Which Tigers will be selected in NFL Draft?

Auburn Football

The 2018 NFL Draft is quickly approaching starting this upcoming Thursday, April 26, ending Saturday, April 28. Auburn has several draft eligible Tigers anticipating hearing their names called, so let’s dive-in and find out where our favorite players will likely be selected.

Kerryon Johnson showing some ?? pic.twitter.com/1Sz3kJPmwf

— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@SkyeUnderwood) October 7, 2017

Kerryon Johnson: The SEC Offensive Player of the Year decided to forego his senior season at Auburn and enter the NFL Draft. Kerryon was arguably the most dominate Auburn player this year, practically carrying the Tigers down the stretch until injuries got the best of him. CBS Sports has Johnson going in the 2nd Round with the 64th overall selection to the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is looking for its franchise running back, and I believe if Kerryon can stay healthy, he’ll be just that. LandOf10.com has the former Tiger going in the 2nd round and 49th overall to the Colts. I think this would be a great spot for him, being behind Frank Gore at first, and then grooming into the starter along with a resurging Andrew Luck.

Our highest graded kicker on field goals and extra points in 2017, @AuburnFootball K Daniel Carlson was good from 58 yards (with room to spare) at #SeniorBowl practice yesterday pic.twitter.com/wPens4waMV

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 25, 2018

Daniel Carlson: The best kicker in Auburn history (sorry, Wes Byrum and John Vaughn) will no doubt be selected. The question is where, which is very interesting. CBS Sports predicts the superb kicker to be selected in the 6th Round at pick number 182. It’s good to know kickers aren’t normally thought of to be very draftable, but with Phil Dawson being 43 years old, Carlson could very well be the heir apparent in Phoenix. NFLDraftScout.com’s Dane Brugler has Daniel going number 112 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. A fourth round selection in the draft would be great for Carlson. Remember Roberto Aguayo? That would tell you a lot about why NFL teams are very cautious about selecting kickers high in the draft.

Auburn G Braden Smith finished last season with the third-highest grade among 2018 NFL Draft guards pic.twitter.com/cBrVJLsR1F

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 28, 2018

Braden Smith: Big guys need love too, and so far, the NFL scouts love the guard. He is tremendously strong, and is very athletic for his size. SEC Country has Braden going 32nd overall, which is the last pick of the first round, to the defending champs Philadelphia Eagles. This could really sure up an old offensive line. Chad Reuter of NFL.com says Smith will go 122nd overall in the 4th round to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a bit low in my opinion, but it’s not necessarily about when, but where a player goes and Kansas City is a really good franchise and would be a homecoming for Smith who is from Kansas.

Jeff Holland’s SEC leading 9th sack on the season. Remember, the @butkusaward ignored the SEC’s best pass rusher & all of Auburn’s defenders while two UGA defenders were listed as their semifinalist. pic.twitter.com/8r5Ao3t1Bs

— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@SkyeUnderwood) November 12, 2017

Jeff Holland A lot of teams have shown interest in Holland, who plays the defensive end position with extreme passion. He emerged as the most feared pass rusher on an elite Auburn defense. NFL.com has him going in the 5th Round to the Washington Redskins. I think this is low, based on what various GM’s have said about Jeff. He is a great playmaker and will bring heart and love for the game to whatever team selects him. Land of 10 has Holland at 155 in the 5th round to the LA Chargers, and although this is also a low prediction, pairing him up with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram could prove devastating for opposing offenses for a long time to come.

Carlton Davis is physical in the run and pass game. #ChiefsDraftmas pic.twitter.com/iW8fLulV53

— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) April 18, 2018

Carlton Davis: Carlton Davis has been a staple in the Auburn secondary since he arrived on campus as a freshman. He is a long and rangy corner, and NFL scouts really like his upside. Davis is projected to go number 35 in the 2nd Round to Seattle by RJ White of CBS Sports, which would be a good fit, considering that Richard Sherman is now a 49er. Could Davis take his place? Only time will tell. The NFL.com prediction is that Davis will be selected with the 54th overall selection to the Kansas City Chiefs. Another second round grade proves really hopeful that Davis will hear his name called very early on the second day of the draft.

Who to look out for:

Auburn has as many as 11-12 draft eligible players including the aforementioned group above. Meanwhile, Tre’ Williams, Austin Golson, Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts, Kam Pettway, and Darius James are all Tigers that could come off the board in the later rounds, but even if they all go undrafted, each of them will likely sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free-agent, which is still a huge accomplishment for a college football player with dreams of playing in the league.