Husker NFL Draft Tracker 4 Weeks Till Draft

We are officially a month out from the 2022 NFL Draft. The 2022 NFL Draft has more meaning around Nebraska this year because there is a good shot we’ll have four or five players drafted and could even see our first Husker going on Day 2 for the first time in years. Here is a look at all the news, notes and highlights for the Draft Eligible Huskers.

Mock Drafts

Chad Reuter of NFL.com put out a four round mock draft that saw only two Huskers taken. While he didn’t have JoJo Domann being selected, he did have Jurgens going the highest I’ve seen in a mock draft to date. Here is where he had Jurgens and Taylor-Britt.

• 44. Cleveland Browns: Cam Jurgens
• 77. Minnesota Vikings: Cam Taylor-Britt

Over at Pro Football Network, Cam Mellor put out an updated full 7 round mock draft. Only three Huskers were projected to be drafted. Notably excluded are Austin Allen and Samori Toure who are the next two most likely drafted players.

• 87) Arizona Cardinals: Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
• 125) Miami Dolphins: Cameron Jurgens, C, Nebraska
• 184) Minnesota Vikings: JoJo Domann, LB, Nebraska

David Howman of SB Nation Cowboys site Blogging the Boys did a full 7 Round NFL Mock Draft that saw four Huskers selected.

• 103. Kansas City Chiefs: Cam Taylor-Britt, CB – Nebraska
• 104. Los Angeles Rams: JoJo Domann, LB – Nebraska
• 152. Seattle Seahawks (from DEN): Cam Jurgens, iOL – Nebraska
• 199. Carolina Panthers (from LVR): Austin Allen, TE – Nebraska

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers team site did a 2nd round only mock draft. In this mock draft they had Cam Jurgens going to the Eagles with the 51st pick. Here is what they had to say.

Stud Eagles center Jason Kelce was no lock to come back for 2022, and he’s doing so on just a one-year contract. This is a good way to prepare for his impending retirement and also add some depth on a line that has had to fight through tons of injuries in recent seasons. Jurgens is athletic and feisty.

Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network did a Raiders only mock draft that saw Cam Jurgens as their 5th round selection.

An athletically-gifted mover of men, Cam Jurgens has come on late in the evaluation process but earned himself a ton of money after showcasing his athletic profile at the combine. It’s gone so far as to force some talent evaluators to flip on his film. Dubbed a ‘Day 3 Tyler Linderbaum,’ Jurgens possesses more than enough ability to start from day one and will provide Ziegler with a boatload of value that should outplay his rookie contract within his first two campaigns.

Fansided Bears site Bear Goggles On writer Rob Schwarz Jr. did a 7 round Bears mock draft that saw Cam Jurgens head to the Windy City.

Round 4, Pick 115 – Cameron Jurgens, OC – Nebraska

I am on board with the Lucas Patrick signing. He is a clear upgrade at center over Sam Mustipher. That said, with how Ryan Poles structured his contract, he’s only guaranteed a year here in Chicago. Next year, he would see a $5.3 million dollar cap hit, but only costs the Bears $1.4 million in dead cap should they cut him. Adding a backup center like Cameron Jurgens would be huge in my opinion. He too would be an upgrade over Sam Mustipher and could push to take over the position by 2023 or 2024.

Adding Jurgens also gives the team versatility. Lucas Patrick has experience at both guard spots and should the team need to, Jurgens could step in at center and Patrick could kick outside to guard. This wouldn’t be ideal for 2022 but could be the move for 2023 — especially if the Bears don’t land Ryan Bates (waiting on the Bills) or decide to move on from Cody Whitehair next season.

Jurgens would fit the smaller, quicker type of lineman that Ryan Poles wants at 6’3″ and 303 pounds. He’s very similar in size to Patrick. He is very athletic, quick and aggressive from the moment he snaps the ball. He has explosiveness that allows him to get upfield and take on second-level defenders. A year or two behind Patrick could do him wonders too. He needs to get into an NFL strength-training program and develop more power in his game.

Fan Nation Seahawks site All Seahawks writer Corbin Smith did his Mid-Free Agency 7 Round Seahawks Mock Draft that had two Huskers going to Seattle.

Round 3, Pick No. 98 – Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska

The Seahawks have never picked a cornerback earlier than the third round with Schneider and Carroll running the show and that trend continues in this latest mock draft with selection of Taylor-Britt, a three-time captain for the Cornhuskers. A second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2021, Taylor-Britt has a penchant for getting his hands on the football and finished his career in Lincoln with five interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and 21 passes defensed. While he measured in smaller at the combine than expected at 5-foot-11, 196 pounds, he plays bigger than his size when thrust into jump ball situations. He has the athleticism (4.38 40-yard dash) to become a quality man cover corner, but he will enter the league better known for his prowess in zone and has had his share of mishaps getting toasted with double moves. Tackling remains his biggest area of concern and he will have to clean that up quickly to carve out a role in Seattle, but he has the traits and skills to push for playing time early.

