Rasul Douglas + Geno Smith Shock the NFL in Consecutive Years

WVU has been represented well in the league over the past two years.

Making it to the National Football League is not easy. Having success after bouncing around the league for the majority of one's career is even tougher. Two former Mountaineers, CB Rasul Douglas and QB Geno Smith, can now say they were able to accomplish both.

Douglas started 18 games over his first three years in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles and even won a Super Bowl with them as a rookie. However, he was not viewed as a part of the team's future and was cut just days before the start of the 2020 season. 

He latched on with the Carolina Panthers and put together a career year with 62 tackles and nine pass breakups in just 14 games (11 starts). For whatever reason, Carolina opted to let him walk in free agency. He initially signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, but was released before the start of the regular season once again. Two days later, he signed with the Houston Texans only to be let go within a week. Douglas then inked a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to be a part of their practice squad. He remained there through the first month of the season before Green Bay swooped in and signed him off their practice squad and the rest is history. 

Douglas made his mark with the Packers in just 12 games recording 57 tackles, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and one forced fumble. He took the NFL by storm and he had everyone asking at the end of the year, how the hell did this guy have trouble finding a spot on an NFL roster? He became the story of the league and earned himself a nice payday, agreeing to a three-year, $21 million deal to remain in Green Bay.

Much like Douglas, Geno Smith's career took a major turn. The former Mountaineer gunslinger had served as a backup to Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Russell Wilson over a four-year span. It felt as if Geno would never get another opportunity to start in the league, especially after how things unfolded during his time in New York. But I think we can all agree that Smith was never set up for success with the Jets. He played for a head coach in Rex Ryan that didn't want to draft him, he had no weapons to get the ball to, no run game, and a dreadful offensive line. Not to mention, he was thrown into the fire, starting all 16 games as a rookie. He didn't have the luxury of sitting a few weeks and learning behind a veteran.

When Seattle made the decision to trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, the belief was that the Seahawks would be contending for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, not the playoffs. Geno easily beat out the newly acquired Drew Lock for the starting job in the preseason and became one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league in 2022. Smith led all quarterbacks with a 69.8% completion percentage and set a franchise record for passing yards in a season (4,282). Over the weekend, Smith was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year & Most Improved Player, as voted on by the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA). 

Smith is set to become a free agent this offseason, but has already stated that he would like to stay in Seattle.

So with Douglas and Smith being the story of the NFL in consecutive years, which Mountaineer will do it in 2023?

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