2020 Auburn NFL Draft Prospects
The NFL Draft is always a must-see event but with sports on hold the 2020 edition has the entire sports excited to help fill that void. The draft will have a different look on April 23rd-25th as it will be a virtual event, and the SEC will look to dominant the draft as it has in recent years. The Auburn Tigers have plenty of talent that should hear their names called this week. Today we will look at some of 2020 Auburn NFL Draft Prospects.
First Round Lock
Derrick Brown, Defensive Tackle
Derrick Brown is not just a first-round lock, but unless something unseen happens he will be a top-ten lock as well. Brown is the absolute best defensive tackle in this draft class and showed throughout his entire career at Auburn that he was the ultimate disruptor at the line of scrimmage. He would have been a first-round pick had he left school after his junior season but decided to come back and enhance his draft stock. Brown won SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American during his senior campaign on the plains. He has the great size at 6-4, 326 pounds and athleticism to get through double teams that he saw on a regular basis in the SEC. Brown on the season had 11.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks.
Late First Round Sleepers
Marlon Davidson, Defensive End
Just like Brown, Marlon Davidson could have gone into the 2019 NFL Draft but decided to return for his senior season. He made an instant impact during his freshman season in 2016 being named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. In college he played a lot at the end position but due to his size he will most likely be a better fit as an interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Like Brown, he had 11.5 tackles for loss and got to the quarterback for 6.5 sacks in 2019. Those numbers and his performance during the season earned him a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Davidson could land late in the first round or go early in the second depending how some of the picks go.
Noah Igbinoghene, Cornerback
Of all the Auburn players in this year’s draft, Noah Igbinoghene could be the most versatile. When he first arrived as a freshman in 2017, he was on the offensive side as a wide receiver. The Tigers were stacked at receiver going into the 2018 season, so Gus Malzahn decided to move Igbinoghene over to cornerback to help with some much-needed depth. In his two seasons on defense he had 92 tackles and one interception. He also proved to be a very solid kick returner. Igbinoghne averaged 27.3 yards per return and two touchdowns over his three seasons on the plains. Igbinoghene looks to most likely be a day two pick but could surprise and slip into the first round.
Middle to Late Rounders
Prince Tega Wanogho, Offensive Tackle
The draft is loaded with talent at the tackle position. Prince Tega Wanogho could be a player that is selected on day two in the third round or late on day three. Wanogho is an incredibly talented and raw athlete that has not been playing football long. He only played one year of football before committing to play for Auburn. Wanogho is originally from Delta State, Nigeria and came to United States to play basketball. He attended Edgewood, Academy in Montgomery, Alabama where he would pick up the game of football for the first time. He was recruited as a defensive lineman and then was converted to offensive lineman after his red-shirt year in 2015. Over his career at Auburn he started 32 games and was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2019.
Nick Coe, Defensive End/Linebacker
Before the 2019 season the Auburn defensive line was being hyped up not just because of Brown and Davidson. Nick Coe was also looked at as a player that could be a high pick in this year’s draft. Coe was a reason why the Tigers were thought to have the best defensive front in college football. Due to a regression in play Coe was not on the field as much. He even found himself in the doghouse of Gus Malzahn that led to him not playing against Arkansas. During his sophomore season in 2018 he recorded seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Coe has the talent to be an effective player at the next level. With that said, he will have a lot work to do to reach that potential showed during his first two seasons.
