Auburn football CB Jaylin Simpson on what hopes to show NFL personnel at the Senior Bowl
Auburn football cornerback Jaylin Simpson talks about his goals at the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl
This weekend, the best senior college football players from programs all around the country will converge in Mobile, Alabama, on the campus of the University of South Alabama for the Reese's Senior Bowl.
After a week of events leading up to the game, the contest will take place on February 3 at noon between the National and American teams. The Auburn football team will have four former players representing the program at the Senior Bowl: defensive backs Jaylin Simpson, Nehemiah Pritchett, and DJ James, and defensive lineman Marcus Harris.
Simpson spoke with Justin Melo of The Draft Network about his time at Auburn and the upcoming Senior Bowl, covering the importance of being part of the weekend and what he hopes to accomplish.
The cornerback told Melo that at first, the importance of the game didn't fully hit him, but once it was realized he was in awe at the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of successful Auburn Tigers before him:
"My coaching staff helped me grasp the full range of its importance. Roger McCreary and Derick Hall played in the Senior Bowl. I feel blessed to be walking in their footsteps. They were highly-ranked draft prospects. It’s a great sign for me. I’m going to showcase my abilities. I’m very joyful. It means I did what I needed to do during the season to get it done."
As the Senior Bowl is widely considered to be the first step in the NFL draft process, Simpson also spoke to Melo about what he hopes to get across the NFL personnel who will be on site:
"One thing that I definitely want to prove is that I can play any position across the defensive backfield. I can play corner, nickel, and safety. I played cornerback throughout my first two years at Auburn. I made the move to safety for my last two seasons. I can definitely play nickel as well. I’ve played nickel on occasion, but I believe I can play it more frequently if given an opportunity. I want to show the scouts that I can add a lot of value to a defense by playing all three positions."
The Senior Bowl kicks off from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile this Saturday, February 3 at noon.