Virginia Tech’s Tim Settle Declares for 2018 NFL Draft

Tim Settle Virginia Tech
Tim Settle has declared for the 2018 NFL Draft. (Photo by Ivan Morozov)

Tim Settle is hoping to parlay his first season as a starter at Virginia Tech into an NFL career. The redshirt sophomore announced his decision to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft on Twitter on Thursday morning.

Settle, a redshirt sophomore, started all 13 games in 2017 for the Hokies after coming off the bench in 2016. Settle finished his last season at Virginia Tech with 36 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Settle played a particularly important role this season, given the Hokies’ lack of depth at defensive tackle. Settle and battery mate Ricky Walker were often forced to play more snaps than normal, but still excelled.

Virginia Tech will be even more thin at the position now. Walker is expected to return to Virginia Tech for his final year of eligibility, but he’ll be the only player at the position next season with legitimate playing time experience.

Other Hokies still have an NFL decision to make. Redshirt junior Terrell Edmunds and junior Tremaine Edmunds are both candidates to declare for the NFL Draft, but have yet to announce their intent. Players must declare by Jan. 16 in order to be entered in this year’s draft.

42 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Hey all recruits, look! Virginia Tech is so good at “sending players to the NFL” that they can do it for players that have played only 2 years!

    GO HOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. This is simply the way in College Football these days….the lure of the $$$ is just too great, even if it may turn into fool’s gold.

  3. Looking on the bright side … early playing time for new defensive line recruits.

    Good luck Tim. Thanks for being an important part of Hokie Nation.

  4. In 2016, 28% of underclassmen (30 out of 107) who declared went undrafted. (Not sure the 2017 stats). It is most likely (72%+ if 2018 is similar) that Settle, with his NFL size and athleticism will be drafted, at least in mid to late rounds (remember, he is not going for 1 of 32 starting QB positions). Lots of teams need relatively inexpensive depth on the D line. If, like a previous poster mentioned, Settle struggles academically, he might have had trouble staying eligible anyway since he is now in upper level courses. This way, even on a NFL practice squad, he makes low six figures. I hate to see guys leave early, but sometimes there is no perfect decision, only the best decision at the time. I hope he has no regrets, and we – VT, have a Next Man Up attitude!

  5. Does one departure influence another? IE, last year, if Evans left, Ford and Bucky knew they’d have a rookie throwing to them, while if Ford left, Evans knew he’d be down his best target.

    Similarly, with Tim leaving, does Tremaine say “Hey, that’s the guy who kept me clean from OL and allowed me to make plays” and does Terrell say “hey, that’s the guy who collapsed the pocket and made my job easier in the backfield”?

    1. My thought is that it’s much more direct between QB and WR than DL and LB or DB. At least I hope so. Although either of the Edmunds brothers could still declare pro without Settle’s decision being an influence.

  6. Terrible business decision, IMO. In a league known as Not For Long, he would’ve been better off staying four years, like Jonathan Allen, to command potential lottery pick money.. Did Settle garner any postseason awards? Quite a leap of faith for a one year starter. Can TechSideline start tracking these players who decide to leave early to see how their careers pan out? I’d be interested to know if 3-5 years of late round money is equal to 1-2 years of early round money in hindsight, since money is what seems to drive these decisions. We’re never going to get better as a team if we keep losing star players early.

    1. I would rather have a team of players talented enough to leave early – means you are doing something right. Best of luck to Tim.

    2. +1 … would be a good article to analyze VT’s early NFL entries and how it compares to those that finish their college eligibility. Then do a comparison of those with 1 year left to those with 2 years left of eligibility.

    3. We don’t know, but I’d be surprised if it’s money. His family is from Manassas- that’s a pretty nice community. I’d think he just wants to achieve his dream- which is to play professionally.

      All of these guys are 1 injury away from not playing. Hell, he already won the lottery! He started at VT and is now NFL eligible. He could be better, but I can understand if he wants to move on.

      VT is not yet close to where the Clemsons and Alas are right now in terms of national competition. VT is still a few years off from that level, and he can always come back to complete his degree. Just wish he would stay.

