut campaign after suffering an ACL tear early on in the year, the Maiden, North Carolina native showed some flashes in the Music City before being put on the shelf that cut short his 2021. A high-level prospect during his time at Tech, Farley has all the tools necessary to become a big-time NFL cornerback for years to come. And if able to stay healthy, the folks in Nashville still believe he can be an X-factor in bringing home Tennessee’s first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The path to get there starts this Sunday when the Titans play host to fellow Hokie and New York Giants. A three-time ACC champion and former ACC Player of the Year during his time in Blacksburg, Taylor looks to become a solid depth piece for the Giants in continuation of his lengthy professional career.

Green Bay at Minnesota – 4:25 p.m. ET – FOX

One of the weekend’s better matchups between these two NFC North foes will feature two Hokies that have become regulars on both squad’s offensive lines.

A former undrafted free agent picked up by the Packers in 2019, Yosh Nijman appears on Green Bay’s roster for the fourth consecutive season after a promising stint with Tech from 2014-18. No surprise to many based on his career in Blacksburg, the 6-foot-7, 314-pounder has quickly worked his way up from hovering around the practice squad, to becoming a consistent contributor over the course of just a couple of seasons. And with Nijman’s increased productivity year in and year out, don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Minnesota’s Christian Darrisaw’s journey has been a little bit different. A first-round draft pick out of Tech in 2021, the Vikings’ star tackle has continued to shine, navigating around a groin injury that kept him sidelined in the early portions of the season, and producing solid results as a rookie starter up in Minneapolis.

Kansas City at Arizona – 4:25 p.m. ET – CBS

Sticking with the theme of offensive tackles, rookie Lecitus Smith is set to make his NFL debut with the Cardinals playing host to Kansas City this upcoming Sunday inside State Farm Stadium.

Taken at No. 215 overall in the sixth round of this past April’s NFL Draft, the 6-foot-3, 320-pounder arrives in Phoenix as a two-time All-ACC honorable mention during his time with the Hokies, impressing many throughout this past preseason and eventually earning him a spot on Arizona’s 53-man roster.

Las Vegas at L.A. Chargers – 4:25 p.m. ET – CBS

The process of converting from the safety position to the front seven in the linebacking corp at the professional level shouldn’t be as easy as Divine Deablo is making it look. A secondary stronghold during his time in Blacksburg, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina native has had a nice start to his professional career.

Racking up 45 total tackles a year ago in 2021, Deablo made some noise in his rookie campaign. And with his play-making abilities being fully showcased now at the NFL level, the 6-foot-3, 226-pounder could potentially take a big step up in his second season suiting up for Las Vegas. His first opportunity to show just that comes Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles when the Raiders visit Southern California for a highly-anticipated battle with the Chargers that could set the tone in the AFC West. 

Players

Staff