Rams take Nebraska defensive end Ochaun Mathis in NFL Draft
It took until the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft for a Nebraska player to hear his name called. But defensive end Ochaun Mathis finally became the first Husker off the board on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Rams selected Mathis with the 189th pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He becomes the first Husker edge rusher drafted since Randy Gregory in 2015.
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The 6-foot-5, 260-pound former TCU transfer finished his only season at Nebraska with 50 tackles, including five for loss and 3.5 sacks. He added six quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
A native of Manor, Texas, Mathis played four seasons at TCU before transferring to Lincoln. That included a breakout 2020 campaign where he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.
Mathis finished with nine sacks that season, which were the most by a Horned Frog in three years. He totaled 46 tackles overall with 14 TFLs, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
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While he fell short of matching that production at Nebraska, Mathis did play his best football late in the season.
He made a sizable impact on Nov. 5 against Minnesota, finishing with four tackles, including 1.5 TFLs and a half sack. He then made his first start as a Husker at No. 3 Michigan and finished with three tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries.
After recording a 13-yard sack against Wisconsin, Mathis had three tackles and three quarterback hurries against Iowa in the regular-season finale.
Mathis was one of three Huskers invited to the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis last moth, joining Trey Palmer and tight end Travis Vokolek. He also participated in Nebraska’s Pro Day, which featured scouts from all 32 NFL teams.