Round 5, Pick No. 153 – Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska

Even after signing Austin Blythe in free agency, the Seahawks still have long-term concerns at the pivot position and lack depth in the present. Enter in Jurgens, a three-year starter for the Cornhuskers who impressed in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. While on the lighter side at 303 pounds, Jurgens ran a sub-5.00 40-yard dash at the combine and also threw up 25 reps on the bench press, exhibiting a well-rounded athletic toolbox. As a run blocker, while he doesn’t always take the best angles out of his stance to attack defenders as a blocker, his light feet and lateral mobility make him an ideal candidate to put in a zone-heavy run scheme at the next level. He’s less refined in pass protection, but held up well against athletic interior rushers in the rugged Big Ten. Though he may not be ready to start right away, Jurgens could be in the lineup for the Seahawks in 2023.

Rankings

CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso released his updated Top 100 rankings. Two Huskers made his top 100.

45. Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska

He excels with: Chippy nature on the field, big-time speed, excellent ball skills, impressive run-support willingness

Areas of concern: Not the twitchiest cornerback, sometimes labored out of his backpedal

Taylor-Britt gets the most out of his athleticism and has the speed to stay with faster wideouts down the field.

63. Cam Jurgens, OL, Nebraska

He excels with: Freaky all-around athleticism, nasty demeanor on the field, well-placed hands

Areas of concern: Lacking anchoring strength, occasionally called for personal fouls

Jurgens is a Day 1 starting center due to his supreme athleticism and nastiness.

Kyle Crabbs is the lead NFL Draft analyst at The Draft Network and he put out his rankings of his top cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft. At number 9 on his list is Cam Taylor-Britt.

Player Specific News

Samori Toure

In Pat Leonard’s NFL Notes column of the New York Daily News he mentioned Samori Toure as one of the wide receivers to keep an eye on for the Giants.

Toure, meanwhile, ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Cornhuskers’ pro day this week, after catching two TD passes in this year’s East-West Shrine game. The former Montana FCS standout transferred to Nebraska for a final season and caught 46 passes for 898 yards and five TDs in 2021. Now he has several top-30 visits already lined up with respected organizations in need of receivers to contribute immediately. His stock is rising quickly as a possible major find in the middle rounds. Don’t rule out the Giants looking at a receiver like Toure with one of their nine draft picks, either.Toure, meanwhile, ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Cornhuskers’ pro day this week, after catching two TD passes in this year’s East-West Shrine game. The former Montana FCS standout transferred to Nebraska for a final season and caught 46 passes for 898 yards and five TDs in 2021. Now he has several top-30 visits already lined up with respected organizations in need of receivers to contribute immediately. His stock is rising quickly as a possible major find in the middle rounds. Don’t rule out the Giants looking at a receiver like Toure with one of their nine draft picks, either.

406 MT Sports took a look at Toure’s performance at the Nebraska Pro Day

Austin Allen

If you didn’t see my Austin Allen Scouting Report earlier this week.

Cam Jurgens

The Pittsburgh Steelers website did an article where their radio network team looked at various interior offensive line prospects. One member of that team is former NFL Scout Matt Williamson and he chose to highlight Jurgens.

Much has been made of Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum as this draft’s best center and Linderbaum is a fantastic prospect. However, Jurgens has a very similar profile and style as Linderbaum. As he showed at the Combine, Jurgens is a very good movement athlete that runs well and gets off the ball quickly. On tape, you regularly seeing Jurgens making impressive blocks well down the field. Jurgens is only a center, and that lack of position versatility could hurt him as only a few teams in the NFL are looking for centers, but this three-year starter’s stock is still on the rise and Jurgens profiles as a potential starting pivot at the next level for a zone running team.

Over at ESPN.com, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid did a joint article talking about draft buzz. In the article they were talking about top Pro Day performers and Reid highlighted Jurgens.

A pro day performance that flew under the radar was from Nebraska center Cam Jurgens. At 6-foot-3, 304 pounds, he participated in only the 40-yard dash (4.92) and bench press (25 reps) at the combine earlier this month. At his pro day, Jurgens posted a 7.19 three-cone drill and had a 33.5-inch vertical and 9-foot, 11-inch broad jump. Those would have ranked him inside some of the best marks ever seen for an interior offensive lineman at the combine.

Teams seeking a wide- or zone-scheme center could take Jurgens in the third round. Don’t be surprised if he goes in the top 75 picks.

CBS Sports NFL Draft Analyst Chris Trapasso put out his yearly Trust The Traits article that looks at prospects who shouldn’t be overlooked in this class despite pedestrian film. In the article he highlighted Jurgens as one of those players.

Jurgens was a blast to watch. My word. So sudden, so nasty. In my gradebook, I wrote “oversized guided missile to the second level.” His quickness shines not only for the run game but when having to block multiple interior rushers, or dealing with an individual’s counter moves in pass protection.

Jurgens’ lack of power is evident on film, and likely why he’s not generating loads of buzz. If there’s one thing you can bet on an offensive lineman improving upon at the NFL is their strength. One season in an NFL strength and conditioning program typically does it.

Another positive for this Nebraska star — he’s nearly 6-3, weighed-in over 300 pounds at the combine and has arms well over 33 inches. He’s going to be a star.

Fan Nation Giants site Giants Country released their Cam Jurgens Scouting Report

JoJo Domann

SB Nation Commanders site Hog Haven put out an article highlighting titled, If the Commanders Are Looking for a Big Nickel, JoJo Domann Might Be Their Man

Cam Taylor-Britt