Chris Long offers Virginia's Eli Harold guidance as draft nears

Published Apr. 29, 2015 10:40 a.m. ET

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Chris Long knows what it's like to be a Cavalier pass-rusher rising up through the ranks. He was a consensus All-American at Virginia before the St. Louis Rams selected him No. 2 overall in the 2008 NFL draft.

So, it made sense for him to mentor former Virginia defensive end and 2015 NFL draft early entrant Eli Harold. Long has been telling Harold what to expect as a potential first-round selection, according to Jerry Ratcliffe of Cavalier Insider.

"I spoke to Eli and told him if he needed anything to just let me know," Long told Cavalier Insider, after developing a relationship with Harold during his earliest days on campus.

Even though they discussed the decision to leave for the draft a year early, per Ratcliffe, it's not like Long was pulling Harold along to join him among the professional ranks. In fact, it may have been the opposite.

"Selfishly, as a Virginia fan and a supporter of the program, I would have loved to have seen Eli come back for another year," Long said, via Cavalier Insider. "He absolutely could have been a terror his senior year. The defense was fun to watch last season."

Virginia's defense is now regrouping in preparation for a future without Harold.

(h/t Cavalier Insider)

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports