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That changed Saturday.

Defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland and defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles were taken by the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, in consecutive picks late in the sixth round Saturday afternoon.

The two defensive linemen, who were both Associated Press All-America third-team selections last season, were the fourth and fifth former Hokies selected in the seven-round draft.

Running back Bhayshul Tuten was the first former Tech player selected Saturday when the Jacksonville Jaguars took him with the 104th overall pick. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane was selected 24 picks later by the Washington Commanders.

The Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Dorian Strong with the first pick of the sixth round (177th overall) to solidify their secondary.

The five players selected in the same draft was the most for the Hokies since 2018.

Powell-Ryland and Peebles are the fourth Tech teammates to be taken with back-to-back picks in an NFL Draft.

Caleb Farley (Titans) and Christian Darrisaw (Vikings) were taken with the 22nd and 23rd overall picks in the 2021 draft. Ken Oxendine (201st to Falcons) and Marcus Parker (202nd to Bengals) were taken in the 1998 draft, and Doug McDougald (124th to Patriots) and Kenny Lewis (125th to Raiders) were taken in the 1980 draft.

Powell-Ryland, who is joining the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles, recorded 25.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for a loss in his two seasons with the Hokies. He was the runner-up for ACC defensive player of the year honors in 2024.

Peebles joined Powell-Ryland as a first-team All-ACC selection after posting 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks in his lone season with the Hokies.

Tuten and Lane can immediately contribute on special teams. Tuten returned two kickoffs for touchdowns during his two seasons with the Hokies, and Lane added a punt return touchdown in 2024.

Strong, who had back-to-back strong coverage seasons with the Hokies, is expected to immediately contend for playing time in a secondary that features plenty of veterans.

Lane, with the Commanders, will likely line up at slot receiver after spending two seasons at the position with the Hokies. Lane was utilized on jet sweeps to get him on the edge, and he showed the ability to turn short passes into big gains.

Lane had 1,004 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns on 79 receptions in his two seasons with the Hokies.

“This is a dream come true, man,” Lane told Commanders reporters after being selected. “… I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

He is the first former Tech player selected by Washington since Tim Settle and Greg Stroman were taken in the 2018 draft.

The 5-foot-9, 206-pound Tuten joins a Jacksonville running back rotation that features Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and 2024 draft pick Keilan Robinson.

The Jaguars took Heisman Trophy winner and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick, and Tuten’s addition provides another weapon for franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

“I know the running aspect of the game, I do that naturally,” Tuten said in an interview with a Jaguars team reporter. “So then I want to transition my game to pass blocking, in a sense, receiving out of the backfield. Being a well-rounded back that can be three downs is my overall goal and that’s what I’ve been striving and working on.”

Tuten was a second-team All-ACC selection at running back in 2024 when he rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Tuten is the third Tech player to be drafted by the Jaguars. Running back Shyrone Stith was taken in the seventh round of the 2000 draft, and wide receiver Ernest Wilford was taken in the fourth round of the 2004 draft.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Strong didn’t have gaudy numbers over the last two seasons (five interceptions and 14 pass breakups) because he was not targeted much at field cornerback. He primarily played in man coverage and showed he could get in position to make plays in zone coverage.

Strong cemented his status as an NFL-caliber cornerback in 2023 when he led all FBS cornerbacks by allowing 2.4 receiving yards per coverage target and nine receptions allowed.

The Bills have enjoyed success drafting former Hokies. It began in 1985 when they selected Bruce Smith with the No. 1 overall pick. Corey Moore, Tremaine Edmunds and Wyatt Teller are three of the eight other players who have been drafted by the Bills since 1985.

Wide receiver Stephen Gosnell wasn’t drafted by the Bills, but he is joining Strong in Buffalo after signing as an undrafted free agent following the seven-round draft’s conclusion.

Gosnell’s agency, Upper Edge Management, announced his signing.

Gosnell was one of four former Hokies who signed as undrafted free agents Saturday evening.

Offensive tackle Parker Clements’ agency, 3 Strand Sports & Entertainment, announced he was signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Wide receiver Da’Quan Felton signed with the New York Giants, according to a post on his Instagram account.

Defensive tackle Josh Fuga signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account.