Patriots select Valentine in 3rd round

The second of Nebraska’s two junior defensive tackles who made the jump to the pros a year early heard his name called on Friday night, as Vincent Valentine was selected by the New England Patriots with the 96th overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Many expected his teammate, Maliek Collins - who was also taken in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys - to forego his senior season and declare for the NFL.

But Valentine surprised some with his decision to follow suit shortly after the Huskers returned home following their Foster Farms Bowl victory over UCLA.

Valentine and Collins give the Huskers multiple NFL draft picks for the 51st straight year - every year of the modern draft era. They also become the first two NU defensive tackles taken in the first three rounds since Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter in 1998.

"He's a big-bodied nose tackle," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "I was surprised he came out. I think he needed another solid year at Nebraska, because he's not always in the best of shape, and at times his play reflects that. But when he's playing with leverage, when he's fresh, he's pretty special. That's reflected by the Patriots taking him in the third round."

At 6-4, 329, Valentine certainly has the frame to make it at the next level, but injury concerns made some question whether he should return for his final collegiate season to help improve his draft stock.

After suffering a bone bruise before the 2015 season even began, Valentine was injured again against South Alabama two weeks into the year, forcing him to miss the next three games.

The missed time held him to make just 10 tackles all season, though he did manage three sacks.

That was certainly a disappointing follow-up to his breakout sophomore campaign in 2014 when he racked up 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and forced a fumble.

The Edwardsville, Ill., native started 24 of his 36 career games at Nebraska, making 76 tackles with seven sacks.

“(Last year) was an up-and-down season, obviously," Valentine said back December. "It could have been a little better with me staying healthy, and that's the big point of my season, just being injured and trying to battle through everything.

"I battled as hard as I could for the team and for myself and I think that defines my season, just trying to push through and give it my all every day and leave it all on the field."