San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Broncos pick Steele’s Sterns; Ehlinger to Colts
AUSTIN —The Denver Broncos on Saturday selected Texas safety Caden Sterns in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft (152nd overall).
“This whole process, it’s a little bit frustrating sitting there, waiting,” Sterns said Saturday during a Zoom call with reporters. “But I’m thankful. I’m glad to be a part of the program and to be a Denver Bronco.”
Dubbed “The Wolf of DKR” by erstwhile Longhorns recruiting director Bryan Carrington, Sterns and his howling wolf tattoo became immediate stars at Texas. He displayed a knack for ball-hawking as a true freshman, by recording four interceptions in his first seven career games, all starts.
Sterns was named Big 12 defensive freshman of the year and earned an All-Big 12 first-team nod after racking up 62 tackles, four picks, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and a blocked kicked in 13 starts.
“The things I do well is my range,” Sterns said. “I’m versatile as well. Come down and play man, one high, two high, and just be around the football. An inconsistency of mine is tackling. It’s something I’m definitely working on all the time. That’s something I need to clean up for me to become a complete safety.”
The Steele graduate appeared
in 16 games (15 starts) over the next two seasons, but never recaptured the magic he displayed as a true freshman. Bad luck played some role in that as Sterns dealt with knee, ankle and toe injuries – he underwent knee surgery in March 2019 – though even when healthy the Wolf appeared defanged at times.
Sterns recorded 111 tackles, four pass deflections, 1.0 sack and one interception as a sophomore and junior. That underwhelming production caused him to slip to Day 3, though Sterns’ explosive pro day (42inch vertical, 4.40 40-yard dash) proved he’s still one of the most athletic defensive backs in this
draft class.
Sterns also served as a team captain last season and was at the forefront of pushing for social justice reform on campus. And the San Antonio native helped launch a fundraiser to aid the San Antonio Food Bank during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I understand things happen in the draft process,” Sterns said. “I know what type of player I am. I’m thankful for the Broncos taking a chance on me, so I’m gonna give them everything I got and play my role.”
The Indianapolis Colts on Saturday used a compensatory pick to select Texas quarterback Sam
Ehlinger in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft (218th overall).
Ehlinger is only the seventh Texas quarterback drafted since 1950 and the first since Colt McCoy in 2010.
“It was like Christmas morning,” Ehlinger said during a Zoom call. “Not knowing where I was gonna go, but understanding that I did have a good chance of going somewhere was something I was looking forward to. You never really know, but I always had a good feeling about the Colts.”
Ehlinger just completed one of the most prolific careers in school history.
Among Texas quarterbacks he ranks second to only McCoy in completions (923), passing yards (11,436), total offense (13,343), passing touchdowns (94), and total touchdowns responsible for (127). The 6-foot-3 power runner also ranks second among Longhorns quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (33) and third in
rushing yards (1,907).
“It was certainly a longtime coming,” Ehlinger said. “It can be very easy to let anxious emotions or nervous emotions or disappointment creep up on you, but that was nothing that came upon me. Luckily I have incredible friends and family that were keeping me in the right state of mind.”
Ehlinger finished his career 4-0 in postseason bowls and started 37 straight games despite suffering a variety of injuries. Ehlinger’s brightest moment came during Texas’ win over No. 5 Georgia in the 2018 Sugar Bowl, when he accounted for 241 yards of total offense with three rushing touchdowns.
“They don't come much tougher than Ehlinger at the position,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his evaluation of Ehlinger.