Forty percent of last year’s starting defensive backfield is now in the NFL. Earlier this evening, the Carolina Panthers selected West Virginia cornerback Daryl Worley with the 77th overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft, taking place this weekend in Chicago.
Yesterday, safety Karl Joseph was the 14th overall player picked in the first round by the Oakland Raiders.
Worley, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, resident, opted to forgo his senior season at WVU after producing six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 49 tackles, two tackles for losses, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 12 regular season games for the Mountaineers in 2015.
In 34 career games, the 6-foot-1-inch, 202-pounder intercepted 10 passes, broke up 21 more and was in on 146 total tackles as one of the Big 12’s most effective pass defenders.
Worley was a player Carolina coveted, the Panthers gave up their third (93), fourth (129) and fifth (168) picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up 16 spots to take Worley.
He joins Samford cornerback James Bradberry in a draft class focused on acquiring secondary help.
WVU teammates Nick Kwiatkoski, KJ Dillon and Wendell Smallwood are also expected to hear their names called in this year’s draft, which concludes tomorrow afternoon with rounds four through seven.
