Top Ten NFL Draft Prospects for Auburn football
As we approach fall practice, there's a renewed sense of optimism and buzz about the fanbase - Bryan Harsin's Auburn squad is entering the 2022 season with a favorable early season slate, potentially a new quarterback in either Zach Calzada or Robbie Ashford, and a defense that is poised to be one of the SEC's best.
As we enter fall camp, let's take a look at the Auburn players that will be most interesting to NFL scouts based on their measurables and prior performances.
1. RB Tank Bigsby - 6'0, 213 - Junior
Any discussion of Auburn's NFL hopefuls has to begin with Bigsby. The junior from LaGrange, GA was SEC freshman of the year after putting up 834 yards & 5 TDs in an injury-shortened 2020 campaign and followed that up with a 1,099 yd, 10 TD season in 2021. Now fully healthy and a full offseason removed from rumors of a potential transfer, Bigsby is focused on doing the "little things" required to carry Auburn to victory in 2022, widely believed to be his final year before becoming a day one pick.
SI Scouting Report: "Eruptive athlete that carries the ball with forcefulness. Compact frame that mirrors a stout running style. His role as a lead back is unquestionable."
2. EDGE Derick Hall - 6'3, 256 - Senior
Hall, a potential early entrant in the 2021 NFL Draft after a 9-sack, 12 TFL season that landed him on the SEC 2nd Team, surprised everyone by coming back for his senior season on the Plains. He's expected to pair with fellow EDGE Eku Leota to form the SEC's most lethal pass rushing tandem before departing to the NFL.
SI Scouting Report: "A special athlete with the versatility, bend, length, and burst to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL. Needs to learn to play to his skillset, and currently projects as a valuable developmental piece and designated pass rusher with special teams value."
3. DE Colby Wooden - 6'5, 284 - Junior
A two-year starter on the defensive line for Auburn, Wooden is a versatile, athletic defender that has anchored the Auburn defense for two seasons. Playing at weakside defensive end, Wooden has 9 career sacks and 18.5 TFLs, as well as 107 total tackles across two seasons. With experience in both a two-point and three-point stance, Wooden has the versatility to play across the defensive line.
SI Scouting Report: "An impressive mover for his size, Colby Wooden has the length to establish and manage distance; when setting the edge, he uses leverage and his long arms to stack and window linemen. While the Auburn defensive lineman offers intriguing movement skills, his game is plagued by underdeveloped technique and inefficacy."
4. LB Owen Pappoe - 6'1, 225 - Senior
Nicknamed "The Freak", Pappoe is a returning team captain that has the athletic traits that teams covet, but also injury concerns. Beginning with his true freshman season, where he started every game at linebacker, Pappoe has flashed from sideline to sideline, chasing down ballcarriers and disrupting pass plays with his speed and agility. He missed eight games in 2022, including an ankle injury that kept him out of the final four games of the season and spring practice. Now fully healthy, Pappoe is prepared to close his college career as the unquestioned leader of the linebacker room and difference maker on the field.
SI Scouting Report: "Undersized, athletic linebacker with great range and instincts. Pappoe is a smart player who possesses above-average physicality and shock in his hands to take on blocks. He is an inconsistent tackler, susceptible to taking bad angles. Should become a solid starter with special teams value if he can improve his tackling."
5. CB Nehemiah Pritchett - 6'1, 182 - Senior
Pritchett, a two-year starter at cornerback, projects to be the #1 corner for Jeff Schmedding's defense after the departure of Roger McCreary to the NFL Draft. Seen as potentially a Top 5 CB in this upcoming NFL Draft, the long and athletic Pritchett has the traits to excel in both man and zone coverage, but will be tested by the brutal slate of SEC wide receivers he will be tasked with covering, including LSU's Kayshon Butte and Alabama's Jermaine Burton.
6. EDGE Eku Leota - 6'4, 257 - Senior
The Northwestern transfer, now in his 2nd season at Auburn, made an impact quickly once entering the starting lineup against Akron. Amassing 7 sacks and 10 TFL, he formed a lethal pass-rushing duo with Derick Hall. Finishing the season with three sacks in his final four games, the "Absolute Unit" uses his powerful lower body to anchor and drive blockers, while his pass-rushing package consists largely of double hand swipes and dip/rip combinations versus bending the corner and winning with pure speed. Profiles as a 3-4 OLB at the next level.
7. RG Keiondre Jones - 6'4, 340 - Junior
The only offensive lineman to start every game in 2021, Jones is an impactful interior anchor of the offensive line. Possessing a strong lower body, he showcases his thick frame and powerful hands to drive his opponent to the ground. Not the most athletic lineman, but his power and mauler mentality should make him of interest to NFL scouts as a developmental prospect.
8. K Anders Carlson - 6'5, 215 - Senior
Carlson, the younger brother of former Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson, looks to be following in his brother's footsteps and taking his talents to the NFL after his senior season. Just the second two-time Academic All American in Auburn football history, he's scheduled to return from a torn ACL suffered against Mississippi State that cost him the rest of the 2021 season and hurt his draft stock. With a career long FG of 53 yards and experience kicking off, he offers a huge leg but also is only 67-of-93 on field goal attempts (72.04%) for his career, so he's looking to recapture his 2020 form where he went 20-22 (90.91%) in the abbreviated 11-game campaign.
9. P Oscar Chapman - 6'3, 202 - Junior
Auburn's 2nd consecutive Aussie punter, after Arryn Siposs went to the NFL as a junior, the Adelaide, South Australia native Chapman had one of the best punting seasons in Auburn history in 2021. He finished the year Top 20 in the nation (and Top 3 in the SEC) in net yards per punt - how many yards each punt, on average, set the opposing offense back from the 4th down spot - as well as being graded top 5 in the country by PFF. He was a crucial weapon in Auburn's four-overtime loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl, with his ten punts setting Alabama back in the field position battle; five of his punts were downed inside the Crimson Tide 20-yd line, and three were inside the 10. He is expected to compete with Texas A&M's Nik Constantinou for best punter in the SEC and, owing to his ability to land 1/4th of his punts inside the opposing 15, could be picked late in the final day of the NFL Draft, should he choose to go pro.
10. LS Jacob Quattlebaum - 6'1, 229 - Senior
The fifth-year senior, who has completed his bachelor's in electrical engineering and is pursuing a master's in business administration, returns for his final year of eligibility with an eye at following former Tiger Josh Harris, his inspiration to be a long-snapper, to the NFL. Son of a special teams coach, he sits as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and mentors younger athletes on campus as he focuses on his personal performance goal, the rare accolade of 100% accuracy over an entire season. He is considered a dark horse for the 2022 Patrick Mannelly Award, given annually to the best long-snapper in college football.
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