How many Longhorns are Draft-ing future plans?

The NFL Draft is, without question, the biggest and most intriguing non-competition event of the year for fans of the NFL … and maybe for fans of sports in general. Few, if any, events are dissected and discussed with such intensity and precision, a process that is only magnified because of the extended time between Pro Days across the country and the actual draft.

The interest has many layers. For the fans of NFL teams, the intrigue centers on which players end up on their favorite teams … and on their teams’ most hated rivals. For the college fans, it’s about where their favorite players end up, and whether those players will have a chance to succeed on their new teams.

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Critics scoffed when it was announced that ESPN would televise the Draft for the first time April 29, 1980. The network, of course, got the last laugh many times over, as the event ballooned into must-see television for millions of fans, a spectacle that now has been stretched out over three days, an event so massive it now gets carried on both ESPN and NFL Network, and followed by countless websites.

Without the benefit of a crystal ball, it is widely believed the Texas Longhorns will have a larger presence in this year’s draft. Two players are likely to go in the early rounds — perhaps even in Thursday’s first round.

So when might the Longhorns get taken? [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level3)]

Locks

Three players are virtually guaranteed to get drafted.

Many have said that offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi will be the first Longhorn to hear his name called, and with good reason: the anchor of the Texas offensive line since earning Freshman All-America honors, Cosmi put up numbers that make pro scouts drool, including 36 repetitions on the NFL-standard 225-pound bench press, a 40-yard dash in the 4.8s and a broad jump of more than 9 feet — linemen who measure 6-foot-5 and weighing nearly 315 pounds are not supposed to be able to put up numbers like that.

But there’s a very real chance Ossai will get picked ahead Cosmi. Will he better the better pro? Check three to five years for that conversation. The 6-4, 256-pound Ossai’s breakout performance at UT came in an Alamo Bowl win over Utah in which he had three sacks and five tackles for loss en route to Defensive Player of the Game honors. He was UT’s best pass rusher last season, and could become a Swiss Army knife-type player at the next level, where his next defensive coordinator can move him around at linebacker and/or defensive end.

Both Ossai and Cosmi have exceptional physical tools and production that make both worthy of high selection. But the consensus is that the top tier of the 2021 draft class is deeper in offensive tackles than pass rushers, so if a team has a significant need on the defensive side of the ball and becomes enamored with Ossai, he could go ahead of Cosmi … but probably not by much.
Prediction: Late first round (Ossai), early second round (Cosmi)

The third player almost assured of getting drafted is safety Caden Sterns, shrunk a little when measured by the pros: UT listed him at 6-1, while his draft profile has him listed a hair under 6 feet, but he plays bigger than the tape measure suggests. Sterns is a hard hitter who can come forward to hammer a ball carrier, but where he shines is when he drops into a center field-style of deep safety, able to make plays in the passing game. 
Prediction: Fourth round

Probables

After the top three, the picks become more of a topic of debate, with opinions ranging significantly for several players.

Defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham likely will be the next Longhorn off the board next weekend. He arrived at UT as a heralded 250-pound defensive end recruit, but then grew into a defensive tackle … albeit not a huge space eater in the mold of Keondre Coburn. So the 6-3 Graham, who weighs in the low 290s, won’t be a target for teams running a 3-4 defense that need a huge nose tackle in the middle. Graham played early and often at UT, starting half of the 48 games in which he played for the Longhorns. A smart and productive part of the UT defense, he was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2020.
Prediction: Sixth round

For NFL general managers, quarterback Sam Ehlinger might be the toughest Longhorn to evaluate. His critics will insist that he runs willingly but isn’t blindingly fast, and has decent but not elite arm strength and release. His supports, on the other hand, point to the list of positives: he is one of the most productive quarterbacks in UT history, the ultimate team-first leader, incredibly tough, smart enough to maximize or sometimes even exceed his physical gifts, willing to run and even block for teammates — and above all, he wins … and wins … and wins. Many of those same knocks were attached to Colt McCoy when he left UT, and he is so “underqualified” that he just signed on to begin his 11^th NFL season. They’re different kinds of quarterbacks, but many of the intangibles are the same, and there are a lot worse descriptions a quarterback could hear than “he’s a bigger, stronger, younger version of McCoy.” Given how many teams rely so much on analytics, there’s a real chance Ehlinger falls until the draft’s later rounds, but he is the kind of quarterback who figures out how to reach goals, and has a chance to make a late selection look idiotic.
Prediction: Sixth round

Safety Chris Brown is this year’s “if only” Longhorn … as in “if only he were 6-2 and 225 pounds …” As it is, he’s 5-11 and about 210, but in the right situation, he still should make an NFL roster. He’s a solid run defender and a sure tackler, and is an underrated pass defender, and can contribute on a lot of special teams. His 47 tackles were the fourth-highest total on the team, despite the fact that he played in just none of the Longhorns’ 10 games.
Prediction: sixth round

Wide receivers Brennan Eagles measures 6-4 and weighs 230, finished on the team in receptions (28) and receiving yards (469), and reached the end zone five times in nine games, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. He started 15 of the 32 games in which he played and collected 61 receptions over three seasons at UT. He offers an enticing large target, but ran a modest 4.55 in the 40 on Pro Day. Some scouts reportedly have envisioned him as a hybrid receiver/tight end, a position in which his speed would offer more separation.
Prediction: Sixth or seventh round

Maybes

UT receiver Tarik Black(6-3, 217) has been a tantalizing prospect for years … but has yet to produce at the level expected by those who scouted him. He played just one season at Texas, catching 10 passes for 240 yards and a score. He spent his first three seasons at Michigan, where he was touted as the Wolverines’ next star wideout … but he caught just 40 passes for a total of 507 yards, and reached the end zone only twice. A team might bring him to camp, but that could be based mostly on production.
Prediction: Free agent

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