Not all was lost after the 6-5 finish to the 2020 Auburn football season. While the old coaching staff led by Gus Malzahn was, the fact that the NFL will always have a home for the best players from Auburn was not.
The 2021 NFL Draft saw four Tigers get their name called, and all four of them played pivotal roles for the team the past three years (and in K.J. Britt’s case, four years). Beyond Britt, the receiving duo of Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz, and safety-turned-NFL linebacker Jamien Sherwood, Eli Stove and Jordyn Peters each got signed to deals as undrafted free agents, though Stove’s NFL dreams are currently on hold due to an injury found during his team physical with the Chargers.
None were selected before the 91st pick, but the 2020 draft featured two first-round picks from the Plains in Derrick Brown and Noah Igbinoghene. In 2019, Jarrett Stidham became the first QB selected from AU since Cam Newton himself in 2011.
We could go on and on through the years, but the point stands that the professional game has always benefitted from Auburn football’s exports.
Things will be no different in 2022.
The only thing we don’t know yet is who exactly could be selected. Fly War Eagle believes these three Tigers have a shot at hearing their names called next April:
Auburn football 2022 NFL Draft hopeful #1: Zakoby McClain
Exclude Zakoby McClain from this list at your own risk. The nation’s leader in tackles does not take kindly to those that openly doubt him.
McClain’s quest for respect will inevitably lead to another dominant season, and with an improved record, NFL scouts should be intrigued by the massive chip on his shoulder and the violence it precedes.
![Auburn football defensive back Roger McCreary (17) hits Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (11) before the ball arrives as Ruggs hauls in a touchdown pass in Bryant-Denny Stadium during Alabama’s 52-21 victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0f2e2954f27ceb6c43763c75c9ea914ae93058ebef2a4900de6044173e7bd716.jpg "Auburn football defensive back Roger McCreary (17) hits Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (11) before the ball arrives as Ruggs hauls in a touchdown pass in Bryant-Denny Stadium during Alabama’s 52-21 victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]")
Auburn football 2022 NFL Draft hopeful #2: Roger McCreary
PFF believes Roger McCreary is one-half of the most dominant cornerback duo in college football along with Smoke Monday, so the hype for McCreary’s NFL case does not need a shot of life. It is already in full effect.
McCreary was a possibility for the 2021 draft after a dominant 2020 season, but ultimately he chose to return to the Tigers. After another season as the top corner for new defensive coordinator Derek Mason, his professional candidacy will not be in any doubt.
It’s undeniable that he filled Igbinoghene’s shoes admirably, collecting 45 tackles, six pass deflections, and three interceptions in 2020. His season was a major bright spot for one of Kevin Steele’s weakest defenses of his Auburn football tenure.
In fact, Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon was surprised McCreary didn’t take the opportunity to go pro this past April:
"as Auburn undergoes a coaching change from Gus Malzahn to Brian Hairsin, it would’ve been understandable for McCreary to transition too. Because he’s staying on the Plains, though, McCreary will attempt to become more than a borderline Day 2 pick."
McCreary probably won’t make the same decision should he (inevitably) be posed with it once more in 2022.
Auburn football 2022 NFL Draft hopeful #3: Smoke Monday
Given Roger McCreary’s potentially impending NFL departure following the 2021 season, it’s only right that the other half of the dynamic defensive back duo, Smoke Monday, is also considered to be drafted next year as well.
After a stressful mass turnover of his coaching staff, the All-SEC safety had a very interesting statement when he declared his return to the Plains this past January:
"“… I would also like to thank Coach Harsin for being real with me and understanding the hardship that this team has went through and providing us the space to finish out the season. I believe he will do great things at Auburn. Last but not least I would like to give a special thanks to my teammates for believing in me.”"
The senior isn’t likely to make use of his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic even if the Tigers somehow do the unthinkable and win the SEC. He’s been through a lot already, and he was apparently very close to declaring for the NFL Draft before deciding to give AU a fourth go-round:
"“My family and I have thought about this for a long time, so with that being said I will be returning to Auburn University for my senior season and will not be entering the 2021 NFL Draft.”"
Like McCreary, an improved record should improve his draft stock and likely earn him more money. Monday’s ability to pick off passes and turn them into points (two of his four career INTs were pick-6’s) should garner plenty of interest from pro scouts, especially considering the fact they came in high-profile SEC showdowns against Tennessee last season and in the 2019 Iron Bowl.