Editor’s Notice: That is half considered one of a two-part collection previewing Nebraska soccer alums that may very well be chosen within the 2022 NFL Draft. Half two will likely be launched on Thursday, April 28.
Nebraska soccer’s sparse latest observe document within the NFL Draft will undoubtedly change this weekend, with the primary spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft commencing on Thursday night time in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Huskers’ spectacular 56-year streak of getting a participant chosen within the NFL Draft was damaged in 2019, and Nebraska had only one participant chosen in 2017 and 2018 previous to the streak snapping. Draft prospects have trended barely upwards for Nebraska since then, with the Huskers having two gamers chosen in 2020 and 2021, though all 4 have been chosen on the ultimate day of the draft.
Late-round alternatives have additionally been a latest pattern for this system. Courting again to 2017, all six Nebraska gamers chosen within the NFL Draft have been chosen on the draft’s third and last day — wherein rounds 4 via seven happen. The Huskers haven’t had a participant chosen within the second spherical since 2015 and within the first spherical since 2011.
The place precisely Nebraska’s draft-eligible gamers will land stays to be decided, but when all goes in line with plan the Huskers ought to not less than blow their latest NFL Draft historical past out of the water. Based mostly on a consensus from league analysts and draft consultants, not less than 5 Nebraska soccer alums have a chance to have their names referred to as this weekend, with different former Husker prospects value mentioning as properly.
As Thursday’s first spherical approaches, right here’s half considered one of a breakdown of former Nebraska soccer gamers that may very well be chosen within the 2022 NFL Draft:
Cam Jurgens, middle
Cam Jurgens started his Husker profession as a decent finish in 2018, transitioned to middle following that season and had a number of bumps within the highway adjusting to one of many extra demanding positions in soccer.
That he may very well be the primary Nebraska soccer participant chosen on this weekend’s draft displays extraordinarily properly on each Jurgens’ work ethic and Nebraska head coach Scott Frost’s participant growth and willingness to stay with the Beatrice, Nebraska native via snapping points in 2019 and 2020.
Jurgens posted a superb 2021 marketing campaign, which culminated in a Third-Staff All-Massive Ten choice from the league’s coaches. He allowed simply 13 quarterback pressures all season whereas keying a number of dominant performances for Nebraska’s operating recreation.
He earned an invite to the NFL Mix in March, the place he posted an especially spectacular 4.92 seconds 40-yard sprint and 25 reps on the bench press. At Nebraska’s professional day, he recorded a 33-and-a-half inch vertical bounce and a broad bounce at almost 10 toes.
Jurgens’ athleticism, significantly his downfield motion and skill to dominate as a pull blocker in zone operating ideas, has skyrocketed his draft inventory. Considerations about Jurgens’ well being and dimension persist, however The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and ESPN’s Jordan Reid have Jurgens rated because the second-best middle within the 2022 draft class.
The overall opinion on Jurgens is that he may very well be chosen within the second or third spherical, and it’d be a reasonable shock to see him slip to day three. At any price, Jurgens’ growth in 2021 was nothing wanting outstanding and he possesses the athletic instruments to be a more-than-capable starter for an NFL franchise.
Cam Taylor-Britt, cornerback
Like Jurgens, former Nebraska cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt’s collegiate success and pre-draft testing numbers elevated himself to a projected second-day NFL Draft choose.
Taylor-Britt, who was voted a staff captain forward of the 2021 season, leaves behind a powerful collegiate profession in Lincoln. As one of many leaders of a deceptively spectacular Nebraska protection final season, Taylor-Britt posted a profession excessive 51 tackles, together with a sack and three tackles for loss, whereas additionally posting 12 passes defended and an interception. His season culminated in Second-Staff All-Massive Ten honors for the second consecutive season.
At the same time as he began 29 of Nebraska’s final 30 contests relationship again to 2019, maybe two of his greatest performances as a Husker got here in consecutive weeks. Taylor-Britt was probably the greatest gamers on the sector in Nebraska’s 32-29 loss to then-No. 9 Michigan on Oct. 9, posting a career-high 11 tackles together with three go breakups.
