The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Sterns drafted by Denver Broncos
05.01.2021 | Football
Football’s Caden Sterns was selected in the fifth round with the 152nd overall pick.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football's Caden Sterns was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Sterns is the 26th Texas defensive back taken in the NFL Draft since 1990, and his selection marks the fourth-straight year a player from the Longhorns' secondary has been drafted (DeShon Elliott, 2018; Kris Boyd, 2019; Brandon Jones, 2020). Sterns is the sixth UT player drafted by the Denver Broncos, and first since defensive end Tim Crowder in 2007.
Sterns, a Cibolo, Texas native, appeared in 29 games and made 28 starts during his three-year career on the Forty Acres. In that time, he registered a team-high 172 tackles (125 solo), eight pass breakups and five interceptions. Sterns made his presence known immediately as a true freshman, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors and being named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He was also named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2018.
Sterns started all 13 games that he played in as a freshman, missing only the Allstate Sugar Bowl due to injury. He registered 62 total tackles, three tackles for loss, four interceptions and four pass breakups during that season. His four interceptions were tied for the most by a true freshman in school history. In 2019, Sterns played in nine games and was a key to the Longhorns' success when he was on the field. Texas held its opponents under 25 points in seven of the nine games he played in, including the last five of the season. Three times the Longhorns held their opponents under 15 points, highlighted by a 10-point defensive display against No. 11 Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
In 2020, Sterns was named a team captain and was one of four Longhorns to record at least 50 tackles (52 total/30 solo), in addition to notching three pass breakups and one interception. He recorded at least five tackles on 18 occasions during his career, and posted three games with double-digit tackles, including two in 2020. In his final collegiate game, Sterns notched a career-high 13 tackles (7 solo) vs. Iowa State.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Wolf is heading to the Mile High City! Congratulations @CSterns_7! Great pick by the @Broncos! 🐺🤘#nfldraft pic.twitter.com/1skzfBoSQS
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
ATX➡️Denver. Time to get after it @CSterns_7! 🤘@Broncos pic.twitter.com/EwgabBGPV0
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
Our first pick of Day 3 👏
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 1, 2021
Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @CSterns_7! pic.twitter.com/Oh4nMLZ0vY
Diamond in the rough, THANK YOU DENVER, let's get started! https://t.co/x5InPe69OT
— Caden Sterns (@CSterns_7) May 1, 2021
Live from @uchealth Training Center ...
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 1, 2021
Welcome, @CSterns_7!
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ABC/ESPN pic.twitter.com/LmeMs07464
