Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
8:13 pm
March 9, 2016
Offline
AUBURN, Ala. — The 2016 NFL draft was the quietest one for Auburn so far in the Gus Malzahn era, with only three players—offensive tackle Shon Coleman, wide receiver Ricardo Louis and defensive back Blake Countess—hearing their names called this past weekend.
Expect the Tigers to roar even louder in 2017, especially in the early rounds.
With the 2016 draft in the books, outlets across the Internet are already putting out their early projections for the 2017 class. Here at Bleacher Report, the way-too-early projections include a certain Auburn pass-rusher near the top spot on the entire board.
Let’s take a look at the Tigers’ top five NFL draft prospects for 2017. While several of them could still have eligibility for the 2017 college football season, they are already predicted to come out early and join the likes of Coleman, Louis and Countess at the next level.
Tell us which Tiger you think could make the biggest climb up 2017 NFL draft boards this year and where you want to see these top prospects land next spring in the comments below.
Simply put, Carl Lawson has a great chance of becoming Auburn’s best NFL draft prospect since Greg Robinson went No. 2 overall to the Rams in 2014. After Auburn has gone back-to-back years without a first-rounder, Lawson looks like a lock for that—and a high one at that.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller ranked Lawson as his No. 5 overall prospect in his way-too-early rankings. He then put Lawson going at No. 2 overall in his first 2017 mock draft to the San Diego Chargers, where he could pair up with the newly drafted Joey Bosa on defense.
“Lawson came back from a hip injury in early 2015 to dominate the SEC talent he faced,” Miller wrote. “He has size (6’2″, 261 lbs) to stand up and beat offensive tackles with speed or power. He’s longer on film than his 6’2″ frame would indicate, too, and knows how to set up blockers with an excellent use of hands and hips.”
Other draft experts who have first-round projections on Lawson right now include Rob Rang of CBS Sports, who listed him as the No. 9 underclassman in the upcoming draft class. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN told James Crepea of AL.com that Lawson could be “a first-round pick with a big year next season.”
Lawson plays the defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid at Auburn in the “Buck” position, and he will most likely stand up as an edge-rushing linebacker in the NFL. He needs to have a strong, completely healthy season in 2016 as part of Auburn’s deep defensive line in order to cash in on what is some high draft stock at the moment.
One player who could potentially see his draft stock soar this year as scouts put the microscope on Lawson is defensive tackle Montravius Adams, who came back to school with Lawson this year because of what he called some “unfinished business.”
Adams is ranked as the No. 5 defensive tackle for 2017 at CBS Sports and No. 7 at Walter Football, with the latter site giving him the No. 4 spot at nose tackle. As a reference point, the No. 5 through No. 7 defensive tackles in last weekend’s draft went early in the second round.
It’s easy to see how Adams could be a coveted draft prospect down the road. He has the versatility to play both defensive end and defensive tackle in a 4-3 system, and he’s equally strong at stopping the run and rushing the passer. Draft analysts also seem to love Adams’ physical gifts at 6’4″ and 296 pounds, but consistency is his biggest issue.
“Adams has demonstrated the ability to be a speedy disruptor at the point of attack with pass rush to go along with run defense,” Charlie Campbell of Walter Football wrote. “He has a ton of physical talent but has to maintain good conditioning and not get lazy with his motor.”
Adams doesn’t necessarily need to blow up the stat sheet this season in order to land a great draft spot, because there’s a lot to playing defensive tackle that doesn’t always make an impact on the box score. The talented defensive tackle needs to maintain a high level of play throughout the 2016 without any major setbacks, and he should star on Auburn’s talented front four.
Johnathan “Rudy” Ford came to Auburn to play running back, but he has nailed down a home for the Tigers, and possibly at the next level, by playing on the defensive side of the ball.
Ford has seen time at nickel cornerback and free safety in Auburn’s defense, and he’s led the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons. He’s a constant presence in the secondary with tremendous speed—Auburn running back Jovon Robinson called him “one of the fastest guys in the SEC” this spring—and a great amount of size for a safety at 6’0″ and 203 pounds.
It’s still early in the 2017 draft rankings process, but CBS Sports lists Ford as the No. 1 free safety in the class. While that high of a draft grade for Ford is a surprise, most of the top safety names in the upcoming class such as Alabama’s Eddie Jackson and Ole Miss’ Tony Conner are listed at strong safety in the CBS Sports database.
While free safety is not as highly valued as many positions at the draft, Ford’s place right now means he could go as a high as the second or third round next year with another solid season.
NFL franchises will value players with the physical traits of Ford who have also shown to be strong tacklers during their college days. If he can continue to improve, he could be off the board on the second day of next year’s NFL draft.
Jovon Robinson showed late last season that he could be a dangerous running back in the SEC if he gets enough work in the Auburn offense. Although he’ll enter an NFL draft class that is loaded with elite running backs such as Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook, there could be room for Robinson in this rusher renaissance at the next level.
Robinson is rated as the No. 11 senior running back by CBS Sports, which would put him somewhere as a Day 3 pick in next year’s draft after the top underclassman names listed in the 2018 section are thrown into the mix.
The good thing for Robinson’s stock is that he hasn’t had a chance to be the consistent No. 1 option on a FBS roster yet. He turned it on late in the season for the Tigers and won the Birmingham Bowl MVP, and Peyton Barber’s exit to the next level opened the door for him to become the starter in 2016. There’s room for his stock to explode this fall.
Robinson is an all-around rusher with an impressive amount of explosion in the open field for someone built like a power back. He should have the durability to last in the NFL, as he doesn’t have a large amount of wear and tear on his 230-pound frame.
The Auburn running back won’t ever be considered a top name in this running back draft class with the likes of Fournette and McCaffrey ahead of him. But if he can have a Tre Mason-like breakout campaign in a run-heavy version of Malzahn’s offense this fall, he should steadily climb draft boards.
Offensive guards don’t command the high value in the NFL draft that tackles do, but strong interior linemen have quite a bit of money to make at the next level. If Alex Kozan can continue to tap into the play that made him a freshman All-American candidate in 2013, he could be looking at a good climb up the 2017 draft boards.
Kozan will enter his third year as a starter for Auburn, and he’s arguably been the most consistent lineman on the front five over the last couple of years. The Colorado native is a strong team leader and one of the smartest Tigers on the roster. Lawson said this spring that he and Kozan watch a lot of NFL game film during their down time.
“I’m really getting better at my pass protection, which has been a big deal for me,” Kozan said last month. “Then in the run game, as I continue to work in the weight room and get stronger, I can pretty much do all the stuff I want to do.”
Right now, Kozan is projected as the No. 9 offensive guard in the 2017 class by CBS Sports and No. 15 by Walter Football, which would put him as a Day 3 selection.
Those numbers could improve if he helps lead Auburn to a bounce-back season on the offensive side of the ball and continues to make strides in pass protection. He’s rebounded from missing the entire 2014 season due to an injury and could be a valuable run-blocker at the next level.
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
1 Guest(s)
