It didn’t take long after the 2022 NFL Draft ended for Auburn football fans and beat writers to be at each other’s throats.
J.A.B.A. I guess.
The infighting started when the Opelika-Auburn News’ Justin Lee posted a story detailing why he believes the Tigers having only one NFL Draft pick this year was a major L for Bryan Harsin and his coaching staff.
Lee condemned that no Auburn football star besides Roger McCreary heard his name called during the three-day, seven-round event:
"Unacceptable. That’s the word for it. Failure. That’s another. Auburn had only one player taken in the NFL Draft this weekend, the program’s lowest since the dog days after the 2012 season, and no one around Auburn should take this shortcoming lightly."
Some Tiger fans agreed:
Great column! What gets me is the relative lack of noise made by AU fans this weekend…it’s like no one cares enough to say anything & that’s as much a reflection of how things are now as anything else. Little success = little care. Maybe the noise was there & I just missed it…
— Auburn Sports Journal (@AUsports1914) May 1, 2022
Great article. Most of us don’t want to admit but it’s a sad situation. Yea Basketball has softened the blow but realistically football recruiting has been a disaster. It’s gonna be almost like a rebuilding situation. There is no reloading 🤦🏻♂️
— TheRealStuntmanJohn (@StuntmanReal) May 1, 2022
Agreed on all accounts. We must raise the bar for ourselves and always look to improve; that starts with tough reflections like this.
— oxford con (@oxthecon) May 1, 2022
However, I am proud of the guys that did roster this weekend and stuck with Auburn through these times. Especially in the age of the portal.
And some did not…
Just don’t see a way this isn’t 100% on Gus. No matter how you look at it, As they say, you can’t polish a turd. And a turd is EXACTLY what Gus left Harsin. Embarrassing was Gus did to our program. Sorry, not sorry.
— War Eagle (@SECpigskin) May 1, 2022
It’s Harsin fault Gus recruited non NFL guys? That’s wild.
— Deelicious (@slliw85) May 1, 2022
Can you block me so I don’t have to see your tweets?
— Matthew Morris ❄️❄️ (@themattyice7) May 1, 2022
Auburn football will have more draft picks in 2023
This was the fewest number of Tigers to be sent to the NFL since the 2013 NFL Draft, which followed a 3-9 season that saw Auburn go winless in SEC play. Consider the 2022 NFL Draft an anomaly, though.
That will change in 2023. Mark our words.