2014 NFL Draft News: Cedric Ogbuehi, Timmy Jernigan
Florida State Seminoles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (8) pressures Idaho Vandals quarterback Taylor Davis (12) during the first half at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
The Texas A&M Aggies have been churning out incredibly talented offensive tackle prospects, as the No . 2 pick in last year’s NFL Draft was Luke Joeckel, who starred at left tackle for the Aggies. His right tackle at the time was Jake Matthews, who is the current left tackle and is just as good of a pro prospect as Joeckel was. And the Aggies current RT? Cedric Ogbuehi is an incredibly athletic tackle with elite upside, and he was a projected top 15 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
I say he “was”, because Ogbuehi isn’t going to be declaring for the draft this year and will stay in school for one more year. Ogbuehi announced his decision via Twitter saying, “I am excited to return to College Station to continue my education and play another season with your coaches and teammates.”
It’s big news for Aggies fans, but it’s certainly not surprising either. Ogbuehi gets a chance to stay with A&M, and it will be interesting to see how he looks at left tackle with some intriguing tape on file at LT. Matthews impressed at left tackle this season, and I’m sure Ogbuehi will impress on the left side next year. He’s a top-notch tackle prospect for sure, and there’s little doubt that the switch to the left side will be a seamless one for him.
While Ogbuehi is staying in school, Florida State Seminoles star defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan will indeed declare for the 2014 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Joe Schad reports that Jernigan has made this decision, and this backs up yesterday’s report that stated Jernigan and Florida State’s elite wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin would declare for the draft.
Jernigan came into the season as a potential first-round pick, and he could still be selected in the first round. I don’t think that’s in the cards, but Jernigan should still be safely in the top half of the second round. Even though he isn’t the most consistent player around, he’s an extremely talented, disruptive DT with plenty of upside and should merit first round consideration.