Former UTEP guard Will Hernandez ready for NFL draft

It’s the day Will Hernandez and also UTEP fans have been waiting for.

The NFL draft begins Thursday night and many are wondering where the former UTEP guard will end up.

Many projections have Hernandez being drafted in the first round and if that were to happen, it would the first time a UTEP Miner would have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 50 years.

Linebacker Fred Carr was the last Miner to be drafted in the first round by the Green Bay Packers in 1968.

The last UTEP football player to be drafted to the NFL was running back Aaron Jones.

Jones was selected in the 5th round of last year’s draft by Green Bay.

Hernandez won’t be in Arlington, TX for the draft, instead the 2-time All-American decided to stay home in Las Vegas, NV where he and his family and friends will watch the NFL draft on television.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sports Network, Hernandez says it doesn’t matter to him which NFL team picks him up.

“I honestly don’t mind playing for any of the 32 teams,” Hernandez said. “There’s a lot that I can’t control and I can’t pick what team I’m going to, so the fact that I can’t control that, I’m cool with going to whatever team wants to pick me up.”

Some of the teams listed as possible landing spots for Hernandez include the Minnesota Vikings, the Carolina Panthers, the Cincinnanti Bengals and even the Denver Broncos.

Denver would be an interesting team for Hernandez because former UTEP head football coach Sean Kugler is now an offensive line coach with the Broncos.

Kugler was also the one who recruited Hernandez to play at UTEP.

There is a chance that Hernandez may not hear his name called in the first round on Thursday, but there is no doubt he’ll be playing on Sunday’s.

“I’m excited,” Hernandez said. “I’m excited for everybody that gets to enjoy this with me and I’m excited just to get started and start playing.”