After the NFL Draft weekend, several ex-Nebraska players are poised to join NFL teams. Despite Nebraska’s rare absence of draft picks, multiple Husker players secured pro contracts and were invited to teams’ minicamps post-draft.
Nouili, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 315 pounds, showcased his versatility by starting in 11 games for Nebraska last season, alternating between left and right guard positions. He participated in 12 games, with seven starts during the 2021 season. However, Nouili faced suspension, causing him to miss the entirety of the 2022 season.
On the other hand, Sanford, who stands at 5-foot-11 and weighs 195 pounds, proved himself as a valuable asset in defensive back and special teams roles during his last two seasons at Nebraska. In the previous season, Sanford played in 12 games, starting in five, achieving a career-best of 40 tackles. Additionally, he contributed with two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and half a tackle for loss.
Throughout the 2022 season, Sanford maintained his consistent performance, appearing in all games and making contributions both defensively and on special teams, culminating in 12 tackles and one blocked punt. Over the course of his Nebraska career, Sanford appeared in a total of 40 games.
Brown, previously viewed as a potential late-round NFL draft pick, swiftly secured a contract with Denver instead. His performance for Nebraska showcased his abilities, as he tied for the team’s second-highest tally with 51 tackles, alongside forcing two fumbles, recovering one, and intercepting a pass. Originally from Minneapolis, Brown transferred to Nebraska in 2022, leveraging his impressive stats from Northern Iowa, where he amassed 140 tackles, 13 pass breakups, and eight interceptions in 29 games, earning FCS All-America honors in 2019.
Newsome, on the other hand, found his NFL destination with Denver, a team he had a private visit with in early April, indicating mutual interest. Throughout the draft evaluation process, Newsome was recovering from a shoulder injury. Despite this, he managed 37 tackles and one interception in his senior year. Over his Husker career, Newsome played in 53 games, starting 35 at cornerback.
Kemp’s time at Nebraska was marked by injury struggles, but despite this, he managed to feature in 11 games, starting three, and securing 35 receptions for 310 yards and one touchdown. Despite going undrafted, he received an invitation to the New York Giants’ minicamp.
Meanwhile, Ortiz, recognized as one of the premier college long snappers in the previous season, swiftly earned an invite to the Los Angeles Chargers’ minicamp. Ortiz handled all long snapping duties for the Huskers in his final season after spending five years as a long snapper at Florida. His exceptional performance led to him being named one of the three national finalists for the Patrick Mannelly Award in November, an accolade presented annually to the nation’s top long snapper.
Grant, despite going undrafted, earned a minicamp tryout with Tampa Bay. During his two seasons with the Huskers, he showcased his skills in 23 games, starting 15 of them. Grant’s contributions included carrying the ball 322 times for 1,328 yards and nine touchdowns, along with making 22 catches for 117 yards.
