NFL Combine: Auburn players Results

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Derrick Brown measurements:

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Height: 6’4 5/8”

Weight: 326

Arms: 34 1/4”

Hands: 9”

 

Nick Coe measurements:

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Height: 6’4 5/8”

Weight: 280

Arms: 33 3/4”

Hands: 10 1/4”

Marlon Davidson measurements:

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Height: 6’3 3/8”

Weight: 303

Arms: 33”

Hands: 10”

Jack Driscoll measurements:

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Height: 6’4 5/8”

Weight: 306

Arms: 33”

Hands: 9 7/8”

Prince Tega Wanogho measurements:

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Height: 6’5”

Weight: 308

Arms: 33 1/2”

Hands: 10 3/8”

A blurb about Marlon Davidson who is fully transitioning into a Defensive Tackle for the draft (blurb comes from CBS Sports):

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Marlon Davidson, Auburn. Davidson's conversion from edge rusher at Auburn to defensive tackle in the NFL continues. He weighed in at 297 at the Senior Bowl and is now up to 303. He was a lower-level athlete on the outside in college yet used his hands well and had plenty of power. He could prove to be one of the most dynamic athletes at defensive tackle in this year's draft.

Negative bit about Driscoll's measurements (overrated criteria IMO):

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Jack Driscoll, Auburn. This wasn't easy, because altogether, the top offensive tackles and the high-quality depth at the position in this class measured in very well. At almost 6-5, Driscoll has NFL tackle height, yet he just hit the 33-inch threshold for arm length, and he had the shortest wingspan of the offensive tackle group. 

Article on Arryn Siposs' decision to leave early:

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2020/02/inside-arryn-siposs-decision-to-leave-auburn-early-declare-for-nfl-draft.html

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By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com
Gus Malzahn didn’t expect to lose Arryn Siposs after the punter’s junior season, his second on the Plains. After all, over the prior decade only four punters have declared early for the NFL Draft.

Losing Siposs with one year of eligibility remaining just didn’t seem expected for Auburn’s head coach, which is why Malzahn said it was a “big surprise toward the end” when Siposs approached him last month and informed him he decided to enter his name into this year’s NFL Draft, leaving Auburn without a firm succession plan at punter, where quarterback Bo Nix is currently the team’s most experienced player at the position.

“I think he was a little bit surprised, but I just thought it was the right time for me to be able to go and do that,” Siposs said Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “I had many conversations with him over that period of time to let him know what I was thinking and feeling, and that’s just the way I thought about it in the end and just thought that was the right time to be able to go and do it.”

Siposs is one of two underclassmen punters in this year’s NFL Draft pool, with Arizona State’s Michael Turk the other. It’s the first time in at least the last decade that multiple underclassmen at that position have entered the draft, with the only other early entrants since 2010 being LSU’s Brad Wing in 2013, Clemson’s Bradley Pinion in 2015, Delaware’s Eric Enderson in 2016 and Texas’ Michael Dickson in 2018.

Of those, only Dickson and Pinion were drafted, with each going in the fifth round of their respective drafts. Siposs is hoping to add his name to that group this April after betting on himself following two seasons of college ball that followed a professional career as an Australian rules football player back home in Australia.

“There’s no doubt; my goal is to come here and get drafted,” Siposs said. “My goal is to come here and showcase what I’ve got and hopefully get my name called out on that Saturday, which should be really exciting. If it doesn’t happen, that’s OK; I know I’m going to hopefully get an opportunity somewhere to showcase what I’ve got. I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity, which is great.”

Siposs never expected to leave Auburn early. When he arrived on the Plains two years ago as part of the Tigers’ 2018 signing class, he fully anticipated using all three years of eligibility he had. Following this season, however, Siposs began to reassess his situation and had some lengthy conversations — with his coaches, both those at Auburn and back at ProKick Australia; his wife and the rest of his family — before coming to his decision.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Siposs said. “Obviously, having a year to go and being able to go and play again in the SEC football, I just had to weigh what I thought was going to be beneficial for me going forward and that led me to the decision to come out and try to get to the NFL.”

Siposs put up solid numbers over the course of his two seasons at Auburn after taking over the starting punter job following the 2018 season opener. He averaged 44 yards per kick during his Auburn career, including a 43.8-yard average last season, which ranked 28th in the nation, as Auburn averaged 38.5 net yards per punt.

Of course, his goal when he first connected with Nathan Chapman at ProKick Australia and eventually signed with Auburn was to make it to the NFL at some point, and while Siposs’ ability is the main reason he was confident enough to enter early into the draft, the former professional footballer’s age — he turned 27 in November — also factored into the timing of his decision.

“There’s no doubt if I was 21, 22 years old, it would probably be a completely different story,” Siposs said. “My age probably, certainly was a factor in terms of going into my decision as well. Look, I’m happy with my decision, and I’m sure the rest will take care of itself.”

Since declaring for the draft last month, Siposs has mostly remained in Auburn, where he is still enrolled in classes with the intention of working closer to his degree in the College of Education, while still working out and training at the Tigers’ athletics complex. He has still been around several of Auburn’s players, including a group of six or seven, he said, who have been training with him in advance of this week’s NFL Combine and next week’s pro day in Auburn.

Siposs also had an opportunity to fly out to Los Angeles, where he was able to reconnect and train with his former coach at ProKick Australia. Along with continuing to hone his craft, Siposs has spent time working on spiral punts, which he wasn’t asked to do much at Auburn, where the Tigers typically had him use end-over-end punts with a focus on location and height.

That, above all, is what he hopes to get out of this week at the NFL Combine, where he said teams have been “intrigued” to see what he is capable of when he takes the field Friday.

“It’s been good to be able to meet most of the teams and what they expect and what they want you to do, so that’s been really good,” Siposs said. “That’s exciting, to get to come here and actually do face-to-face interaction with them, and they get to see what kind of character you are, which is really good. It’s all been a great process so far.”

