Instant Reaction: Wirfs Slips A Bit, Epenesa Has To Wait
It didn't take long for the video clip to make it to social media.
USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson had just been taken with the 18th pick of Thursday's first round of the NFL Draft when the clips from the Holiday Bowl, when Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa was running around Jackson, popped up on Twitter.
The message was simple — if Jackson was a first-round pick, then so was Epenesa.
Epenesa wasn't. He was not among the 32 players selected, which means he now has to wait for Friday's second and third rounds.
He probably won't have to wait long. But he shouldn't have had to wait at all.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said it last week, and apparently no one was listening.
Watch the film, Ferentz said of Epenesa. Go back and look at how he played at the end of the season. Look at what he had done over his three-year career against players like Jackson, and he's faced quite a few of those.
NFL teams, though, must have been scared by Epenesa's performance at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February. Epenesa struggled in the 40-yard dash, and when Iowa's Pro Day in March was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, he didn't get a second chance to make a good impression.
He shouldn't have needed that. Sure, Epenesa may have some flaws, but as Ferentz pointed out on a video conference last week, he's only had three years of college football. The tools are there, the willingness to learn is there, his ability to adjust is there.
Somehow, that didn't make a difference on Thursday night.
Almost as surprising was Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs sliding out of the top-10 in the first round.
Wirfs had been ticketed, in most mock drafts, as a top-10 pick, but ended up being the fourth tackle taken overall.
Wirfs has been a starter at right tackle since he was a true freshman, and the way he played in three games at left tackle last season showed that he could play either side of the line.
Some of the pre-draft analysis focused on whether Wirfs should be moved inside as a guard, almost overlooking his athleticism.
Tampa Bay thought enough of Wirfs to pick him to protect their new quarterback, Tom Brady, trading up to get him with the 13th pick. ESPN estimated that there was only a 2% chance of Wirfs being available when the Buccaneers were set to pick at No. 14.
It was only a minor slide down the first-round ladder for Wirfs, and he still found a good home.
Epenesa should find his home on Friday night. He shouldn't have had to wait, though.
Someone should have watched the film.
