So You Wanna Be An NFL Star?

Auburn had their pro day to let the NFL scouts see what the kids from the Plains had to offer. apparently the breakout star was defensive tackle Tez Doolittle who is just fucking ripped right now. before the Pro Day i would have guessed that Doolittle was at best a free agent pick up for some random team but apparently he did so well that people are talking mid round pick...maybe even as high as the 4th round. good for Tez. he's looking like a beast.


here's the list of Auburn NFL hopefuls:

Sen'Derrick Marks, DT- Marks stock has been dropping of late after starting the year as a top 10 prospect. injuries and Auburn's disappointing year didn't do Sen'Derrick any favors this season and likely he's dropped out of the 1st round entirely and will probably be a mid 2nd round pick. i'd love it if he ended up a Falcon.

Tryonne Green, OG- like Marks, Green's stock was much higher at the beginning of the year but thanks to poor play his draft position is likely going to be much lower than he would have hoped. more than likely he's a 4th rounder...but worth the risk as most Auburn lineman have turned out to be pretty good in the pros.

Tez Doolittle, DT- was granted a 6th year of eligibility and became one of the bright spots for a disappointing defense. after his pro day he's jumped into the draft spotlight and will likely be a 5th or 6th rounder.

Jerraud Powers, CB- a lot of Auburn fans were surprised (and a little sad) to see Powers leave school a year early and try to take his chances in the NFL draft. Powers said he didn't think his draft stock would have been helped very much by staying his senior year and so he's going for his dream a year early. can't hate the kid for that. Powers was Auburn's most reliable player in the secondary and i think he'll end up being the best NFL player from this crop of players. more than likely he's a 5th rounder.

Brad Lester, RB- most Auburn fans probably thought that 2008 was gonna be Lester's year and he'd be a super productive play maker in the Spread Eagle attack...but yeah, sometimes shit doesn't work out so well. injuries kept him off the field almost the entire 2nd half of the season. he's 7th rounder at best, but may go undrafted. although he did have a good 40 time and showed impressive strength. i see him signing on with a team as an undrafted free agent and making an NFL squad.

Rod Smith,WR- the former walk on really didn't impress anyone with his workout numbers. maybe he can go play with Tray Blackmon in the CFL.

Tristan Davis, RB- injuries were always an issue for Davis at Auburn, but when he was healthy he could be electric. he was a 4.38 40 at Pro Day, which would have been by far the fastest 40 time of any of the runningbacks who worked out at the combine....hell it's faster than most of the wide receivers and cornerbacks too. right now NFL Scout doesn't have him listed as being drafted, but with that kind of speed and the fact that he could be a return specialist makes me think there's no way someone doesn't take a flyer on him in the 7th round. we know how much Al Davis loves some motherfucking 40 times, so yeah don't be surprised if Tristan becomes a Raider. i'd be happy if the Falcons snagged him in the 7th round to return kickoffs and add a little more depth to the runningbacks.

DAMN HE FAST!!!

James Swinton, WR- this guy never saw the field at Auburn but was supposed to be a break out player in the spread. an injury in the 1st game of the season ended that dream. he apparently had a really great pro day and posted excellent numbers in the vertical and the 40 (4.39!). i'd be surprised if he was actually drafted due to the lack of actual game experience but with his kind of speed he may get picked up for someone's practice squad.

Robert Dunn, WR- always a threat for Auburn on punt returns but never a reliable receiving threat. Dunn didn't work out at Auburn's pro day for whatever reason so his NFL future is probably nonexistent. still i'd think his play making skills as a punt returner would interest someone somewhere.

Merril Johnson, LB/SS- like seemingly every single player on Auburn in 2008, Johnson was slowed by injuries. he's a little smallish for linebacker in the NFL and is trying to catch on as a safety. it's doubtful he'll be drafted.

when i look at this list of players i can only shake my head at how poorly the talent level has gotten since the 2004 team that had 4 players go in the 1st round. there might not even be 4 guys from this class get drafted at all.

Hey if any of these guys don't make it in the NFL they can always play on one of the USFL teams in 2010. ah, i love fringe football leagues. i wonder if Trump is gonna be involved. yeah, economic collapses generally ARE the best times to try and bring back failed professional football leagues. maybe they'll bring back the Birmingham Stallions.