A process he hopes ends with his name being called on Day 3 of the draft.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Article about why Prince Tega W won't be working out until a few weeks before the draft:

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2020/02/after-knee-scope-prince-tega-wanogho-will-have-private-pro-day-in-april.html

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By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com
Prince Tega Wanogho won’t be working at for teams this week at the NFL Combine. They won’t get to see him in action on March 6 at Auburn’s pro day, either.

Instead, NFL clubs will have to wait until mid-April to see the former Auburn offensive tackle work out at a private pro day just a couple weeks ahead of this year’s NFL Draft. Wanogho, who underwent a scope on his right knee on Jan. 28, is still recovering from the procedure and hasn’t yet been cleared to return to full on-field activities.

“It’s been good; it’s getting better,” Wanogho said Wednesday in Indianapolis. “Just rehabbing right now, finally getting stronger.”

The 6-foot-5, 308-pounder dealt with the lingering knee injury throughout his redshirt senior campaign at Auburn last season but managed to generally play through the nagging pain. He sat out Auburn’s 55-16 win against Kent State in mid-September due to the injury and was questionable for the team’s road trip to Texas A&M but ultimately suited up and started at left tackle during the Tigers’ 28-20 win against the Aggies.

Otherwise, Wanogho appeared in and started at left tackle in 12 of Auburn’s 13 games in 2019 while earning second-team All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches. Wanogho was then pulled out of last month’s Senior Bowl in Mobile due to the injury and subsequently underwent the minor procedure to scope his right knee.

“For me, it was pretty much a low-key struggle, but it’s something I could tolerate, so it wasn’t as bad,” Wanogho said. “It just bothered me, but now that it’s all fixed, probably after rehab I’ll be ready to go, so we’ll see.”

Since the procedure, Wanogho has been working to rehab the knee and is eager for a chance to show teams up close what he can do. He has not yet set a date or a location for his private pro day, but with the NFL Draft taking place April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Wanogho’s pro day will likely come one or two weeks before the draft.

In the meantime, he had his measurements taken in Indianapolis this week -- he checked in 2 inches shorter and 3 pounds heavier than he was listed during his senior season at Auburn, while his hands measured 10 3/8 inches and arms measured 33 1/2 inches -- and has conducted interviews with teams. Wanogho had a formal interview with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday night, and he has also met with the Houston Texas and Dallas Cowboys, among some others so far this week.

According to WalterFootball.com, Wanogho is projected as a second-round selection in April’s draft and is considered the No. 7 offensive tackle in this year’s class.

“I feel like I’m a sleeper, I really do,” Wanogho said. “At the end of the day, I take pride in whatever I do. As a man, I take pride in that too. I feel like my name is not being heard enough, but that doesn’t really matter to me, because at the next level, whatever team actually drafts me, they’re getting a good player. They’re getting a real pass blocker and they’re getting something good.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

 

[Paladin 3,305]

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From 205-pound tackle to 4-year starter, Jack Driscoll still trying to prove he can play in NFL

Posted Feb 26, 2020

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Jack Driscoll grew up watching the NFL Combine every year. He was enthralled by the event throughout his childhood after hearing stories from his father, John, who participated in the 1988 event as an offensive tackle prospect out of New Hampshire.

Driscoll wanted to one day follow in his father’s footsteps and earn the chance to showcase his talents in front of NFL personnel in hopes of getting drafted to the league.

There was just one small problem for Driscoll. As a junior in high school in Connecticut, he was a mere 205-pound offensive tackle and wasn’t getting much attention from colleges. He knew that wouldn’t cut it.

What ensued over the next several years led Driscoll to where he was standing Wednesday morning, at a podium inside the Indiana Convention Center during this week’s NFL Combine, where he is one of 52 offensive linemen in this year’s NFL Draft class. So, how did Driscoll go from a little-known 205-pound high school junior to a 6-foot-5, 306-pound NFL prospect?

“Just kind of kept that vision,” Driscoll said. “Like I said, I didn’t really have a lot of offers coming out of high school, so just understanding you got to enjoy the process if you want to get here…. It’s an honor to be here and I’m really proud of that.”

Driscoll’s transformation began his senior year at Daniel Hand High in Madison, Conn., when he worked his way up to 240 pounds as a tight end, with 247Sports giving him a two-star rating as an offensive tackle and the 2,277th-best prospect in the 2015 class. Though his offers were limited, Driscoll signed with UMass and redshirted his first year on campus.

That’s when, he said he made his biggest jump in reshaping his body to play offensive tackle.

Between the time he enrolled at UMass and the start of his redshirt freshman season in 2016, Driscoll put on nearly 50 pounds — settling around 295 — and worked his way into the starting lineup, making eight starts that season while playing left tackle and left guard. He worked in concert with the team’s dietician, as well as the UMass strength coach, and came up with a plan to put on all that weight without making it bad weight.

Ultimately, Driscoll ate. A lot.

“Eating was like a full-time job; it still is but it was like a full-time job at that point,” he said.

The not-to-secret key to it all, he said, was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He’d eat at least five of them a day — on top of his three other meals and a variety of protein shakes. It began daily with breakfast, then he’d make and pack up two sandwiches before he left for class and would snack on those while on campus. Then there was lunch, followed by dinner. Then, before bed, he’d eat two or three more of the sandwiches.

“For a while, I couldn’t even smell them anymore without getting sick,” Driscoll said. “Just a lot of eating and really working with the dietitian and our strength coach and understanding what time of day to eat, because that’s really one of the most important parts. Eating before I went to bed and just really filling out. I was really lanky and stuff, so our strength coaches… did a tremendous job of coming up with a plan where I could gain weight and ultimately be at the size I need to be to play offensive line.

“As you know, there’s probably not too many 200-pound offensive linemen in the NFL, so I had to do something.”

That “full-time job,” combined with his work in the weight room and on the field at UMass ultimately paid off. After making 20 starts between the 2016 and 2017 seasons while earning his undergraduate degree at UMass, Driscoll explored the graduate transfer market with his sights set on the SEC West.

