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Texas Football: NFL Draft status of Johnson/Humphrey heading into Sugar Bowl

By Andrew Miller

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: Lil'Jordan Humphrey #84 of the Texas Longhorns catches a pass and runs for a touchdown in the second quarter defended by Marvell Tell III #7 of the USC Trojans and Isaiah Langley #24 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: Lil'Jordan Humphrey #84 of the Texas Longhorns catches a pass and runs for a touchdown in the second quarter defended by Marvell Tell III #7 of the USC Trojans and Isaiah Langley #24 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Lil’Jordan Humphrey #84 of the Texas Longhorns scores a touchdown against Justin Broiles #25 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the second half of the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Lil’Jordan Humphrey #84 of the Texas Longhorns scores a touchdown against Justin Broiles #25 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the second half of the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

What impact will the Sugar Bowl have

Something no one can look past in regard to the 2019 NFL Draft status of Johnson and Humphrey is the outcome of the Allstate Sugar Bowl against a very talented Georgia secondary. Most of the Georgia defensive backs haven’t had to cover a duo of wide receivers that are as potent and sizable as Johnson and Humphrey.

At 6-foot-6, Johnson is the biggest mismatch in terms of size for the Texas passing game to exploit. Since Johnson won’t be matched up with a cornerback that sits taller than 6-foot-1, he could be in store for a huge game in the Sugar Bowl. If nothing else, he’ll fair better than he would against the best Georgia defensive back that will miss the Sugar Bowl.

That missing defensive back is one factor that is going to change the scope to which NFL scouts evaluate the Sugar Bowl for these two wide receivers, in the absence of Georgia’s Jim Thorpe Award winning senior cornerback Deandre Baker. If Johnson had to face Baker, it would likely be two early round 2019 NFL Draft selections squaring off.

Even with the void of Baker in the Georgia secondary, NFL scouts are still going to put a heavy weight on the film from this game. Texas still doesn’t get to face secondaries chalked full of NFL-caliber talent on a weekly basis in the Big 12, like it will in the Sugar Bowl. An outing that sees Humphrey and/or Johnson post 80-100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown could boost their stock high enough to sway a borderline NFL Draft decision entering the off-season.

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