Reggie Virgil didn't help himself with the way he ran at the NFL combine or during Texas Tech's on-campus pro day. The Arizona Cardinals didn't hold it against him.The Cardinals selected the Red Raiders' wide receiver in the NFL draft on Saturday, April 25. They took him with the third pick in the fifth round, No. 143 overall.
Virgil was Tech's sixth player taken over three days, tying a 70-year-old program record for the number selected in one NFL draft."I had a thought that I would go there, but you just never know," Virgil said in comments relayed by a Tech media relations staff member. "But they gave me my first 30 visit. The staff loved me, man.
I loved them, and we had a good time."More: What Texas Tech's David Bailey said after Jets took him in NFL DraftMore: Texas Tech's Romello Height already talking Super Bowls with 49ersNFL teams are allowed to bring in up to 30 prospects before the draft for more in-depth interviews, film study, and medical evaluation. Virgil said Cardinals wide receivers coach Tony Sorrentino and general manager Monti Ossenfort had given him positive feedback."Coach Tony told me, 'I'm trying to get you. I don't know when, but I'm going to get you,'" Virgil said.
"Monti told me he wanted me too, and they made it happen."The 2025 season was Virgil's first with the Red Raiders after he transferred from Miami (Ohio). He caught 57 passes, a career high, for 705 yards and 6 touchdowns. In his first two years at Miami, Virgil caught a total of two passes in 23 games.
He broke out in his junior year with 41 catches for 816 yards and 9 TDs, which made him coveted in the NCAA transfer portal. He caught at least two passes in every game last season, helping the Red Raiders go 12-2, win their first Big 12 championship, and make the College Football Playoff for the first time.At the NFL combine, he was timed at 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard sprint. On Tech's on-campus pro day, he ran 4.61 and 4.65.He has an NFL home, though."It means a lot," Virgil said.
"It's a dream come true. I worked really hard, put in a lot of hours. A lot of people didn't see behind-the-scenes stuff I've been through.
Just my life in general, I never gave up. I just kept being consistent and kept showing up. Man, I'm blessed. God is great."This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Texas Tech's Reggie Virgil reacted to NFL draft pick by Cardinals