“I just wanted to play at the highest level possible,” Driscoll said. “I wanted to play against the best competition day in and day out and week in and week out…. I wanted to test myself and be able to prove to myself that I belonged with the best players in the country, so I decided there was no better place to go than the SEC West.”

He took a visit to Auburn in the spring of 2018, immediately hitting it off with Gus Malzahn and then-offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, and he transferred to the Plains that April. Driscoll started every game at right tackle over his two seasons at Auburn, and now he’s on the cusp of seeing his NFL dream come true like his father — who was a 12th-round selection by the Buffalo Bills — did 32 years ago.

WalterFootball.com currently projects Driscoll as a fifth-round pick, with the general consensus among analysts being that he needs to improve his strength if he hopes to stick in the league. While there are certainly concerns about Driscoll as a prospect, he’s confident there are factors working in his favor that will help him make it in the NFL.

He has experience in a pro-style system from his time at UMass, as well as in inside-run and power-focused schemes like the one he ran at Auburn. There’s the four years of starting experience, of course, as well as versatility, with experience at both tackle spots and at guard; he said he has also worked on his snapping, in case teams are interested in him playing some center.

“The more positions you can play, the harder it is to get cut and the more valuable you are,” Driscoll said. “It’s something that if you’re just a one-trick pony, you’re probably not going to last in the league very long, so really just trying to make myself that much more valuable and working snapping, that’s such a good skill to have.”

Driscoll knows he’s not a finished product. His transformation — that one that began his back in high school — isn’t quite complete. He knows there’s still more to prove, even as he sees one childhood goal realized this week in Indianapolis, and he hopes to answer lingering questions about his size, strength and ability this week at the NFL Combine.

“I still have a lot of work to go,” Driscoll said. “That’s one thing, I’m never really satisfied. Now I need to prove to myself I can play in the NFL. That’s something that’s a goal; that gets me up every morning…. A lot of people can play in college, but not everyone can play in the NFL. What do I need to do to get my body and my mind right so that I can make that transition and help the team win games?”

 

[Paladin 3,305]

 

[esotrey 2]

Why RG aint move Marlon to the inside & let Nick Coe play his position? 

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,297]

18 minutes ago, esotrey said:

Why RG aint move Marlon to the inside & let Nick Coe play his position? 

Nick, is that you?

[Zeek 16,650]

57 minutes ago, esotrey said:

Why RG aint move Marlon to the inside & let Nick Coe play his position? 

Coe wasn't doing what was expected from him on and off the field... at least that's what I've heard.

[Zeek 16,650]

NFL.com Analysis of our guys

Prince Tega Wanogho (Offensive Tackle)

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NFL.com grade: 6.3 (starter within two seasons)

NFL.com analysis: "A late-comer to the sport, Wanogho gained over 50 pounds and has gone through a crash course in football experience since stepping onto campus as a raw athlete with just a year of high school experience. His shorter arms will be an issue against long-limbed defenders, but instinctive, quick hands and an ability to swat and re-establish as a hand fighter should help counter that concern. The footwork and body control are just OK, but he's loose-hipped and tremendously athletic with rare recovery ability when beaten." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Jack Driscoll (Offensive Tackle)

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NFL.com grade: 5.66 (Chance to make end of roster or practice squad)

NFL.com analysis: "There will be teams who scratch Driscoll off their lists completely due to a lack of length and play strength, but zone-scheme teams who covet athleticism over brawn might take a look. He will need to add real mass and muscle in order to have a shot. " (more) — Lance Zierlein

Arryn Siposs (Punter)

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NFL.com grade: 5.4 (Priority free agent)

NFL.com analysis: "Australian punter with good size and is fairly consistent in striking the football, but his age and modest leg strength may work against him." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Derrick Brown (Defensive Tackle)

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NFL.com grade: 7.16 (Pro Bowl talent)

NFL.com analysis: "Defensive tackle with rare combination of size and disruptive traits who frequently bludgeoned inferior competition across from him. Brown's snap quickness allows him to take muddy running lanes by re-setting the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to power into gaps, but he really shines when he drops his anchor to stall double-teams or punch, press and prey on runners as a two-gapper." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Marlon Davidson (Defensive Lineman)

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NFL.com grade: 6.36 (Starter within two seasons)

NFL.com analysis: "Four-year starter who posted elevated production against the run and pass as a senior. Davidson has been durable and his play consistent, but he fails to really stand out in the shadow of teammate Derrick Brown. The team who drafts him will need to determine how best to utilize him because despite his build, he's most effective when playing outside the tackle." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Nick Coe (Linebacker)

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NFL.com grade: 5.88 (Backup/special-teamer)

NFL.com analysis: " Coe has the body type and natural power of an odd-front defensive end, but he needs to play with better anchor and feel for the blocking scheme in front of him. He flashes rugged tendencies, but needs to embrace that part of his game at the point of attack as he lacks the quickness and twitch to be a consistent playmaker or pass rusher." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Javaris Davis (Cornerback)

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NFL.com grade: N/A (Likely needs time in developmental league)

NFL.com analysis: N/A

Noah Igbinoghene (Cornerback)

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NFL.com grade: 6.29 (Good backup who could become starter)

NFL.com analysis: "Stocky but explosive receiver-turned-cornerback whose play generates both intrigue and concern. He's extremely physical from snap to whistle with the strength to alter route timing from press. He's a good athlete with a plus burst to close. He's naturally aggressive to ambush catch tries. Staying in phase on the vertical plane is a challenge and pattern recognition is surprisingly average." (more) — Lance Zierlein

Daniel Thomas (Safety)

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NFL.com grade: N/A

NFL.com analysis: N/A

 

 

So it's an uphill climb for a few of them but I'm excited to see how their reports shift after the combine. Thomas, Driscoll, and Davis can only go up from here IMHO.

