Nebraska QB Tanner Lee could draw NFL scouts’ attention
It’s been some time since Nebraska had a quarterback drawing attention from NFL scouts, but transfer Tanner Lee could change that in a hurry…
It feels like it’s been quite some time since we talked about a Nebraska quarterback that had potential to play in the NFL, but former Tulane transfer Tanner Lee is trying to set a new standard in Lincoln under Mike Riley at the quarterback position.
Lee was not putting up jaw dropping numbers in his two seasons at Tulane, other than the number of times he was getting hit.
In two seasons and 19 games as a starter, he was sacked a whopping 51 times, and his numbers took a direct hit as a result.
He completed just over 51 percent of his passes as a sophomore, and finished with 11 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions.
The numbers, as previously stated, were nothing to write home about.
However, as Tulane changed their style of offense to a more option-based attack, Lee opened up a recruiting process for his services as a transfer. After some careful deliberation, he opted to make the move to Lincoln and play for Riley, who has had some success putting quarterbacks in the NFL in the past.
Lee’s primary goal isn’t necessarily to make waves in the NFL scouting community, but the change of scenery to Nebraska could be exactly what he needs to make an impression.
After a redshirt season in 2016, the hype for Lee’s debut with the Huskers has reached a near boiling point.
Tanner Lee + J.D. Spielman = @HuskerFBNation highlight TD. https://t.co/2SsEOSK7OO
— Nebraska On BTN (@NebraskaOnBTN) April 15, 2017
Especially making throws like this, it’s becoming abundantly clear that the Nebraska program has a true pocket passer and for the first time in a long time, someone that NFL scouts may be interested in at the next level.
Even before the start of the season, NFL scouts have been attending Nebraska practices, which probably isn’t all that uncommon for this time of year. However, we know teams are serious about the quarterback position, and if this kid has the talent, they want to know about it sooner than later.
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Lee has impressed in practices with Nebraska, as well as in his appearances at the Manning Passing Academy. He seems poised to be one of the breakout players in the Big Ten in 2017, but his being drafted in 2018 is going to be determined entirely by the progression he shows in actual games this year.
He may only have one season to get things right, too.
Despite having another year of eligibility in 2018, Lee will be 23 by the time of the 2018 NFL Draft, and 24 if he waits for the following season to make the jump to the professional ranks.
He’s obviously got to handle business on the field before he worries about what age he is heading into his rookie NFL season, but it seems like right now, everything is ‘so far, so good’.
At this point, Lee is simply a name to monitor, but the expectations surrounding him in Lincoln this fall are palpable. If he can translate that into on-field performance, we could be looking at a dark horse NFL prospect.