    4. I completely feel the same way and I like your thinking about tracking these player decisions. I find us Hokies venting about these early declare-decisions every single year and have thought about generating a Tracker myself. Perhaps a public and visible tracking matrix can help our athletes realize for themselves the unlikely success from early-declaring rather than stay and complete a 4th year. Expert sources I have researched project ONLY Terrell E & Adonis A. to go at Draft picks 75 and 116 (Rounds 3 & 4). In 2017, picks 75 and 116 was equivalent to $3,517,752/ $889,752 Signing Bonus for TE and $3,052,614/ $652,614 Signing Bonus respectively. That’s what our guys can expect this year give or take their specialized stats. Tim is not even on the radar to go in the first 4 rounds. I think that’s a bad indication.

      If you peek at the first pick (Jake Butt) in the 5th round at 145th, he earned $2,700,938 / $300,938SB
      and
      If you peek at the 253rd last and final pick (Mr. Attitude Chad Kelly) in the 7th Round, he earned $2,464,270 / $64,270SB

      So if Tim gets drafted, he stands to earn a contract somewhere in between what the 145th and 253rd pick earned BUT that’s IF he goes. Like all or most Hokies lately, he will go in the 6 or7th Round because early declare Hokies are not valued highly. The program and the players have done this to themselves.

      Last Year’s Hokies earned the following:

      Isaiah Ford (237 pick/7th Round) $2,478,301 / $78,301SB
      Sam Rogers (206 pick/6th Round) $2,542,832 / $142,832SB
      Bucky Hodges (201 pick / 6th Round) $2,545,650 / $145,650SB
      Chuck Clark (186 pick / 6th Round) $2,574,807 / $174,807SB

      Does getting drafted matter? Ask who? Jerod Evans:

      Jerod Evans (an undrafted free Agent) received $0 / 0$ Signing Bonus. Jerod ONLY earned $64,800 year to date from Packers this year despite his paper contracts below:

      Eagles Contract was $1,665,000 / 555,000 but was terminated before payout.
      Packers Contract was $122,400 / 122,400 but was terminated before full payout after Aaron Rodgers return.

      Conclusion: Our guys really need to stay the extra year; their stock can only go up not down.

      1. 2.4million is not enough to skip out on a degree from VT. Maybe we should look at what the average power five mid round draft pick makes so included in the figure is all the players who wash out or get injured in the first season where their contracts never pay out. The economics only work for the top players who last for 8 seasons or more. 2.4 million is not life changing money if u get cut, traded or injured and the payout becomes around 1million; then 50% goes to taxes and the player buys a million dollar house which they cannot actually afford. I support any player to leave early when its a mid first round or higher where the money IS guaranteed and life changing.

        1. Really? 2.4 million isn’t enough to leave school?

          I’m guessing 95%+ of the student body would do so. Not many people earn that in their life.

          School is always there.

          1. Unfotunately, There’s no guarantee you truly earn that money and make it through the first year much less make it to year 3 which is the golden year to be pension eligible.

            Bucky and Jerod have already been cut in their 1st year and Isaiah is at risk once off the IR.

            OUR players are not seeing the full term of their 2million dollar contracts due to their low draft status. It seems they are just pawns in cap and playercontract negotiations as teams jockey to keep their veteran stars happy.

        2. I’m 41 yrs old with a degree from VT and live a pretty good life. I’ve probably yet to earn $2.4M in my lifetime. Trust me…it’s enough.

          1. You didn’t pay an agent 8% or in the 39.6% tax bracket either. You have put a lot more in your pocket than they would if they played out the contract in 3-4 years.

      2. Hate to tell you but that’s not guaranteed money. None of them received those numbers.

      3. Actually, none of those contract values were earned except Ford. NFL is non guaranteed money. So their signing bonus is the only guarantee. Once they’re cut, they’re done. However, the lure of even $150,000 is a lot for a 20 yr old and especially one with no experienced guidance. That said, it’s none of our business.