[Paladin 3,305]

 

[abw0004 10,112]

Nick Coe discusses decision to leave Auburn, why he feels skillset was misused last season

The former Auburn defensive lineman decided in December, less than two weeks before the Tigers’ appearance in the Outback Bowl, that it was best for him to sit out the bowl game and part ways with the program he called home for the last four years. It was a decision that did not come as a surprise to head coach Gus Malzahn, but it represented a somewhat abrupt departure for one of Auburn’s most physically gifted players just days after the message coming out of the program was that the Tigers expected none of their draft-eligible players to sit out the bowl game against Minnesota.

When Coe made his announcement Dec. 20, he cited “reasons that are personal to me” for his decision to leave Auburn after his redshirt junior season and before the team’s bowl game. On Thursday at the NFL Combine, Coe addressed for the first time publicly what went into his decision and why he felt it was in his best interest to leave the team.

“It was like a lot of personal reasons,” Coe said in Indianapolis. “I wasn’t having the year I expected it to be, so I didn’t think the bowl game would change anything, so I decided to leave early and focus on what I should do to progress to the next level.”

Coe’s 2019 campaign fell considerably short of expectations, especially following a breakout 2018 season that saw him make seven sacks, finish second behind linebacker Deshaun Davis with 13.5 tackles for a loss and tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles while starting 10 games at Buck.

His production, as well as his playing time, saw a sharp drop last season, and he appeared in 11 games while making just one start — at defensive tackle in the season opener against Oregon. Coe recorded just 15 tackles, including three for a loss, and failed to record a sack last season while rotating between defensive tackle, defensive end and a newly-listed outside linebacker position that Auburn’s coaches added to the depth chart prior to the start of the season.

It was a considerable step back for Coe, whose name was being mentioned last summer as a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft but saw his stock take a hit following an underwhelming 2019 campaign.

“It was really difficult,” Coe said. “Just looking at it, I was thinking about even though, for me I took a lot on myself because I wasn’t starting or anything. I thought I’d be starting the same position and all. I took a lot on myself, trying to affect adversity, trying to get better on the field and see if I can get my starting position back. It really hurt me during that time period, and now I realize that I was trying to help the team out more than I was trying to help myself out. Then when I was trying to help the team out with certain stuff, it wasn’t really working out for me.

“Just looking back at it, if I would change anything, I would just keep working hard and really focus on myself. That’s what I was doing from the jump, but there’s so much that went into it.”

The most difficult and confounding aspect of the season for Coe was the change of positions, although that was nothing new for him at Auburn. After redshirting in 2016, he saw his first playing time in 2017 while largely working behind Marlon Davidson at strongside defensive end but still seeing time at defensive tackle and Buck while being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife lineman for defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

Then in 2018, Coe moved full-time to Buck — though he saw some action on the interior in the Tigers’ Rabbits pass-rushing package — and flourished in his new role while being able to focus mostly on the one position. With his production shooting through the roof that season, Coe anticipated maintaining his same role and starting position heading into 2019.

That wasn’t the case, however. He spent fall camp working at various spots along the defensive line — something he said he enjoyed at the time — and when Auburn unveiled its depth chart for the season opener, Coe wasn’t among the team’s starters along the line, though his name appeared more times on the two-deep — as a starting outside linebacker and as the backup at both defensive tackle spots and strongside defensive end — than any other Auburn player.

His name was noticeably absent from the Buck position, where T.D. Moultry and Big Kat Bryant were listed as co-starters.

“To be honest, it was just crucial,” Coe said of losing his starting job at Buck. “I really don’t know what position I played this past year…. You think about once you get a starting position you got to hold on to it and the only way they can take you out is if you come really bad and aren’t productive, so when I was really productive at that position I thought next year would be — not the same way, but me just improving from that point on at that position. Then I come into the next year after that, this past year, it was nowhere near the same because I didn’t get enough snaps at that position or any snaps at all.”

Coe puts a lot of the blame on himself for not producing when given the chance last season, but the now 6-foot-5, 280-pounder believes his talents were also misused by Auburn’s staff in 2019.

“There’s some things I could’ve done better and everything, but it was never nothing explained to me as to why I didn’t get the starting position or anything, or why I didn’t play that position,” Coe said. “I think at two points — my redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore year — (my skillset) was properly used. I think that all I thought about during that process and all that stuff last year was, ‘Is he trying to track back to my redshirt freshman year?’ Because that’s when I was being rotated the most. I was being very productive at the Buck position at Auburn; I was literally at one position the whole time, and now he’s switching me over back behind Marlon more often and made me second end.”

While the move to more positions than at any other point of his career was apparently unsettling to Coe, he said he never approached Garner or Steele to address his concerns about his comfort level in his role at the time or if he felt there were better ways to utilize his skillset on defense. He always believed that the coaching staff was going to put him in the best position to succeed and didn’t want to question their decisions in that regard.

Still, things didn’t quite make sense to him, and Coe felt that the manner in which he was used last season slowed his development as a player. It frustrated him privately throughout the season, ultimately leading to his decision to part ways with the team ahead of the Outback Bowl and begin focusing on the next step in his career.

The most difficult part, though, was informing his teammates—including the senior class he came to Auburn with four years ago—he wasn’t going to finish the season with them.

“They understood what was really going on and during the whole process, so I just told them throughout this whole past year it was just uncomfortable and everything,” Coe said. “So, it was best for me to move on and prepare myself for success in the future because I don’t think I’m getting anything from this point on at Auburn.”

[Paladin 3,305]

Marlon Davidson bent on proving he’s worthy of being a 1st-round NFL Draft pick

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Marlon Davidson could have been easily overlooked last season, cast in the shadow of the 6-foot-5, 326-pound behemoth lined up beside him.

While Derrick Brown has received most of the attention, and rightfully so, ever since he announced after the 2018 season that he’d be returning for his senior campaign — signaling a year-long coronation of the dominant defensive lineman and soon-to-be top-10 pick — Davidson continued to go to work, putting together the best season of his career. Now, with the 2020 NFL Draft less than two months away, Davidson is out to prove to teams he at least belongs in the same breath as Brown and is deserving of being a first-round pick come April.

