NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Where are Texas’ top prospects projected to land?

Longhorns Wire compiled three different NFL mock drafts to take a look at where Texas’ top draft prospects are currently projected to land.

We’re roughly seven months away from the 2021 NFL Draft.

It’s been a year full of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore draft analysts will have a few unique scenarios on their hands unlike previous years.

Several top-ranked NFL draft prospects have already chosen to opt out of the 2020 college football season. On top of that, what happens if seniors use the extra year of eligibility that the NCAA is offering? There’s no shortage of questions in regards to this particular draft class.

At the time, Texas’ highest-rated draft prospects are planning to compete this fall. That includes left tackle Samuel Cosmi, who is widely projected to become a first-round selection.

Safety Caden Sterns, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and versatile pass rusher Joseph Ossai each have a realistic shot at being selected as early as day two of the 2021 NFL Draft.

While it’s certainly early on in the process and projections will vary in terms of validity, it’s notable that wide receiver Devin Duvernay was commonly linked to the Baltimore Ravens last year and that’s exactly where he ended up.

We’ve decided to compile a list of the most recent NFL mock drafts to see where each of these Texas players could potentially continue their playing careers.

The following two-round mock drafts are courtesy of the Draft Network and Draft Wire, while Bleacher Report included three rounds of projections.

OT – Sam Cosmi

Draft Network: No. 21 overall (first round) to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Draft Wire: No. 20 overall (first round) to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Bleacher Report: No. 11 overall (first round) to the Denver Broncos

S – Caden Sterns

Draft Network: No. 58 overall (second round) to the Dallas Cowboys

Draft Wire: No. 47 overall (second round) to the Tennessee Titans

Bleacher Report: No. 31 overall (first round) to the San Francisco 49ers

EDGE Joseph Ossai

Draft Network: Not listed

Draft Wire: No. 59 overall (second round) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bleacher Report: No. 35 overall (second round) to the Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was not listed within the first three rounds of these early mock drafts, but many analysts believe he is one of the top five signal callers in this draft class. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentioned that one team had a preseason second-round grade on Ehlinger.