The NFL Draft's Harsh Husker Reality
6 comments so far
April 27, 2009 by
Wins and losses are the ultimate measure of a football team. Teams are what their record says they are. Beyond that, few things offer as clear a window in to the state of a particular football program than the NFL draft. The selection process rigorously evaluates individual ability which reflects on a particular team. Scouts and personnel people don't mess around in the NFL. There are millions of dollars at stake and they know what they are doing (well, Al Davis excluded).
So, the 2009 edition of the NFL selection process might have been especially hard for Husker fans still longing for a return to the dominance and respect that came more than a decade ago. Forget about being prominent, they were hardly even present. I won't contend that this crop of young men was short on raw talent, it's probably just the opposite. However, these young men's results - in the eyes of NFL evaluators - fell short of the mark. Now, how can this situation be rectified?
The Ugly Truth
Former Husker did not do to well in the NFL draft. The first Husker didn't come off the board until the 5th round. And, that was Cody Glenn - a player who changed positions as a senior and who was suspended for the last part of the season. Ouch. NU's beloved and beefy right side of the line - Slauson and Murtha - went in round 6 and 7 respectively. Zach Potter and his dad will have to try the free agent ranks. Ditto of Marlon Lucky. Joe Ganz? He didn't get a sniff, regardless of how much Steve Sipple campaigned for him.
Am I saying this to be harsh? Nope. It's just the reality of pro football. Frankly, I'm a fan of all the players I just mentioned. But, Husker fans all need to recognize the genuine condition the program. And few things offer as telling an indictment as the NFL Draft.
A Measuring Stick
If you had any doubts about the top programs in the country, just consider the quantity and quality of players that USC had selected this weekend. Oh, sure, there are absolutely talented players on bad teams. The second overall pick was from Baylor. Or, maybe pure physical talent can overcome sub-par play, like the case of KSU's Josh Freeman (taken in the 1st round...). But, by in large, good teams produce quality players.
It's not just USC. Ole Miss was a dang good team in 2008, and that showed up again in the draft. Wake Forest and Boston College were both salty on defense last season for a reason, illustrated by where they each had players selected. It pained me to see so many Missouri Tigers go in the first day of the draft. But, it just confirms what we saw on the field the last two seasons. The NFL draft provides a pretty haunting echo of games past for Husker fans.
They Didn't Start This Way
Do I think the current crop of Huskers is ridiculously un-talented? Nope. I think they have a lot of physical tools, and they will all get a legit shot in the NFL. They didn’t start out this way. As recruits and even a year ago, they weren’t projected to be late day draft fodder.
Film doesn’t lie, now or then. Cody Glenn is a talent. Go look at the tape from his sophomore season as a running back. He ran like he was shot from a cannon. Look at the limited film of him as a linebacker. He’s crazy explosive. There’s a reason Washington picked him. Lydon Murtha is a paradox. He can put on a freakish workout, but has struggled at times in game action. The squandering of that talent rest squarely on his coaches, and that means both staffs he played for. The mis-management of Marlon Lucky – as a player and a person – is almost too ridiculous to address. Instead, I’ll ask that you just consider what he did in 2007. A forgettable year for Husker fans, I know. But he made many plays in so many losing efforts. Scouts loved him then. After an ugly 2008 for Lucky, I suppose they get a bargain on him now.
Zach Potter going undrafted is almost unreal. He has as many physical tools as defensive ends selected from from Florida State, Cincinnati or anyplace else. He has talent. But, again, consider 2007. Potter got worked over. It’s ugly to re-watch. But it is right there on film. Opposing tackles moved him where ever they wanted. He didn’t have the technique to combat them. One year of better coaching made him a viable NFL free agent. But, it was almost too little, too late.
All of these players have legit NFL talent. Translating that talent to results that can turn heads and move needles…well, that’s coaching. They didn’t get enough for all four years. If NFL teams can take a chance and improve them, they get a value.
Moving Forward...
Now that the NFL draft has cast an especially harsh light on NU, where does the program go from here? Consider this: the present is simply a reflection of the past. The future rests on the present. In other words - don’t get bitter, get better.
