If you would have told me five years ago that someday a Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback will declare for the NFL draft early, and it would be mostly greeted by indifference, I would have suggested a brain examination. But that is what happened when Tanner Lee declared for the NFL draft last Thursday.
It’s hard to divorce Tanner Lee’s performance from the disaster that was the 2017 Huskers, but in Tanner Lee’s case, declaring for the NFL is the smartest thing he can do.
Entering the 2018 calendar year, Tanner Lee had three options:
- Learn a brand new offense at Nebraska and compete for playing time in a system that is ill-fitted for his skill set
- Conduct a graduate transfer search and attend the third school of his collegiate career
- Dedicate his full attention into prepping for the 2018 NFL draft, where his physical tools should most likely attract attention from scouts
I was fairly confident Tanner Lee would select either option #2 or #3 after Scott Frost was announced as head coach.