WVU Football: Philadelphia makes Rasul Douglas 99th pick in 2017 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles selected WVU’s Rasul Douglas with the 99th overall pick during Friday’s NFL Draft.

There were a number of defensive backs chosen before Rasul Douglas – 26 safeties and corners combined to be exact – but Eagles’ fans in the host city of Philadelphia seemed pleased with the pick.

Douglas was a mid-round projection, but after nine defensive backs went in the first round and ten in the second, Douglas was sure to be off the board before Saturday’s final four rounds.

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During his final season at West Virginia, Douglas tied for the nation’s lead in interceptions with eight and was a key member of Tony Gibson’s defensive unit. The ‘Eers defense, or DAWGS as Gibson prefers, surrendered 24.0 points a game to rank them 35th nationally.

Along with his on-field production came the accolades. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by ESPN.com as a senior and made a number of All-American teams, including for the Associated Press, Walter Camp, Pro Football Focus and USA Today, among others.

There’s no reason Douglas can’t step right in and start on day 1 for the Eagles, but learning from the sidelines before being tossed on an island with some of the best athletes in the world is fine too. The first regular season game for the Eagles is at NFC East-rival Washington; where the ‘Eers played BYU in 2016 and Douglas returned an interception for a touchdown. 

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