Auburn Football: Three Auburn Tigers at the NFL Combine

Here we take a look at three players from Auburn football — Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Rudy Ford — who are participating at the NFL combine.

Three players from the 2016 Auburn football team — Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Rudy Ford — will be showing off their skills this weekend to coaches, scouts and general managers at the NFL Combine, which runs through March 6.

That’s down from the eight Tigers who were invited to the Combine last year, but maybe that’s a sign that most of the talent is returning to the Plains in 2017.

Both Lawson and Adams are potential first-round picks, and all three players have something to prove during the skills competitions and workouts.

In his recent mock draft, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had the Falcons drafting Lawson with the No. 31 pick of the first round. Other mock drafts have had Lawson going in the top 10 of the first round or as late as the early third round.

To ensure a first-round pick, Lawson needs to show those watching at the Combine that his speed rush off the edge is fast enough to overcome his lack of size. At 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, Lawson is considered undersized for an defensive end rushing the quarterback.

A team that drafts Lawson may ask him to slim down and play a linebacker slot where he can still rush. At a lower weight though, he would be called on to cover running backs and tight ends in the middle of the field as well. His speed would benefit him in that role.

Defensive lineman Adams, meanwhile, also has the potential to go in the first round, and his strong Senior Bowl performance improved his standing among NFL scouts.

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Kevin Brady of SlantSports.com recently posted a scouting report on Adams, whom he has being drafted in the third round but concedes he may go higher. Brady writes, “When he wins, he wins this size, strength, and power. Pure brute power. He has a bulky lower body as well, helping him stalemate double teams and power through on bull rushes. Adams is also rather quick for his size. He normally plays with a good first step, and has the ability to explode through gaps, especially against slower offensive linemen.”

Adams will need to use the Combine to overcome his reputation of taking plays, and parts of games, off.

After missing the Senior Bowl game due to an ankle injury, Ford needs to use the Combine to show that he’s recovered and has the speed and agility needed to play safety in the NFL.

Ford, a converted running back, is currently projected to go late in the third day of the draft — somewhere in the sixth of seventh round. But if he shines at the Combine, he could move up to the fourth or fifth round. Ford has drawn interest from the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals as both teams met with him at the Senior Bowl.

Next: All-Time Top 10 NFL Auburn Players

If you’re interested in seeing how these players do at the Combine, you can check here for their 40-yard dash and bench press results on Friday.

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Auburn Football: Three Auburn Tigers at this weekend’s NFL Combine

By Chris Roush | Mar 3, 2017

Here we take a look at three players from Auburn football — Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Rudy Ford — who are participating at the NFL combine.

More from Fly War Eagle