“Derrick’s a great talent,” Davidon said Thursday in Indianapolis. “He’s honestly top-10 no matter what. He’s a great football player. I fall somewhere in that category. I feel like I’m a great player; he just gets a lot more hype. At the end of the day, I still get noticed. As long as you keep doing what you do, everything else will take care of itself.”

Davidson took that mentality through his senior season, bouncing back from what was a good junior campaign but one that was missing something—the ability to finish plays in the backfield, as he missed out on countless sacks in 2018. He followed that up with a senior season that saw him lead the team with 7.5 sacks, and 12.5 tackles for a loss (tied with Brown, naturally) to go along with a career-best 48 tackles, five hurries and two forced fumbles.

Davidson earned a pair of second-team All-America honors, as well as first-team All-SEC recognition as his draft stock improved throughout the year. Then, at last month’s Senior Bowl, Davidson shined in practices while displaying his versatility — lining up at the 5-technique outside, as a stand-up edge-rusher and sliding inside as the 3-technique — and ability to move well at a heavier weight, checking in at 297 pounds, which was up from his listed weight of 278 his senior season at Auburn.

“(I have) a lot of versatility,” Davidson said. “You know, they’re looking for a lot more guys that can move around the edge, move anywhere, you know what I mean? I can be that strongside defensive end or shoot the edge on first and second down and move inside and use athletic ability like we were just talking about against bigger guards.”

Teams have taken notice of that, as Davidson noted Thursday, pointing to an informal interview he had with the Atlanta Falcons, who were quick to laud his ability to move to various positions effectively across the line.

Davidson is hoping that translates to becoming a first-round pick in April’s draft.

“The versatility with him is going to help him,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “Senior Bowl week obviously did. He got better this year in terms of technique and pass-rush moves and all that. I think he’s a second-round pick. Some think maybe first; I think more second round for him.”

For Davidson, of course, being one of the first 32 names called from the stage in Las Vegas this spring is one of the ultimate goals, but he understands that only a select few will earn that honor. He’s just hoping he can be part of that conversation — one that he believes can pick up with a strong showing at the NFL Combine this week.

Davidson, who said Thursday he believes he’s “the best athlete in the world,” is ready to prove that lofty claim this week. It may have been a brash claim, of course, but that sort of confidence is nothing new for Davidson — the same player who took great joy in claiming more SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors than his close friend and roommate, Brown, one of the most highly touted prospects in this year’s class.

That’s just the dog in him, he says.

“You can’t tell people that you’re a dog,” Davidson said. “You have to show people. Now, you turn on the film, you’re going to look and see every play. You’re going to see 3, and 3 gonna be doing his thing. That’s for sure. Now I just have that attitude about me, man. My mindset is to go dominate no matter what. That’s what I do.”

Davidson weighed in at 303 pounds at the Combine, and he flouted the strength he has added, even since the beginning of his senior year — he was especially proud of the 395-pound max he hit on the bench press during Iron Bowl week — and he’s certain that will show through when he takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for workouts. The strength will be there, and he’s confident in his speed and agility for a defensive lineman, even at the added weight, aiming to run a 4.79 in the 40-yard dash this weekend.

If that gets him into the first round, it will be the achievement of a childhood dream. If it doesn’t — well, he’ll be ready to try to prove it was a mistake on behalf of those teams.

“Wherever I go, it don’t matter,” Davidson said. “I’m going to go in there and play like I’m a first-round draft pick at the end of the day…. Just being one of the 32, that’s hard to do, man. It really is.”

[Paladin 3,305]

Marlon Davidson delivers greatest hits at NFL Combine

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Marlon Davidson is enjoying this. The stage, the spotlight, the attention -- the former Auburn defensive end is reveling in everything about the pre-draft process.

Davidson was in rare form Thursday while speaking to the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, as the confident, comical and loquacious lineman basked in his moment on stage, answering a wide range of questions covering his position and versatility, his passion for the game his personality and so much more.

Davidson was in his element Thursday, and rightfully so. After coming up with big hits, sacks and forced fumbles for the last four seasons as a starter along Auburn’s defensive line, Davidson delivered some of his biggest hits on stage during the NFL Combine, letting his persona shine in the limelight.

“That’s just who my character is; I like to talk, I like to show that I’m happy because this is a great moment, you know, for anybody,” Davidson said. "Everybody should want to be here, you know what I mean? A lot of people don’t get the chance to come here, so I’m here now so why not make it the best opportunity I ever had?”

Davidson spoke with the media for more than 23 minutes, providing some of the week’s most memorable quotes so far. Here’s a look at some of Davidson’s most eye-opening -- and oftentimes amusing -- answers, with some context, from the NFL Combine:

-- On what he loves most about football, and why he’s so passionate about the game...

“What do I love most about the game? I love most about the game is that — this is true now, OK, this is true — I love most about the game that I can literally go out there and hit a man consistently and pound him, and the police not come. That is the most enjoyable moment about ball, to just go out there and really abuse somebody, and they won’t say nothing about it in the press or anything. I ain’t on no headlines, in handcuffs, no mugshots, no nothing. I’m out here just physically abusing my man.”

-- On what it will be like seeing his bank account after signing his first NFL contract...

“It’s going to be great, man. Just being able to have that much money in my bank account and just being able to provide for my family the way my mother did — even though she was working a 9-5 every day, waking up and just going to do what she had to do for the house. So you know, just being able to provide, have that backbone and that secure safety line to get what the family needs, and then also just have so you can be like, ‘Man, I don’t have to worry about nothing for the rest of my life.’ I’m a smart man; I’m going to invest my money, of course. I’m not going to go out there and be the one guy that gets drafted high and then be broke at the end of the day. That’s not me. I’m a country kid. I come from the trees. You don’t need too much. Get you a pair of shoes and go play ball, and we’re good.”

-- On his go-to pass-rush move...

“Inside. Inside, baby. Going inside stab, trap. I got to let that man feel me, so I got to punch him in the chest and then get on the outside of him. I got to.”

-- On if he feels his speed as a defensive lineman is one of his biggest advantages...

