The Huge Auburn Tigers Upgrade that Doesn't Get Enough Attention

While the quarterback has gotten most of the attention as an area of improvement for the Auburn Tigers, Jackson Arnold’s acquisition wasn’t going to mean much if his blindside protection didn’t improve.

The Tigers went to the transfer portal to get immediate help in the form of former Virginia Tech Hokies star Xavier Chaplin. While the season is a little less than three weeks away, the NFL Draft never sleeps for some. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler lists Chaplin as his third overall draft-eligible tackle behind Alabama’s Kayden Proctor and Utah’s Spencer Fano.

At least three offensive tackles have been taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2019. That’s a stat that bodes well for Chaplin.

"Chaplin is able to torque, turn, and run his feet to violently move defenders where he wants them to go. He has the mobility to cut off on the backside or wash the three-technique from the designed lane,” Brugler wrote on The Athletic.

In layman's terms, Chaplin loves to punish defenders and assert his authority. He does not bend. In fact, he will be the one forcing the action, forcing the defender away from the action. In addition, the film shows a player who does not look satisfied with just clearing a path.

Instead, the left tackle wants to finish the play by either taking the defender far away from the ball or pancaking him to the ground. Imagine the toll this takes on a defense over the course of four quarters.

Excited to see what former Virginia Tech OT Xavier Chaplin does at Auburn. He's a man mountain (6-7, 348) with an excellent anchor and displacement ability in the run game pic.twitter.com/ed2Ap1bn0w
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) July 26, 2025

Now, with that praise comes criticism. Luckily for Chaplin, what Brugler sees as an issue can be easily cleaned up and handled.

"Though very gifted for a man his size, Chaplin is still a work in progress in multiple areas. His overaggressive tendencies will backfire on him, causing him to lunge and disrupt his balance,” wrote Brugler. “He doesn’t have top-tier body flexibility and can do a better job protecting against that, especially in space, to avoid penalties."

The SEC is loaded with twitchy edge rushers that promise to give Chaplin all he can handle on the perimeter. In order to counter this, the lineman must not only trust his feet to get closer to contact, but also throw his hands out to block.

Think of Chaplin's approach like a baseball swing. The lower body should lead the hands. The rusher will keep moving, and flinging out a perfunctory block does not help and could end up in a sack or worse.

Auburn will enjoy running behind Chaplin. He will get downhill on a blocker in a hurry, latching on and steering them. In the pass game, this is where he needs to address the aforementioned movement issue.

Brugler believes that with Chaplin's frame and power, he could become an NFL player. The question remains if he can work on his weaknesses and show progress.