Several former Huskers anxiously await NFL Draft day

Ever since Nebraska offered him a scholarship during his sophomore year of high school, Zach Potter knew playing pro football would be a dream.

On Sunday, that dream will likely come true.

Though the NFL Draft starts Saturday afternoon, Potter is one of several Cornhuskers who will have his eyes glued to the television during the second day in the hopes of being drafted.

"I'm sure I won't sleep too much Saturday night, knowing the next day will change my life forever, hopefully," Potter said. "There's a lot riding on that day."

Potter could be the first of many Huskers drafted because of his measurables.

At 6-foot-7-inches and 280 pounds, Potter has unique height for a defensive lineman. Though he played defensive end in his four years at NU, he's capable of playing either end or tackle and can fit into a 3-4 or 4-3 defensive scheme.

Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com said Potter will likely be selected in the middle of the draft.

"He's a little bit of a poor man's Adam Carriker," Wright said. "He has a rare frame. With that type of size, he definitely has room to put on more weight. I think you could easily put another 20 pounds on him and it wouldn't be an issue."

At the Texas vs. the Nation all-star game in late January in El Paso, Texas, Potter was asked to give defensive tackle a try. It was his first time playing on the inside.

"I was a little apprehensive," Potter said. "I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but I took it as a chance to learn a new position with good coaches and the best competition. Looking back on it, I'm really glad it happened."

Marlon Lucky also hopes his versatility will pay off on Sunday.

"I can run, block, catch and return kicks," Lucky said. "I can do a lot of things in the open field. I think I bring a lot to the table."

The running back will watch the draft with family and friends back home in Los Angeles. He spent his spring there working on his explosiveness and first step in preparation for the NFL Combine in late February. He ran a 4.59 40-meter dash time at the Combine, 10th-best among running backs.

He's ready to hear his name called on Sunday.

"It's crazy," Lucky said. "I've been planning for this day for like 18 years, and just to go through that now is a dream come true. I've been waiting for this moment and it has finally come."

Lucky had a chance to go pro as a junior following a season in which he amassed 1,057 rushing yards and a team-record 75 catches.

He decided to return for his senior year, a move he said he has no regrets about despite only rushing for 517 yards while splitting carries with Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille.

"It was real close," Lucky said. "I got a lot of advice from a lot of important people in my life. They helped me with my decision, I decided to come back and I never thought twice about it."

Wright thinks Lucky will land in the middle to late rounds of the draft and doesn't think Lucky's senior season hurt him much.

"I don't think the guy's going to be a starting running back, but he does everything well," Wright said. "He's a good receiver out of the backfield, and I think that makes him a real good backup. He's going to be a No. 2 or No. 3 running back in the NFL."

Lucky and Potter are just two of a handful of Huskers who are expected to get picked up by a pro team this weekend.

Offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha are both expected to be selected in the later rounds of the draft, though ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has projected Murtha will get picked in the third or fourth round.

Murtha, a 6-foot-7-inch, 315-pound tackle, helped his draft position significantly by running a Combine-best 40-meter dash time of 4.89 seconds.

"There's a chance somebody could reach for Murtha," Wright said. "He could be going a lot higher than people think and higher than he should. There's such a demand for top offensive tackles. Scouts and coaches are going to look at him and say, ‘Hey, he's got all the physical tools, we're going to make him a player.'"

Slauson said he's spoken with around 25 teams but has no idea where he'll be drafted.

"I'm open to anywhere, I don't care," Slauson said. "Wherever I can get a shot and I can get on a team where I have the best opportunity to play."

Potter feels the same way. Though he was raised a fan of Green Bay, he's fine with playing anywhere.

"I'm a big Packers guy, but hopefully this weekend I'll have a new favorite team," Potter said.

maxolson@dailynebraskan.com