"I think I’m the best athlete in the world; I can’t lie about that. Just having that in my toolkit and being able to pull that out any time I wanted, that’s special.”

-- On the pride he takes in beating Alabama...

"A lot of pride. A lot of pride, shoot. Beating Alabama, shoot, that’s what you want. That’s what anybody wants. Everybody wants to knock off the top dog; Alabama’s the top dog. They’re just like the New England Patriots of the league. Everybody wants to knock off the New England Patriots, so shoot, why not be the one to knock them off? I mean, we take a lot of pride in that. I’m a very prideful guy. I don’t let nobody beat me. I don’t care if you’re anybody, I want to take it to the heart because I feel like I could’ve did something more to help us win the game or do this or do that. Like the Minnesota game, I think I took that game the hardest out of any game that I played.”

-- On whether his goal is to be a first-round pick...

"It’s a goal to every kid. That’s just — everybody wants to go first round, but in reality there’s only 32 players who could go first round. To be one of the 32 is special. Even just to be recognized as one of the 32 is special. Wherever I go, it don’t matter; I’m going to go in there and play like I’m a first-round draft pick at the end of the day…. Just being one of the 32, that’s hard to do, man. It really is.”

-- On what physically allows him to affect the line of scrimmage...

“That I’m strong. I have a lot of dog in me. I really do. I’m not one of the type of guys who’s going to sit there and get beat all game. The offense is winning one or two no matter what, but I’m going to come out and whoop their tail, and then I’m going to come back and whoop it again, then I come back and I’m going to do it again. It’s going to keep coming with repetition. At that point, they’re like, ‘Man, I got to go against Marlon Davidson every play.’ I got to make this fun.”

-- On what it means to be a “dog”...

“I mean, it’s kind of hard to put in words. You can’t tell people that you’re a dog. You have to show people. Now, you turn on the film, you’re going to look and see every play. You’re going to see 3, and 3 gonna be doing his thing. That’s for sure. Now I just have that attitude about me, man. My mindset is to go dominate no matter what. That’s what I do.”

-- On how he went from 290 his senior year to 303 at the NFL Combine...

“From freshman to junior year I didn’t like really work out at all. That was me just being there, physical build, me being strong from the country. That was just me, but shoot, senior year I think I was like 265 bench press the beginning of my senior year, and I was 395 by the end of it. That was remarkable for me, just being able to show that I have gotten stronger through the course of the year. I hit that PR Alabama week, so I felt good about it.”

-- On Derrick Brown’s personality...

"Derrick’s like, he’s goofy but he’s serious. He has his moments where he wants to play around and be a big teddy bear and this, that and the third, but when it’s time to play ball, it’s time to play ball. He ain’t talking to nobody because he gets to where he gets tired, and when he gets tired you can’t say nothing to him. He gets in one of those silent moods and just goes to work, but shoot man, on the field he’s just a straight, pure animal.”

[Paladin 3,305]

Derrick Brown’s message for NFL teams with questions about his consistency

Today 3:19 PM

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Derrick Brown met with coaches from all 32 NFL teams this week in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine as the franchises do their due diligence on the sure-fire first-rounder and likely top-10 pick.

There have been formal and informal meetings, but teams mostly just wanted to get to know Brown, the 6-foot-5, 326-pound defensive tackle. He hasn’t gotten any “crazy” questions from clubs, but there is one question that has come up several times during meetings this week: Teams asked why he wasn’t as consistent his junior year as he was as a senior, when he was a unanimous All-American, and above all else, they wanted to know how they could be sure they don’t get that version of Brown as opposed to the one they saw wreak havoc on opponents throughout the 2019 campaign.

Brown’s answer was both concise and powerful, as the former Auburn defensive lineman delivered a message to those inquiring franchises.

“That guy don’t exist no more,” Brown said.

According to Brown, his improved consistency as a senior had a lot to do with his maturity—and he pointed to the birth of his son, Kai, as a catalyst for that maturation—which translated to more success on the field.

He had 55 total tackles last season, including four sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss, four pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles, which both came on strip-sacks. Those numbers were nearly improved across the board from the year prior, though he had 4.5 sacks as a junior, and he posted grades of 84.7 against the run and 90.4 against the pass, according to Pro Football Focus analysis while not missing a single tackle over the final 15 games of his college career. Of course, he only missed five over his four years on the Plains.

Still, Brown took his game to another level in 2019 — despite dealing with double-teams on nearly every play, regardless if it was a pass or a run — and it propelled him into the position he’s in now as the top interior lineman in this year’s draft class.

“He’s going to destroy double-teams no matter what,” former teammate Marlon Davidson said. “That’s just what he did.”

Brown’s dominance helped Auburn produce one of the nation’s top defenses again in 2019, finishing fifth in ESPN’s SP+ rankings defensively, and with the NFL Draft now less than two months away, the only thing left to answer for the generational talent is how early he will hear his name called from the stage in Las Vegas come April.

“I’ve just got to put on my best show,” Brown said. “Then it’s up to the clubs from there.”

Brown is aiming to cement his status as a top pick during this week’s NFL Combine, where he will partake in every workout and continue to answer any lingering questions clubs may have—like ones about his limited sack production from the interior line, where he never had more than 4.5 in a season at Auburn, though he’s confident that’s “something that’s just going to come with time.”

He hopes his showing this week in Indianapolis will complement the film he put up over the last four seasons, when he blossomed from a five-star prospect to a top-tier defender and a finalist for nearly every major college football award on defense.

“I try to impose my will on people, so,” Brown said. “I think (my biggest asset is) just being able to knock back the line of scrimmage and create pressure that way, but also be able to play the run and create that knock-back.”

While where he ultimately gets selected in the draft is up to the teams, it will only be a matter of time before Brown’s name is off the board and he officially embarks on his pro career.

“I look forward to getting my feet wet, learning the system and being able to play against All-Pro guys week in and week out,” Brown said. “I’m excited about it.”

[WarTiger 3,901]

7 hours ago, esotrey said:

Why RG aint move Marlon to the inside & let Nick Coe play his position? 

