When Nikita Whitlock signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014, they made it clear he wouldn't make their roster as a defensive tackle, the only position he had ever known.
Whitlock had just recorded nine sacks during his senior season at Wake Forest. He had earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2012 and 2013, which came after a high school career when the Texas native was named the state's 5A defensive player of the year in 2008.
Texas has a whole lot of high school football talent, which is sort of like saying there’s water in the ocean.