Three Huskers Selected in First Two Rounds

Nebraska cornerback Fabian Washington became the first Husker selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1998 when the Oakland Raiders picked him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft on Saturday, while linebacker Barrett Ruud was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 36th overall pick and safety Josh Bullocks went to the New Orleans Saints with the 40th overall pick.

The three selections in the first 40 draft picks represented the first time in 33 years that the Huskers had three players selected that quickly. In 1972, quarterback Jerry Tagge (Green Bay) was selected with the 11th overall pick, while running back Jeff Kinney (Kansas City) and defensive tackle Larry Jacobson (New York Giants) were selected 23rd and 24th respectively. The three picks in the first two rounds are the most since 1997 when Booker was selected in the first round and Jared Tomich (New Orleans) and Mike Minter (Carolina) were selected in the second round.

Washington is the first Nebraska player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Grant Wistrom (6th) and Jason Peter (14th) were both selected in the first round of the 1998 draft. Washington is the third defensive back in school history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, joining Bruce Pickens, the No. 3 pick by Atlanta in 1991 and Michael Booker, who was selected 11th by the Falcons in the 1997 draft.

Washington left Nebraska after his junior season, and three productive years as a member of the Blackshirt defense. Washington started 35 games in his Husker career and finished with 11 interceptions to rank in a tie for fourth on the NU career interceptions list. The Bradenton, Fla., native also finished in a tie for fourth on the NU career pass breakups list with 38 pass breakups, including 15 in 2004, tying the second-best single-season total in school history.

The 5-11, 180-pound Washington was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2004, after earning third-team honors as a sophomore in 2003. Washington made an immediate impact in the Nebraska secondary as a true freshman in 2002, setting Nebraska rookie records with four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. His performance as a freshman earned him second-team freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News and honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades.

Ruud was taken with the fourth pick of the second round, the 36th overall selection, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lincoln native completed his eligibility at Nebraska in 2004, and was named a first-team All-Big 12 selection as well as a third-team All-American.  The 6-2, 240-pound Ruud closed out his Nebraska playing career with a school-record 432 total tackles, including 50 tackles for loss, the second-highest total in Husker history.

Bullocks, taken 40th overall by the New Orleans Saints, was the eighth player chosen in the second round. Like Washington, Bullocks left Nebraska after his junior season. He finished his Husker career ranked second on the career interceptions chart with 13. Bullocks was honored as a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2004, after shattering school and Big 12 Conference records with 10 interceptions as a sophomore in 2003 and earning first-team All-America honors in the process.

The NFL Draft continues Saturday and Sunday from New York. Televised coverage of the draft continues on ESPN through 4:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday, with ESPN2's coverage running through the completion of the third round. Rounds four through seven will be shown live on ESPN from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.