Huskers Football: Jean-Baptiste May Be a Seahawk Yet
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Now a part of Huskers football lore, Stanley Jean-Baptiste had every right to be selected during the NFL Draft’s first round. Five cornerbacks went overall including two from the Big Ten (Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard and Ohio State’s Bradley Roby).
The possibility for the Seattle Seahawks to snag SJB with pick No. 32 was there. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. ESPN now has him ranked as the best available cornerback prospect on the board. They’re right and Seattle knows it.
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While the Seahawks stepped aside allowing the Vikings to snag Teddy Bridgewater, they now claim the No. 8 pick of the second round. Every team in front of them has other concerns to address besides cornerback. The Super Bowl champions could, I dunno, just move up and snag SJB.
What luck this would be for him (and ultimately Huskers football, but I’ll get to that in a second). He could be taken under the figurative wing of All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman who just signed a four-year contract extension making him the highest-paid player at his position.
Sure, SJB didn’t make the first round. That sucks. However, to be able to say Nebraska has a program that can find the best spot for a prospect and coach them to an NFL level, that itself speaks volumes.
That’s the kind of marketing you stuff in recruiting letters and bring up during dinners with the folks. If you want to play in The League, we will get you into The League!
Okay, maybe that’s coming on strong, but you get the idea. Yes, Pete Carroll’s crew could pass, but it’s safe to say Jean-Baptiste will be off the board and be making living arrangements come tomorrow evening.
Ideally, it’s in the home of the defending Super Bowl champions. That’d be a nice consolation prize for the first round snub, wouldn’t it?
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