What will future Husker draft classes look like? Well, I think we can assume good things for Ndamukong Suh. So, look farther. Roy Helu has talent comparable or greater than Lucky’s. Mike McNeil has all the makings of a complete tight end. Further down the road, redshirt freshman PJ Smith passes the eyeball test at a free safety. Will Compton and Sean Fisher could be on any roster in the country. Incoming frosh Chris Williams is potentially the Ray Mauluga of his class. And so on and so forth. So what?
Like their predecessors, current and future Huskers have ample talent for the NFL. If you can crack the 2-deep at any “football school” like NU, you’ve got a shot. Whether or not any of those players hears their name called in future NFL drafts depends entirely on them and their coaches doing everything possible to translate that talent in to results that show up consistently on film.
Without those results, without that film, all of the best intentions, monster workouts and recruiting accolades won’t mean a darn thing on draft day. The 2009 draft made that crystal clear.
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darren Apr 27 09
Update - Swift, Peterson, Lucky and Potter have all signed free agent deals. Joe Ganz will also get a look. Good for them, and I hope they make their respective squads. Like I said, they all have talent. Now, get those pay checks, fellas.
One final point about how the NFL Draft and college results correlate. Remember that Pelini-led 2003 defense that we all loved? It had 6 players on it that got drafted. Just saying...it matters.
JBLING22 Apr 27 09
From what I've found around the net.. Lucky and Steinkuhler are going to try their lucky with Cincinnati. Joe to Tampa Bay. Potter at the Jets with Callahan, Peterson at Jacksonville, and Mr. Swift with Denver... Good Luck to them all!!!
I find it wierd that Cincinnati and Tampa Bay seem to try and pick up husker undrafted players year in and year out... If I remember right, Taylor got his shot with Tampa Bay, and Mo with Cincinnati
WyoHuskerFan Apr 27 09
I still have a hard time understanding issues with Zach Potter. True, his junior season was not impressive, however his senior season was. He showed he has good hands and a knack for batting the ball at the line and setting up his team mates for interceptions. When I goggled several taken ahead of him, their stats were less impressive matched by their diminutive size compared to Potter. Makes one wonder. Marlon Lucky needs to remember Tyrell Davis, former running back of the Broncos.
JBLING22 Apr 27 09
My apoligies apparently Joe is going to washington which makes more sense damn internet screwups lol.....
HuskerFan4Life Apr 27 09
Darren,
I am wandering if there isn't a little trouble brewing on the horizon for the University of Nebraska. If the NCAA were to investigate Cody Glenn for selling tickets while a student athlete at Nebraska and do in fact find the allegations to be true, would Nebraska be punished and how much for hiding it from the NCAA? I recall a similar situation happening to Nebraska at the beginning of the 1985 season with athletes selling their football tickets, but I do not remember what if any sanctions were placed on the University/
Greg Morrow Apr 27 09
Nebraska had the fifth best record, in the conference, tied with Okie St.
They also had the fifth most draft choices.
Basically, proportional.
Since the program dropped off a notch or 2 or 3, after the '02 season, counting the '03 draft, the team has averaged just under 4 picks a year, at 3.7.
About average, given the records.
The team that last played for the national title, only had 4 in the '02 draft.
Probably the best team, post Osborne, was the '99 team and it had all of 3 taken in '00's draft.
Now, you go earlier than that, then sure.
Before '99, you average just under 6 a draft, at 5.7. Drafts before '92's had more rounds, or that would drop off, too.
But, as any troll will tell you, those where Osbrorne's players and Osborne and his coaches teaching 'em.
Look at the '98 draft. Eric Anderson was All Big 12 and 3rd team All American. Aaron Taylor, of course, won the Outland. Anderson didn't get drafted and as a 7th rounder, I don't think Taylor played a snap in the NFL.
Slauson and Murtha, being pro style, have a really good opportunity, with the teams that drafted them.
"Beyond that, few things offer as clear a window in to the state of a particular football program than the NFL draft."
"And few things offer as telling an indictment as the NFL Draft."
I suppose. I don't think many more football topics are more skewed and subjective.