Top Five Auburn Prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft
On December 13, 2020, an era ended as Gus Malzahn was fired as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers. While the offensive guru was never able to compete for SEC championships after taking over in 2013, he did turn a 3-9 squad into a team that was as high as second in his early seasons. Bryan Harsin is the new sheriff in town. He played and coached at Boise State for a better part of his career only leaving for three seasons to call plays at Texas followed up by a one-year stint as the head coach at Arkansas State. Harsin takes over a program that not only has tremendous talent but also possesses the ability to recruit with the best of them. This will certainly keep Auburn as a strong pipeline for NFL talent through the draft.
Roger McCreary, CB
Despite his small frame, Roger McCreary has stood out against top-tier competition in the SEC.
The feisty cornerback first caught the attention of scouts when he held his own against Ja’Marr Chase in 2019. Since then McCreary has continued to improve his technique to minimize mistakes in coverage. He has the physicality and demeanor to succeed in press coverage and has shown playmaking instincts in zone. A lack of length may be a concern for some teams but it has not hurt his ability to contest the catch too much in the SEC.
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Smoke Monday, DS
An impressive athlete, Smoke Monday is one strong season away from being an early-round pick.
Jamien Sherwood was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets because he has the size and physicality that Monday has at the safety position. However, scouts are even more excited about Monday as he is a better athlete, allowing him to play in deep zones as well as in the box. The former four-star recruit has to limit mental lapses this fall and if he can, has all the tools to be coveted by the NFL.
Zakoby McClain, LB
Although small for a traditional linebacker, Zakoby McClain stands out on a talented Auburn defense.
The first of two undersized linebackers, McClain was very productive in 2020, racking up 113 tackles. His athleticism and quick recognition skills allow him to be all over the second level of the defense. Having added mass this off-season, he will likely have to get even bigger to succeed at the next level.
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Shaun Shivers, RB
Shaun Shivers is a well-rounded back for his size; he has blown up NFL defenders with his physicality.
With the emergence of Tank Bigsby, people should not forget about Shivers who is an exciting change of pace back. Not only is the senior tough to catch with his speed and elusiveness but also physical for his size. What has scouts especially intrigued is Shivers’ kick return ability which should allow him to find a spot on an NFL roster.
Owen Pappoe, LB
An experienced, athletic second-level defender, Owen Pappoe has high-level NFL potential.
A highly touted consensus five-star recruit out of high school, Pappoe has started since his true freshman season. With his athleticism, he is a perfect fit at weakside linebacker at the next level, having the range to get sideline to sideline and movement skills to stick with the occasional running back and slot receiver in coverage. Expect him to declare if he can live up to his enormous potential in 2021.
