Auburn Football: 2015 NFL Draft Tracker, Analysis and Results
Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers figure to have multiple former members of their team joining the professional ranks during the three-day 2015 NFL draft.
While the Tigers lack a potential first-round pick, they do have numerous prospects with the ability to make an immediate impact as rookies. It's a group chock-full of both productivity and upside.
This piece will highlight the Auburn draft hopefuls. Prior to the draft, we will analyze all of the prospects and their respective strengths as football players. Predictions on draft positioning will also be discussed.
Once the draft ends, we will update the slides, detailing each player and how he fits in with his future team.
WR Sammie Coates
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Drafted: Round 3, Pick 87 to Pittsburgh Steelers
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Analysis: It's an interesting pick by the Steelers. Sammie Coates will be battling against fellow young receivers in Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and L'Damian Washington. For Coates to garner time as a rookie, he'll have to become more polished as a route-runner. Fortunately, he'll have the opportunity to learn under new teammate and All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown.
Replacement: Ricardo Louis is the leading candidate for Coates' vacant spot. Louis is the most experienced of the options at the position. However, don't sleep on redshirt freshman Myron Burton Jr. The talented pass-catcher out of Georgia had a big performance in Auburn's spring game.
DT Angelo Blackson
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Drafted: Round 4, Pick 100 to Tennessee Titans
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 318 lbs
Analysis: Tennessee needed to get bigger up front along its defensive line, and Angelo Blackson certainly fits the mold with this pick. With a general lack of depth at defensive tackle, Blackson could see significant play time as a rookie. Blackson will become the fourth true defensive tackle on the roster (along with Jurrell Casey, Al Woods, and Sammie Hill).
Replacement: Junior Montravius Adams appears to be the front-runner in replacing Blackson. A former big-time recruit, Adams could be in line for a breakout season in 2015.
DL Gabe Wright
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Drafted: Round 4, Pick 113 to Detroit Lions
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 300 lbs.
Analysis: The Detroit Lions will replace Ndamukong Suh with...Gabe Wright? While it's highly unrealistic to expect a fourth-round pick to replicate Suh's production as a rookie, Wright enters a good situation. Nick Fairley is gone, Haloti Ngata is aging, and there isn't much in the way of established players at the position. Wright might be able to carve a nice niche for himself behind Ngata—before having a bigger role as a second-year player.
Replacement: A host of defensive linemen will try to account for the loss of Wright. JUCO defensive tackle Maurice Swain appears to be in line for time at the position. Youngster Dontavius Russell and junior Devaroe Lawrence will also figure into the mix.
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TE C.J. Uzomah
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Drafted: Round 5, Pick 157 to Cincinnati Bengals
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 264 lbs.
Analysis: Competition will be the name of the game for C.J. Uzomah early in his NFL career. Former first-round pick Tyler Eifert is entrenched as the starter at tight end for Cincinnati. In the third round, the Bengals drafted another tight end in Rutgers product Tyler Kroft. If Uzomah wants to be a contributor early in his career, he'll have to continue to work on the nuances of the position (especially in regards to blocking). He'll battle Kroft for time as the second tight end.
Replacement: Auburn utilizes both the H-back and more of a traditional tight end. The H-back—who will likely be Kamryn Pettway—is more of a blocker in both run and passing situations. The tight end role—more of a pass-catching threat—will be filled by Chandler Cox. The pair could work well for the Tigers.
Note: Draft projections come courtesy of Matt Miller's mock draft (unless otherwise noted). Stats via AuburnTigers.com.
RB Cameron Artis-Payne
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Drafted: Round 5, Pick 174 to Carolina Panthers
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Analysis: Cameron Artis-Payne is an interesting fit for the Panthers. With DeAngelo Williams departing, Jonathan Stewart assumes the role of the starter. Stewart has been plagued throughout his career with durability issues. The other prominent back on the roster—Mike Tolbert—is a specialist on short-yardage situations. Artis-Payne has an opportunity to come in and solidify himself as potentially the top reserve to Stewart. He's theoretically an injury-away from seeing substantial time as a rookie.
Replacement: Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson will likely get the majority of the carries—with Peyton Barber also getting touches. Auburn frequently rotates its running backs in order to compensate for the tempo with which the offense runs. All three will get plenty of time in the backfield. Robinson—a former 5-star prospect—could break out in a big way.
C Reese Dismukes
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2015 Draft: Not Selected
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 296 lbs.
Analysis: Reese Dismukes had a highly decorated career for Auburn as its starting center. Dismukes won the 2014 Rimington Award—given to the nation's best center. Per Auburn's official athletics website, Dismukes started in all of his 50 career games. This speaks to his durability as a player.
The Alabama native excels in space as a blocker downfield. His athleticism is impressive for the position—as is his short-area quickness. Dismukes' strengths as a player cater to a team running a zone-blocking run scheme. He's a bit undersized for the position and could struggle when going head-to-head with bigger defensive tackles.
Replacement: Austin Golson and Xavier Dampeer are battling to replace one of the best linemen to ever play at the school. Like Dismukes, Dampeer is a bit undersized. Golson had been a tackle before switching over to the position. If one had to guess, Golson will get the nod. He's bigger than Dampeer and has a very nice upside.
DB Jermaine Whitehead
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2015 Draft: Not Selected
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 197 lbs.
Analysis: Jermaine Whitehead has the ability to be a fixture in the NFL for a long time. He's a ball hawk in the back end, as evidenced by his team-leading six interceptions. This speaks to his intuitiveness in terms of reading offensive schemes and reacting accordingly. A 4.48 40 time is also above-average for his position.
Whitehead's draft positioning will be impacted by his character. His four-game suspension for being disrespectful to a coach certainly won't help his cause. This ultimately could drop him lower than his talent would indicate.
Replacement: Auburn's current secondary situation is a bit cloudy. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is experimenting with multiple players at different spots. Johnathan Ford and Tray Matthews appear to be the current favorites to form the starting safety tandem.
ATH Nick Marshall
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2015 Draft: Not Selected
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 207 lbs.
Analysis: Former quarterback Nick Marshall is making the transition from quarterback to cornerback. Fortunately for Marshall, he has experience at the position from his time at Georgia. He's got good size and length for the corner spot. A 4.54 40-yard time is also solid for the 6'1" athlete.
However, Marshall hasn't played the position in over three seasons. He will undoubtedly be raw in terms of his technique. As a result, an NFL team will theoretically have to take time in developing Marshall into a corner. The Philadelphia Eagles could be an interesting fit. Marshall can both run and throw the football, and Chip Kelly has been known to be creative utilizing unique personnel.
Replacement: Junior Jeremy Johnson looks primed to have a big year for the Tigers. In 2014, the 6'5", 240-pound signal-caller went 28-of-37 for 436 yards and three touchdowns. He'll help Auburn out immensely in terms of passing the ball downfield when compared to Marshall.
RB Corey Grant
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2015 Draft: Not Selected
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Analysis: Speed kills, and Grant has plenty of it. His 4.28 40 time is one of the best in the entire class. Additionally, he doesn't have a ton of tread on his proverbial tires. His skill set not only translates to running back, but potentially wide receiver and special teams as well.
While he was used more situationally at Auburn, Grant's speed makes him very attractive. A team will likely take a chance on him based solely upon his athletic ability.
Replacement: As mentioned in the Artis-Payne slide, Auburn will utilize a trio of options at the running back spot. Louis will also most likely be incorporated with jet sweeps and reverses—similar to how Grant was used.
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