AUBURN | Auburn’s first round drought could finally come to an end next year.
The Tigers set a school record for the modern era of the draft with six picks in 2019, the most since 1991 and most since the NFL reduced the number of rounds to seven in 94.
Auburn also went without a first round pick for a fifth consecutive year, a streak that’s projected to end with the 2020 Draft due to a consensus top 15 prospect.
Here’s a look at how Auburn projects for the 2020 NFL Draft citing early mocks from Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, Walter Football, DraftSite and Draft Wire.
THE MAN
Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is a consensus top seven pick in four of the five mocks, projected to go as high as No. 3 overall by DraftSite. The only outlier is Draft Wire, which still has him going 15th overall. ESPN’s Mel Kiper put out a top 10 list during the draft, which had Brown at No. 5. Brown considered declaring for the 2019 draft but with 11 defensive linemen including six defensive tackles going in the first round last Thursday and the windfall that comes from being a top 10 pick, it appears he made the right decision to return for his senior season. He could be Auburn’s highest-drafted prospect since Greg Robinson went No. 2 overall in 2014.
TOP PROSPECTS
The strength of this year’s team should be the line of scrimmage and that’s reflected in the 2020 projections. Walter Football has junior defensive end Nick Coe going with the 22nd pick of the first round while DraftSite has him going 23rd. Sports Illustrated has senior defensive end Marlon Davidson listed with a small group of players that just missed the cut of the first round. DraftSite is the only current mock that stretches past the first round. It has senior offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho and Davidson in the second round.
Coe, who led the team in sacks last season, considered leaving after his redshirt sophomore season. He’s a player that improved a lot over the previous season and could be even better in 2019. Same could be said of Wanogho, who has the measurables of an NFL left tackle with only a few years of experience at the position. Davidson has started 39 of 40 games since arriving at Auburn, missing one start due to an injury. He’s played through a succession of injuries and could have a real breakout season this fall if he can stay healthy.
DARK HORSE
Reports out of spring had junior cornerback Noah Igbinoghene putting together a very strong three weeks of drills. Igbinoghene probably won’t be named to many preseason watch lists or all-conference teams, but things can change quickly once the season gets underway. He couldn’t have received a more favorable report from Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who recently said Igbinoghene has the whole package. Strong words from a coach with more than 35 years experience about a player that switched from wide receiver to defensive back a year ago.
WATCH LIST
There’s still four months left in the offseason, a full fall of football along with postseason all-star games, combines and Pro Days before full evaluations are made for the 2020 class. There’s no telling what prospects will emerge over the next 11 months. How many early mocks last year had Kyler Murray atop their boards? How about Baker Mayfield a year earlier? I doubt many preseason lists had Alabama State offensive tackle Tytus Howard as a first-round projection. The former high school quarterback and walk-on tight end went No. 23 overall Thursday night.
Keeping all that in mind, there are a handful of Auburn upperclassmen that could play their way onto draft boards this fall. Senior offensive tackle Jack Driscoll was actually projected to go in the sixth round by DraftSite. Senior offensive guards Marquel Harrell or Mike Horton could certainly play their way into the conversation this season. Staying on offense, running back JaTarvious Whitlow would be eligible as a third-year sophomore and could be poised for a breakout season as AU’s feature back behind five senior offensive linemen. Junior wide receiver Eli Stove is one to watch. He should be back to full speed after spending most of last year rehabbing from knee surgery.
Senior cornerback Javaris Davis should be one of the fastest cornerbacks in the draft next year. If he can stay healthy this fall, he could play himself into the later rounds despite being a little undersized. There were more than 30 cornerbacks drafted in 2019 so it’s always a need position. Some other defensive players to watch include senior safeties Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson, junior linebackers K.J. Britt and Chandler Wooten, who will be starting for the first time, and junior defensive linemen Tyrone Truesdell, DaQuan Newkirk, T.D. Moultry and Big Kat Bryant , who could all take on bigger roles this fall.
