Reaction to Husker Senior Bowl Invites

The tagline “The Draft Starts in Mobile” is not just a catchy marketing slogan created by Senior Bowl Executive Director, and former Seattle Seahawks scout, Jim Nagy, but truth as the Senior Bowl is the first big event in the draft process. A place where prospects can really make a name for themselves working with NFL coaching staffs and all 32 General Managers. Nebraska is no stranger to the event and last season Nebraska had six players making the initial Watch List while only Lamar Jackson and Darrion Daniels ended up with invites. This summer we see four Husker prospects making the initial Watch List.

Who Made the List

DiCaprio Bootle and Brenden Jaimes were no-brainers to me as both players have NFL starting traits. Not only does Bootle have the speed and explosiveness that NFL teams crave, but he has shown good ball skills and the ability to play multiple positions. Jaimes is a solid middle round prospect but with continued development could end up being the top Nebraska prospect in this class. The versatile JoJo Doman wasn’t a surprise either as his prominent role on the Husker defense and versatility fit well in today’s NFL. Domann isn’t the biggest or most athletic defenders in the country, but his ability to play all over the field is intriguing. In a bit of a surprise, safety Deontai Williams made the cut despite only playing one half of football in 2019. But it is well known that the coaching staff is high on the athletic safety that can play both in the slot or back deep.

Who Got Snubbed

While I agree that all the Husker players that made the list deserve to be there, there was one Nebraska player that I felt got snubbed. Offensive lineman Matt Farniok was a bit surprised that he didn’t make it. Not only is Farniok a multiple year starter, but he’s shown the ability to play both inside and out along with prototypical NFL size. Whether it was Nebraska’s offense not having much success last year, or just too many other players at that position, it was curious why he didn’t make the list. The bright side is that it is just a watch list, and players make the event every year despite not being on this initial list. The downside is without a fall season, Farniok doesn’t have the opportunity to go out and prove them wrong.