Texas Football: Top 5 early Longhorns prospects for 2021 NFL Draft
5. Sam Ehlinger, Quarterback
The most challenging draft stock to configure at this point in time has to do with rising senior star Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger. There’s not a great chance that the Longhorns starting quarterback will be a first or second round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but going as a late day two pick won’t be out of the question.
At the moment, the 6-foot-3 and 230 pound tank of a dual-threat quarterback in Ehlinger should be considered a third-to-fifth round pick. There’s just so much up in the air for him, from his inconsistent decisions out of the pocket, to his troubling past injury timeline, and his spotty arm strength, that it will be difficult for Ehlinger to cement his draft stock before the coming season.
Ehlinger decided to return to the Forty Acres for his senior season, even though he had the chance to declare one year early for the 2020 NFL Draft. But it seemed like if any junior was going to return for one more year of any quarterback in the country, it was going to be Ehlinger with the Longhorns.
It won’t just be having a standout senior season that is important for Ehlinger to solidify a potential early round draft stock. He will need to have a good draft scouting process, namely in the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl (if he winds up participating). He has to do well in the drills, which is something that didn’t work out too well for him in the past.