Versatility, upside could land Igbinoghene in 1st round

[aubiefifty 16,695]

Versatility, upside could land Igbinoghene in 1st round

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

4-5 minutes

Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)AP

Noah Igbinoghene has only been playing cornerback for two seasons, yet the former Auburn standout heads into next month’s NFL Draft as one of the top players at his position — and a potential first-rounder

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. once again projected Igbinoghene as a late first-round selection in his most recent mock draft, and he has the dual-sport athlete as the No. 3 cornerback on his big board.

“You think he’s just touched the surface of what type of player he could be at corner because the limited experience, being a former receiver,” Kiper said this week during a conference call. “I think he’s in that late first-round (area).”

Kiper has Igbinoghene ranked behind former Ohio State star Jeff Okudah and Florida’s C.J. Henderson among cornerback prospects in this year’s draft, and while he personally believes Igbinoghene is the No. 3 player at the position, he said “at worst, he’s probably the sixth corner” in the draft. The other players who are in that discussion, according to Kiper, are Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, TCU’s Jeff Gladney, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, LSU’s Kristian Fulton and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell.

What makes Igbinoghene stand out among those others, though, is his upside.

After signing with Auburn as a four-star receiver out of Hewitt-Trussville, Igbinoghene made the move to defensive back following his freshman season. The son of two former Olympic athletes, Igbinoghene quickly caught on at his new position and emerged as a standout in the secondary the last two seasons. As a sophomore in 2018 he led Auburn with 11 pass breakups while also adding an interception and 50 total tackles. He followed it up with 42 tackles and seven pass breakups as a junior, when opposing teams often tried to avoid his side of the field as Auburn’s No. 1 corner.

He also served as Auburn’s primary kick returner, with one kick return for a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.

“I like his versatility,” Kiper said. “I think he could help out on special teams and the return game, obviously. He’s a former wide receiver and keeps getting better and better. His tackling improved. His instincts in coverage made some progress. He still has some work to do in terms of coverage technique, but he’s got awesome talent.”

While Igbinoghene’s tape in two short seasons has impressed, he did well in bolstering his stock at the NFL Combine and then earlier this month at Auburn’s pro day, when he notably improved his vertical jump to 40 inches (from 37 at the Combine) and ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash (slightly quicker than his 4.48 in Indianapolis). Kiper has Igbinoghene projected to go late in the first round to the San Francisco 49ers with the 31st overall pick, though he added the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, are also in the market for a cornerback and could be a prime landing spot for Igbinoghene in the draft.

“It’s a blessing, man,” Igbinoghene said. “I’ve only been playing the position for two years. Who knows? It’s crazy. If I had been playing the position a little bit earlier, who knows what could’ve happened? It’s a blessing, again. I ain’t come here and plan to do this and play cornerback. It just shows God’s plan for me, and so I’m very appreciative of Him and so I’m glad. I’m thankful for Auburn.”

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

 

[LKEEL75 2,566]

My man Iggy!!!!

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

I have always been an Iggy fan. He's great at his position. Hate to see him leave but wish him well in the NFL.