      4. Is that $2.4 million over the course of several years? I believe what four years? And NFL contracts are not guaranteed. You have to pay an agent anywhere from 4 to 8 percent, and you’re in the highest tax bracket as well. I think the players just need to realize that the NFL is not a charity. The key is being able to get to the NFL and stay there, not just get a rookie contract. That does you no good if you only last one year.

  7. Well, that’s Settled. All the best to Tim. Good move for him, IMHO. Pro level talent and size – not fully developed, but that is not the biggest factor. The core and the base are there. Make us Hokies proud.

    1. Plus, he’s probably best suited as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Guys his size with quick feet are rare and he’ll be
      picked early, IMO.

      1. As much as I liked him, he’s not in the class of say Aaron Donald or any of the other elite defense of tackles in this year‘s draft class. He has talent no doubt, but so did Logan Thomas. The NFL is not a developmental league. I think that is what most people are messing up when they look at where they believe he’s going to go on the draft. Teams are not going to spend millions on a player cannot be productive on day one. If you need work, you’re going to go in around five through seven. You’re not going to go early.

  8. Go get ’em TimAY!!! Best of luck you to you. Looking forward to seeing you on the VT sideline for a future game sporting a shiny superbowl ring!

    1. He’ll be on the sideline of a lot of future Tech games…after he gets drafted in the late rounds (if he gets drafted at all), and then probably fails to even make an NFL roster. He wouldn’t even be on an NFL team by next fall, so he will have plenty of extra time on his hands.

      What a horrible mistake. With only 1 season as a starter, to leave school not 1, but 2 years early makes NO SENSE!! While his numbers were half-decent, they are not good enough to attract the attention of NFL scouts/teams. He will be a late round pick or an UDFA, IMO.

      When will these young men learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before them (Sith, Evans, Hodges, etc., etc., etc.). How many of them ended up on NFL rosters, or even played a single down in the NFL? Let the mass exodus begin!!

  9. He will probably end up regretting his decision like Evans. He needed at least one more year. Who gets in their heads that this is what they should do? Every program has this issue and it hurts all of them. We are not alone but these kids need to use some common sense. One year as a starter is not enough time to justify an early pullout for the NFL. Good luck to him, he is going to need it. Just look at Evans.

  10. Tim is making the right decision although as a Hokie fan I’d love for him to stay. He should excel in the NFL. I thank Tim for his time & play at VT. Go get em!

  11. I said this when he redshirted, but we wasted him for a year. If he’d have played as a tr fr, he’d probably have been even better thi spast year. He may also not have made it academically. Which I think is leading his decision. Good luck, Tim.

  12. his potential is high. hopefully he ends up having an opportunity to recognize/capitalize on that potential. best of luck.

  13. Not a good decision. Hope I’m wrong but he started one year and although he played well, it’s hard for me to believe he’s gonna be a first or second round pick.

    1. Like I’ve said I love the guy, but there is no way he’s going to go in the first or second round. There are dozens of guys out there with size and agility. The NFL is looking for those traits plus productivity. And the ability to play every down. He hasn’t shown all of that just yet. He still a work in progress . Like I’ve said the NFL is not a developmental league, they expect you to be able to produce when they’re paying you massive amounts of money. Tim didn’t exactly have great stats playing at a 43 defense. By contrast, look at Aaron Donald who played for Pittsburgh in college & plays for the Rams now, he is a nose tackle who had 11 Sacks in 15 games. That is what they’re looking for in a first or second round pick.

  14. May the Hokie Force be with you, Tim. Wishing you all success in this important step in your life.

  15. Had a feeling we would lose one or two guys. On the bright side if he goes high in the draft, the old “Tech defensive linemen can’t go in the draft/NFL” will be wrong. Trying to be positive about this.

    1. And should also say I wish him the best going forward. Seemed like a good kid who worked hard to get himself ready to play hard. He really did what he needed to do to play and play at a high level.

    2. We will lose all of them, both Edmunds will leave too, just watch…………the threat of injury is just too high when they’ve been told their status isn’t likely to change if they stay one more year.

Comments are closed.