Can we get this in English please or is there a translator present?

[WFE12 9,191]

 

[cole256 17,056]

5 hours ago, abw0004 said:

Nick Coe discusses decision to leave Auburn, why he feels skillset was misused last season

The former Auburn defensive lineman decided in December, less than two weeks before the Tigers’ appearance in the Outback Bowl, that it was best for him to sit out the bowl game and part ways with the program he called home for the last four years. It was a decision that did not come as a surprise to head coach Gus Malzahn, but it represented a somewhat abrupt departure for one of Auburn’s most physically gifted players just days after the message coming out of the program was that the Tigers expected none of their draft-eligible players to sit out the bowl game against Minnesota.

When Coe made his announcement Dec. 20, he cited “reasons that are personal to me” for his decision to leave Auburn after his redshirt junior season and before the team’s bowl game. On Thursday at the NFL Combine, Coe addressed for the first time publicly what went into his decision and why he felt it was in his best interest to leave the team.

“It was like a lot of personal reasons,” Coe said in Indianapolis. “I wasn’t having the year I expected it to be, so I didn’t think the bowl game would change anything, so I decided to leave early and focus on what I should do to progress to the next level.”

Coe’s 2019 campaign fell considerably short of expectations, especially following a breakout 2018 season that saw him make seven sacks, finish second behind linebacker Deshaun Davis with 13.5 tackles for a loss and tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles while starting 10 games at Buck.

His production, as well as his playing time, saw a sharp drop last season, and he appeared in 11 games while making just one start — at defensive tackle in the season opener against Oregon. Coe recorded just 15 tackles, including three for a loss, and failed to record a sack last season while rotating between defensive tackle, defensive end and a newly-listed outside linebacker position that Auburn’s coaches added to the depth chart prior to the start of the season.

It was a considerable step back for Coe, whose name was being mentioned last summer as a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft but saw his stock take a hit following an underwhelming 2019 campaign.

“It was really difficult,” Coe said. “Just looking at it, I was thinking about even though, for me I took a lot on myself because I wasn’t starting or anything. I thought I’d be starting the same position and all. I took a lot on myself, trying to affect adversity, trying to get better on the field and see if I can get my starting position back. It really hurt me during that time period, and now I realize that I was trying to help the team out more than I was trying to help myself out. Then when I was trying to help the team out with certain stuff, it wasn’t really working out for me.

“Just looking back at it, if I would change anything, I would just keep working hard and really focus on myself. That’s what I was doing from the jump, but there’s so much that went into it.”

The most difficult and confounding aspect of the season for Coe was the change of positions, although that was nothing new for him at Auburn. After redshirting in 2016, he saw his first playing time in 2017 while largely working behind Marlon Davidson at strongside defensive end but still seeing time at defensive tackle and Buck while being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife lineman for defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

Then in 2018, Coe moved full-time to Buck — though he saw some action on the interior in the Tigers’ Rabbits pass-rushing package — and flourished in his new role while being able to focus mostly on the one position. With his production shooting through the roof that season, Coe anticipated maintaining his same role and starting position heading into 2019.

That wasn’t the case, however. He spent fall camp working at various spots along the defensive line — something he said he enjoyed at the time — and when Auburn unveiled its depth chart for the season opener, Coe wasn’t among the team’s starters along the line, though his name appeared more times on the two-deep — as a starting outside linebacker and as the backup at both defensive tackle spots and strongside defensive end — than any other Auburn player.

His name was noticeably absent from the Buck position, where T.D. Moultry and Big Kat Bryant were listed as co-starters.

“To be honest, it was just crucial,” Coe said of losing his starting job at Buck. “I really don’t know what position I played this past year…. You think about once you get a starting position you got to hold on to it and the only way they can take you out is if you come really bad and aren’t productive, so when I was really productive at that position I thought next year would be — not the same way, but me just improving from that point on at that position. Then I come into the next year after that, this past year, it was nowhere near the same because I didn’t get enough snaps at that position or any snaps at all.”

Coe puts a lot of the blame on himself for not producing when given the chance last season, but the now 6-foot-5, 280-pounder believes his talents were also misused by Auburn’s staff in 2019.

“There’s some things I could’ve done better and everything, but it was never nothing explained to me as to why I didn’t get the starting position or anything, or why I didn’t play that position,” Coe said. “I think at two points — my redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore year — (my skillset) was properly used. I think that all I thought about during that process and all that stuff last year was, ‘Is he trying to track back to my redshirt freshman year?’ Because that’s when I was being rotated the most. I was being very productive at the Buck position at Auburn; I was literally at one position the whole time, and now he’s switching me over back behind Marlon more often and made me second end.”

While the move to more positions than at any other point of his career was apparently unsettling to Coe, he said he never approached Garner or Steele to address his concerns about his comfort level in his role at the time or if he felt there were better ways to utilize his skillset on defense. He always believed that the coaching staff was going to put him in the best position to succeed and didn’t want to question their decisions in that regard.

Still, things didn’t quite make sense to him, and Coe felt that the manner in which he was used last season slowed his development as a player. It frustrated him privately throughout the season, ultimately leading to his decision to part ways with the team ahead of the Outback Bowl and begin focusing on the next step in his career.

The most difficult part, though, was informing his teammates—including the senior class he came to Auburn with four years ago—he wasn’t going to finish the season with them.

“They understood what was really going on and during the whole process, so I just told them throughout this whole past year it was just uncomfortable and everything,” Coe said. “So, it was best for me to move on and prepare myself for success in the future because I don’t think I’m getting anything from this point on at Auburn.”

This is literally EXACTLY what I said he was probably thinking and many said I was wrong......wellcan't argue about it now

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,297]

10 hours ago, cole256 said:

This is literally EXACTLY what I said he was probably thinking and many said I was wrong......wellcan't argue about it now

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

16 hours ago, Paladin said:

Derrick Brown’s message for NFL teams with questions about his consistency

Hahahaha wait WHAT

16 hours ago, Paladin said:

Teams asked why he wasn’t as consistent his junior year as he was as a senior

Oh, I see. Well, I'll feel terrible for any team that gets freaking amazing Derrick Brown instead of that's not actually possible for a human being to do Derrick Brown.

