History says Texas' later-round picks and undrafted prospects can still thrive | Golden

Several Texas Longhorns' lives will be changed when their names are called in the first couple of rounds of the NFL draft.

But let’s not assume that NFL riches stop there.

The best organizations have become adept at finding solid talent in the later rounds. History tells us that one need not be a Ricky Williams, Vince Young, Cedric Benson, Mike Williams, Roy Williams, Eric Metcalf, Leonard Davis or Quentin Jammer to carve out a profitable career in the pros.

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Those Texas exes were first-round picks who parlayed great college careers into millions during successful NFL careers. None made it to the Hall of Fame — I will forever call for the electric Metcalf to get in — but a gold jacket and a bust in Canton rank well behind making a great living and taking care of one’s family through a tough, physically demanding vocation.

As for the current Longhorns, Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II all were projected by some as first-round picks, but several other Longhorns are more than capable of cashing NFL paychecks through the end of the decade.

Texas' draft list has several players who have the potential, given the right situation, to make it in the toughest of leagues. Offensive tackle Christian Jones turned himself into a pro prospect over the past couple of seasons and caught the eye of several scouts with good work in the Senior Bowl and at the NFL rookie scouting combine.

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Linebacker Jaylan Ford battled a groin injury in the second half of his senior season, but a great pro day workout that included a 4.63 clocking in the 40-yard dash raised his draft profile.

Jordan Whittington is the one I’ll be watching the closest because of not only an ability to make big plays at the receiver position, but the fact that he will become an immediate playmaker on special teams. Texas has a history of rookies starring on special teams and eventually becoming starters.

Whittington, who just lost his uncle Arthur Whittington this week — he was member of the Super Bowl XV champion Los Angeles Raiders — can follow a familiar blueprint to a pro career. His uncle was selected in the seventh round but defied the odds and played five seasons in the NFL and another three in the now-defunct USFL.

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Whittington told reporters during UT's pro day that his biggest honor was being told by several scouts and league executives during interviews at the combine that many of his former Longhorns teammates listed him as the one player they most respected on and off the field.

Those intangibles, along with good old-fashioned ability, gives him a great chance to make it.

Horns have a history of low-round picks making it

A quick glance at Texas’ draft history reveals the path to success doesn’t always have to come through the first round.

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For every first-rounder, there are others, like former defensive end Brian Robison, who broke through. Robison, who famously tackled USC running back LenDale White for no gain on that pivotal fourth-down play in the 2005 national championship game, played 11 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and finished with 60 career sacks, which ranks 10th in franchise history. That says something since three players ahead him on that list — Carl Eller, Alan Page and Chris Doleman — are in the Hall of Fame, and another, Jared Allen, will get in one day.

If you’re looking for present-day success stories, check out Charles Omenihu. The Houston Texas took the Texas defensive end in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. Traded to San Francisco after one season, he had seemingly found a home, making a huge impact with 1½ sacks in a playoff win in Dallas.

Things went a bit south with a 2021 arrest on domestic violence charges that led to a six-game suspension to start the 2023 season. Undaunted, Omenihu went back to work and made possibly the biggest defensive play of the Patrick Mahomes era when he fought off a block and strip-sacked Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to snuff out a drive just before halftime of the AFC championship game.

The play galvanized an already confident locker room, and the Chiefs went on to defend their Super Bowl title, albeit without Omenihu, who tore his ACL against the Ravens. That said, he went down as a huge contributor to the title effort.

He’s but one of many Longhorns who have made a nice NFL run as a low-round pick.

Here are some other notables:

∙ Running back Roschon Johnson was the unquestioned leader of the 2022 Longhorns. Taken in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears, he got on the field via special teams and eventually became an important part of the offense. He registered nearly 600 of yards of offense his rookie season and scored a couple of touchdowns.

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∙ Seattle took punter Michael Dickson in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, and the Australian became the first rookie punter in 33 years to make the Pro Bowl. His 47.7 yards-per-punt average is the best in league history among players with multiple seasons.

∙ Before the Atlanta Falcons tabbed defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, he made the Big 12 honorable mention team his senior year. He has had to fight every summer to keep his job, but the Temple product has three NFL seasons under his belt. And his best days are still ahead of him. He returned from a torn MCL his second season and played in 15 games last year.

He’s one of three low-round Longhorns from 2021 still in the NFL, along with Broncos safety Caden Sterns (fifth round) and Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger (sixth).

Getting there one way or the other

Some Texas exes found success without even getting drafted. Tight end Geoff Swaim, currently a free agent, caught a whopping 11 passes in 2013 and 2014 as a Longhorn but has played in 100 NFL games over nine seasons while earning more than $10 million.

Of late, undrafted safety Brenden Schooler has found a home in New England. He has played 33 games over the past two seasons and made arguably the Patriots special teams' biggest play of the 2023 season against Miami when he lined up wide and timed his rush perfectly for a punt block.

So Thursday night will get the biggest television ratings, but in reality, we’re talking about just 32 picks. Yes, they are the showtime stars of the future, but don’t sleep on the rest of the weekend. The next five rounds will be life-changing for many more players.

I expect several to be Texas exes.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Golden: Several Texas players can achieve NFL dreams in late rounds