Towards Minnesota per week later, he as soon as once more led the protection. Taylor-Britt recorded seven tackles, however had a career-high two tackles for loss in addition to a sack, the place he fully blew up an tried Golden Gopher trick play. Within the second half, Taylor-Britt pulled down a near-improbable interception ultimately zone, utilizing his athleticism and ball-tracking potential to grab a landing away from Minnesota.
What makes Taylor-Britt an interesting NFL Draft prospect, apart from his bodily intangibles, is his versatility. He’s a keen tackler with 100 whole tackles within the final two full seasons the Huskers performed (2019 and 2021), has expertise on particular groups and has logged begins at each cornerback and security for Nebraska.
He additionally suits the invoice athletically, operating a blistering 40-yard sprint of 4.38 seconds on the NFL Mix. At Nebraska’s professional day, he recorded a 33-and-a-half inch vertical bounce and a 9-foot-11 inch broad bounce.
Brugler has Taylor-Britt graded because the No. 8 cornerback and the No. 57 prospect total within the 2022 NFL Draft, with a projected touchdown spot in both the late second spherical or third spherical. Reid tasks Taylor-Britt equally, because the No. 10 cornerback accessible with a third-round projection. His various skillset ought to permit that projection to be realized, and Taylor-Britt ought to be able to contribute instantly as a rookie.
JoJo Domann, linebacker
Former linebacker JoJo Domann, in line with each Brugler and Reid, is the third-highest ranked Husker draft prospect behind Jurgens and Taylor-Britt.
Nonetheless, Domann is also coming into his skilled profession on the heels of probably the most spectacular particular person seasons anybody on Nebraska had in 2021, parlaying a powerful marketing campaign right into a Second-Staff All-American choice by the Related Press at defensive again. He was the jack-of-all-trades for the Blackshirts final season, showcasing his well-rounded potential at each degree of the Husker protection.
Within the passing recreation, Domann broke up 5 whole passes and had two sacks and interceptions, the latter a career-high mark. Elsewhere, Domann had 9 tackles for loss, 72 whole tackles and two compelled fumbles — all coming in simply 10 appearances in 2021. His degree of play has been sustained too, main Nebraska’s protection in tackles for loss and compelled fumbles in 2020.
Final season, Domann seemingly produced a spotlight play weekly. Whether or not he’s making an unimaginable sideline interception towards Ohio State, forcing a turnover on downs towards Michigan State with a powerful open-field deal with or blowing up a second-and-goal towards Northwestern, seldom per week glided by with out Domann making a severe influence.
Domann’s athleticism, fast open-field burst and playmaking potential makes him an especially tantalizing prospect. Like Taylor-Britt, Domann has expertise at security — the place he was initially recruited to play at Nebraska — in addition to on particular groups. That versatility ought to undoubtedly serve him properly as he seems to be to contribute early in his skilled profession.
Nonetheless, considerations about Domann are prevalent. He’s torn his ACL twice, which brought about him to overlook the whole 2017 season, and in addition missed time attributable to harm in 2019 and 2021. He’s additionally comparatively previous by NFL rookie requirements, because the Colorado Springs, Colorado native will flip 25 earlier than the NFL season begins.
That hasn’t appeared to influence his inventory a lot although. In truth, the other may very well be occurring if the pre-draft course of is any indication. An April 25 article from The Athletic that anonymously surveys NFL executives’ ideas about totally different gamers within the draft singles out Domann by title when mentioning linebackers which have seen their draft prospects progressively enhance.
Brugler has Domann ranked because the No. 10 linebacker, projecting him to go in both the third or fourth spherical. Reid, in the meantime, has Domann projected and evaluated as a security on the NFL degree, rating him the No. 19 security with a fifth or sixth spherical projection.
It could not be a shock to see Domann discover a residence late within the third spherical, nevertheless he’ll greater than possible be chosen within the early goings of the draft’s last day.
sports activities@dailynebraskan.com