[cole256 17,056]

3 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

 

Do I know you?

[Paladin 3,305]

 

[Paladin 3,305]

 

Quote

Former Auburn player says Tigers have become best team in state

By Mike Rodak | mrodak@al.com

For the 19 former Alabama and Auburn players walking the halls of the Indiana Convention Center this week at the NFL combine, last November’s Iron Bowl was one of the final, lasting memories of their college careers -- for better or worse.

Auburn emerging from the frenetic, back-and-forth game with a 48-45 win meant the Tigers had captured their second Iron Bowl in three years. That is the first time that has happened since Auburn stormed to six consecutive wins in the state’s biggest football game from 2002-07.

After that stretch, Nick Saban’s team captured seven of the next nine Iron Bowls.

Now momentum in the rivalry is back on Auburn’s side, and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene sees it staying that way.

“I feel like Auburn has come around as the best in that state,” he said Friday in Indianapolis. "So I really feel like the next couple years we’re gonna show that. Recruiting, everything. The coaches are winning. So I’ll see. We’ll all see.”

Auburn entered last November’s meeting ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll, while Alabama was No. 5. When the dust settled from the Iron Bowl and the two schools prepared for their respective bowl games, they were locked in a tie for No. 9 in the AP poll.

No matter how the two teams are ranked entering next season, Tigers defensive lineman Nick Coe does not expect many to favor Auburn in its trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium this fall.

“It still will be the same because they always put Alabama on top and everything," he said Thursday. "Even if Auburn could be No. 1 and Alabama could still be 10th in the nation, or something like that, they still will expect Auburn to mess up and do something wrong. We always find a way to win.”

Fellow Tigers defensive lineman Marlon Davidson basked in beating the “top dog” in Alabama but said, despite Auburn’s recent wins, that the Tide will remain in that role.

“Yes, of course," he said. "Alabama is Alabama in our day. Can’t really say nothing about that.”

 

[Paladin 3,305]

Quote

Noah Igbinoghene, Javaris Davis eyeing top 40 times at NFL Combine

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

The fastest room in Indianapolis this week might just reside in the Crowne Plaza.

That’s where former Auburn teammates Noah Igbinoghene and Javaris Davis are roommates during this week’s NFL Combine, and in the land of the Indy 500, you’d be hard-pressed to find a faster duo during the NFL’s annual scouting extravaganza. That’s because the two defensive backs -- both of whom are former track stars -- are eyeing some of the top times in the 40-yard dash when their opportunity presents itself Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

“We’ve been talking about it a lot,” Davis said Friday. "We’ll just let everybody see on Sunday.”

Davis and Igbinoghene are looking forward to showcasing their speed on the big stage this weekend, when the defensive backs get their turn at the Combine workouts, including the 40-yard dash. Neither former Auburn defensive back wanted to put a precise time prediction out there for when they run, but both seem intent on being among the fastest players in this year’s pool of prospects.

Davis — a 5-foot-8, 183-pound corner — who has been among Auburn’s fastest players the last four seasons, said his fastest unofficial time while at Auburn was a 4.24, though in April 2016 he tweeted that he ran a team-best 4.18 when players were timed in the 40 by Auburn’s strength and conditioning staff. The latter number would be an NFL Combine record, as the current top time ever was a 4.22 by former Washington receiver John Ross.

Davis isn’t making a claim that he can top Ross’ mark, which many anticipated former Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III to break this week, but he’s confident he can put up one of the better times among players at this year’s Combine.

“I don’t want to put a label on it or a time, but I know it’s going to be something fast; I will tell you that,” Davis said.

The fastest 40 time so far at this year’s Combine was set Thursday night, when Ruggs ran a 4.27, missing out on matching Ross’ record by five-hundredths of a second, while the next-fastest time so far was a 4.35 by Southern Miss receiver Quez Watkins. The Combine record in the 40 for a defensive back is 4.28, which former Minnesota cornerback Jaylen Myrick set in 2017. Jamel Dean, a former Auburn defensive back who was teammates with both Davis and Igbinoghene, an a 4.30 during last year’s Combine, which was the fourth-fastest by a defensive back in Combine history and the second-fastest among all players at the 2019 event.

Davis and Igbinoghene are hoping similar impressive performances can help their draft stock like it did for Dean, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucs in the third round last year.

Davis is a player ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said last week could be “one of the fastest corners” in this class, which should help him land with a team as a potential option at nickel despite less-than-ideal size for an NFL defensive back. Igbinoghene, who is already projected to be a late-first round pick, could see his stock continue to climb with a strong showing this week. The former receiver-turned-corner hasn’t run an official 40-yard dash since his freshman year at Auburn, when he ran a hand-timed 4.32.

“I’ve gotten way faster since then,” Igbinoghene said. “We’ll see how it goes on Sunday.”

The 5-foot-10, 198-pounder appeared confident he could run faster than Dean, saying that he is eyeing a number in the 4.2 range. It’s something he has been training for in Tampa, Fla., at the Applied Science and Performance Institute, where he has been working alongside Ruggs.

“We’re both tremendous athletes,” Igbinoghene said. “He ran a 4.27; I really thought he was going to break the record yesterday, so now it’s my opportunity. I’m ready.”

And all eyes will be on Igbinoghene and Davis come Sunday.

“We’ll just have to wait and see (who’s fastest),” Davis said. “I know we’re both going to run fast times. I can guarantee you that.”

 

[sogaaufan 27]

Is it my imagination or did Prince Tega shrink about four inches?

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, sogaaufan said:

Is it my imagination or did Prince Tega shrink about four inches?

The water was very cold. 

[jared52 4,354]

Man what a question, "So Derrick, why where you better your senior year than your junior year?" Some of these teams need to take the Wonderlick or something.

[Paladin 3,305]