Five Tigers drafted

AUBURN | It took a while but five former Auburn players are headed to the NFL including three defensive backs.

Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett and safety Jaylin Simpson were both taken in the fifth round while cornerback D.J. James went in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

That makes 12 defensive backs drafted in the last nine years out of Auburn.

It’s also the first time since 2003 — when no Auburn players were selected — that the Tigers haven’t had a player taken within the first four rounds.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Pritchett No. 136 overall and James No. 192 overall, reuniting the pair of south Alabama standouts in the Northwest.

James played three years at Oregon before transferring to Auburn in 2022.

Simpson went to the Indianapolis Colts with the 164th overall pick.

Two defensive linemen went in the seventh round as the Dallas Cowboys took Justin Rogers No. 244 overall and the Houston Texans took Marcus Harris No. 247 overall.

Rogers transferred to Auburn from Kentucky in 2023 and Harris from Kansas in 2021.

Following the draft, offensive lineman Gunner Britton signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills and center Avery Jones signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Three players received training camp tryout invitations: Offensive lineman Kam Stutts with the Baltimore Ravens, defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite with the San Francisco 49ers and safety Zion Puckett with the N.Y. Jets.