Texas A&M Wins With the NFL Draft Inductees
MOBILE, Ala. - Texas A&M will hope to benefit from a surging schedule in the SEC. While other teams might have lost plenty of talent during the NFL Draft process, the Aggies were stalemate overall with their roster.
The team will need to replace six overall starters from the 2019 roster. Offensive lineman Colton Prater, cornerback Charles Oliver and punter Braden Mann all graduated as seniors, spending all four years in College Station. Wide receiver Kendrick Rogers, Quartney Davis and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike all would forgo their final year of eligibility and declare early.
Fellow junior cornerback Debione Renfro would also declare following a frustrating season in coverage.
It's not what about what the Aggies lost, but rather what the team kept. On offense, A&M will need to replace two of their three starters but will retain the likes of Jhamon Ausbon. As the team's top weapon on the outside, the junior tallied six touchdowns off 66 catches and was the go-to option for Kellen Mond.
Keeping Ausbon will allow a veteran presence for the young staff set to join the ranks for the Aggies receiving corp. The rising senior has been in contact with players such as five-star wide receiver Demond Demas, helping prepare him for the season ahead. The Tomball product is expected to be a part of the offensive scheme during his freshman season.
On defense, Anthony Hines and Buddy Johnson will return to command the center of Mike Elko's defense. The two became starters following the early departures of Otara Alaka and Tyrel Dodson. Johnson led the team with 77 tackles while Hines finished with 75, including 10.5 for losses.
But what could benefit the Aggies most are the departures from other programs. LSU will need to replace a majority of their offense, on top of finding a quality starter to precede Joe Burrow. On defense, the Tigers will lose safety Grant Delpit, linebackers Jacob Phillips and Patrick Queen, cornerback Kristian Fulton and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
Alabama might be a pipeline for recruiting, but several losses could be too soon to tell if they could overcome. The Crimson Tide's offense will lose speed as both wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III will be heading to the NFL. That's without mentioning the team will need to replace future first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa under center as he elected to declare following a season-ending injury.
Auburn, who finished third in the conference, won't be without their losses as well. The offense will need to find a new blindside protector as Prince Tega Wanogho officially will head to the NFL following his senior season. The defensive line will need to revamped as both Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown will be making plays on Sunday. The two combined for 104 tackles, 23 tackles for losses and 10.5 sacks.
There's never a real winner or loser from the early draft pool. Teams can regroup and build a contender based on the recruiting circuit each season. The Aggies still will have a core group in line, along with sound recruits entering the building.
There might not be "true winners" during the initial selection process, but A&M has little to replace, making their promise expand for the 2020 season. That could say more about the staff than the players calling the shots in the end should they struggle.
